Ryan Garcia is not letting Oscar De La Hoya’s absence go.
Days after he retained his WBC welterweight title with a second-round stoppage of Conor Benn at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Garcia told Yahoo Sports his longtime promoter’s decision to stay away from the biggest fight of his welterweight reign was impossible to swallow.
“But honestly, nobody wanted him there. That’s the God’s honest truth,” Garcia said.
“I will say this, though: I wish Oscar was there. That would’ve shown his love for me the way that I imagined somebody that’s been with me the whole time would.”
“Where’s your maturity? Something’s off. He’s living in the past.”
Garcia said he had scripted a symbolic moment with De La Hoya for the ring walk.
“In the beginning, it was Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. that was going to walk out with me, and I wanted to get maybe Oscar right there. I think that would be iconic.”
De La Hoya’s Instagram Live dismissal
De La Hoya’s public dismissal of the matchup had already strained the relationship before the opening bell. In the buildup he went on Instagram Live and told viewers “nobody is asking for this fight,” saying he would have picked Devin Haney for the rematch instead.
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Garcia had hit back weeks earlier on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“I don’t understand why Oscar De La Hoya would have to go on Instagram Live and say, ‘Nobody wants to watch this fight.’ What’s the point of that? I’m your fighter.”
“Bro, collect your check and move on. Like, what is the point of that?”
Feuding since 2019
Garcia and Golden Boy have fallen out repeatedly since 2019. The deepest split came in 2023, when Garcia’s legal team sent a demand letter alleging contract violations and Golden Boy sued to enforce the deal, The Ring reported.
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De La Hoya, who founded Golden Boy Promotions, and his fighter reconciled in early 2024 before the alliance frayed again after Garcia’s unanimous decision loss to Rolando Romero in May 2025. Garcia has said he has just one fight left on the contract and intends to walk once it expires.
Referee Thomas Taylor waved off the Benn fight midway through the second round after Garcia dropped Benn with a right hand and followed up with power shots on the ropes. Garcia said De La Hoya has not contacted him since.
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