Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya says Ryan Garcia will be fighting on November 18th against a still-to-be-determined opponent.
The left hook artist, Ryan Garcia, who some see as a smaller version of Jeff Lacy, is expected to be given a confidence-booster-level fight to get him back on the winning track again.
De La Hoya stated today that he plans on matching the 25-year-old light welterweight contender Ryan (23-1, 19 KOs) “correctly,” which some believe is code for soft touch for him to avoid another loss.
Oscar notes that Kingry lost his last fight by knockout, so he’s got to be careful in bringing him back. Still, De La Hoya says Ryan will be fighting a “top guy.”
That could mean almost anything because, with four sanctioning bodies to pick opponents, there are quite a few fighters that technically are in the top tier but not exceptionally talented and no threat to beating Ryan.
Ideally, Ryan needs to be matched against a 140-pounder, considering that’s where he’s going to be fighting now. However, small lightweight Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz, who has lost three out of his last four fights, is rumored to be the opponent for Ryan for his November 18th fight.
JoJo is not going to prepare Ryan to face the killers at 140, but if the idea is to get him a soft touch and then put him in with WBA light welterweight champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero in early next year, Diaz is good enough for the job.
“Me as a promoter, we have to match him up correctly,” said Oscar De La Hoya about Ryan Garcia’s next fight. “I can’t really say anybody, or else they add another zero behind the negotiations. We’re currently working on a venue.
Ryan says he has a “big” fight potentially in February. That’s likely the title shot against WBA champ Rolly. He’s not going to take on the winner of the fight between WBC 140-lb champion Regis Prograis and Devin Haney and won’t target IBF champ Subriel Matias or WBO belt-holder Teogimo Lopez.
Interestingly, Ryan says he’s going to be training in Las Vegas. It’s unclear whether he’s still with his Dallas, Texas-based coach Derrick James.
If Ryan has booted him without even getting one fight under his watch, that would be a little troubling. Ryan was recently with Joe Goosen but let him go after his loss to Tank Davis last April.
“Hopefully, it’ll be in LA. We’ll get a top guy, but look, Ryan is coming off a knockout loss,” said De La Hoya.
