As we reported, Oscar De La Hoya expressed interest in working with rival promoters to set up a Super Bowl weekend card in February. News travels fast, and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says he likes the idea of a potential matchup between Ryan Garcia (23-1, 19 KO) and Teofimo Lopez (19-0, 13 KO).
De La Hoya has been extremely vocal about his interest in working with other promoters of late, and with this potential matchup being the latest he is mentioning, the Golden Boy promoter has stated he is specifically interested in hosting this event at the new Sphere in Las Vegas.
“I was at the sphere opening, and I cannot tell you how f——- amazing it is. Imagine Super Bowl weekend, the Super Bowl of boxing. Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez or even Devin Haney, [or] the winner of [Regis] Prograis [vs Haney]. Then on the undercard, you have Shakur vs. William Zepeda. And then to top it all off, Jaime Munguia versus Derevyanchenko or maybe [Edgar] Berlanga. And to open it up you have Kid Austin versus Jo Jo Diaz. The Super Bowl of boxing. Let’s do this,” De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya has confirmed that he’s held talks with Bob Arum about making Teofimo Lopez vs Ryan Garcia and Shakur Stevenson vs William Zepeda, potentially even on the same card. [@TheVolumeSports]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) October 6, 2023
“I think that’s a great idea. And Oscar, I consider a good friend; I promoted him for so many years, so I think that hopefully, that fight can come together,” said Bob Arum. “Hopefully, against Ryan. I can’t guarantee that, but that’s what Teo is looking at,” Arum continued.
Teofimo Lopez and Ryan Garcia have captivated fans for multiple years and a potential matchup between the two fighters would offer Lopez a high-profile opportunity to defend his WBO belt as the lineal champ in the light welterweight division. Ryan Garcia last lost to Tank Davis in April, 2023, in a bout that sold a reported 1.2 million pay-per-view buys.