Oscar: Top lightweights need Garcia, wants Tank fight
The Golden Boy promoter talks about his young star’s upcoming fight against Luke Campbell and speaks on future showdowns.
During this conversation with Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV, Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya discusses Ryan Garcia’s upcoming fight with Luke Campbell on January 2nd and where Garcia might go from there. Check out some excerpts from the interview below.
On Luke Campbell being a live underdog in this fight:
“It’s mind-boggling to me how spread out the favoritism is, but it’s a dangerous fight. On paper you see both guys and this is a very dangerous fight for Ryan Garcia. It’s not gonna be a walk in the park but I still feel Ryan Garcia’s gonna make a statement in this fight.
“The fact that he has a lot of doubters, a lot of people whispering in his ears. He’s hears those whispers every single day, about how he can’t do it, how he can’t be world champion, he can’t beat this guy, can’t beat that guy. That’s fuel to the flame. And I think this is the perfect fight for Ryan Garcia, this is the perfect fight where he can really come out and shine and become a superstar.”
How to Watch Garcia vs Campbell
Date: Saturday, Jan. 2 | Start Time: 3:00 pm ET
Location: American Airlines Center - Dallas, TX
Stream: DAZN
Online Coverage: BadLeftHook.com
On if he thinks Garcia will knockout Campbell or fight to a decision:
“I can see maybe Ryan Garcia getting frustrated a bit, you know, because he doesn’t knock him out in the first few rounds. But that’s where you have to expose your greatness. If you’re destined to be great, then that’s where you have to show it. You have to adjust. You have to make those little subtle adjustments to figure out your opponent. And can Ryan Garcia knockout Luke Campbell? Absolutely, if he has greatness in him. And, you know, we’ll see January 2nd.”
On the Garcia-Campbell winner potentially fighting Devin Haney or if Garcia wins will he target one of the other top lightweights:
“I’ll have to sit down with Ryan and have a heart-to-heart talk with him because, you know, at this point of his career he wants to fight everybody. It’s very impressive that a young kid like that, like him, in his position, can call out all these world champions and wanting to fight the very best at such an early age.
“And it’s funny because in the position he’s in right now, all the world champions are calling him out, because they need Ryan. He has the popularity, he has the attention, and it’s pretty ironic...If you were to put Teofimo, Hank Haney, the Tank Davis, any champion out there from 135 to 147, if you were to put them out in the street, nobody will probably recognize them. If Ryan Garcia was walking down the street, a lot of people would recognize him. And I think that’s one special advantage that Ryan Garcia has, including his talents inside the ring. It’s the perfect package.
“So we’ll have to sit down with Ryan and see what he wants but, yes, he has called out The Tank. I love that fight. As his promoter I love the Tank fight.”