Oscar De La Hoya has backed Ryan Garcia to return back stronger following claims that he could fight in November.
In the biggest fight of his career against Gervonta Davis at 135 pounds, Garcia was stopped in the seventh round following a body shot. The mega event sold over a reported $1.2 million pay-per-views, with Garcia pocketing an alleged $30 million. However, the post-fight diagnosis for Garcia was damning.
There were suggestions that the fighter quit after getting up from the body shot immediately after being counted out. Meanwhile, Garcia was left to face the media alone without De La Hoya by his side. Although the latter did state that he avoided the presser on the basis of some alleged death threats, it did not paint ‘King Ryan’ in a positive way.
And on top of that, Garcia made major changes in his training set-up. The departure of Joe Goossen was followed up by the appointment of Derrick James. The latter is known for working on boxing fundamentals, something which Garcia was lacking in his defensive work against Davis. Meanwhile, Garcia also moved up to junior welterweight. But moving forward, De La Hoya predicted a rejuvenated Garcia.
When will @RyanGarcia return to the ring? 🤔@OscarDeLaHoya provides an update.#ZepedaGesta pic.twitter.com/yRHc8MflVH
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 17, 2023
“Ryan Garcia is coming up; we’re getting his date ready. Mid-November, late November, he’ll be back stronger, better, wiser than ever; we’re looking forward to it,” De La Hoya
As of now, an opponent has not been confirmed. However, some of the names being linked include Jose Pedraza or Ohara Davies. The former is a two-division world champion, entering into the latter parts of his career at 34. In addition, the latter could be an option if his fight with Rolando Romero does not go ahead. Rolly was set to face Davies, who is his mandatory. However, the purse bids were called off due to some medical documents issued from Romero’s side. So, if that does fall through, a fight for a potential vacant WBA belt at 140 could emerge. Either way, the plan for Garcia is clear.