Former boxing champion and promoter Oscar De La Hoya recently wondered who might win in a fight between Ryan Garcia and Vergil Ortiz Jr. at 154 lbs. Garcia had a witty reply to this question and his tweet soon went viral, grabbing headlines in the MMA world.
Responding to De La Hoya’s question on Twitter, Garcia asked if the former was willing to hand over his promotional organization, The Golden Boy Promotions, to the winner of the fight. In a casual Garcia-esque reply, the boxer implied that he needed some incentive to step into the ring.
Winner gets your company https://t.co/gYTU2RC33y
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) July 15, 2024
Despite the infamous Ostarine gate and the subsequent ban levied by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), the 25-year-old is still a talking point in the boxing community. De La Hoya’s recent tweet just got things a lot more interesting as he proposed a hypothetical matchup between the 26-year-old Ortiz Jr and the retired 25-year-old Garcia.
‘The Golden Boy’ might as well be aiming at an in-promotion fight as both boxers are part of the same promotional organization. However, does it make sense? The short answer is no since Garcia has to move up in weight and take on a less popular fighter who has never won a world title.
In fact, even former Italian-American boxer, Paul Malignaggi, believes such a fight will put Garcia at a disadvantage.
Boxing veteran Malignaggi keys in with his take on Oscar’s Garcia vs Ortiz Jr matchup
Garcia vs Ortiz might be a dream match for many but Malignaggi, a former title weight holder, has a different opinion. According to the boxing analyst, ‘King Ryan’ would be at a considerable disadvantage since he will be going up against a much bigger opponent after climbing multiple weight classes.
During an episode of ProBox TV’s ‘Deep Waters,’ the Italian-American insisted that it would be impossible for Garcia to climb two weight divisions, especially considering how he failed to make weight even for the Super Lightweight title fight in April 2024.
“You’re going to tell me a guy who was a lightweight a year ago has trouble making 140 – probably because of performance-enhancers he was taking – is going to now jump up two weight classes in the span of a year and fight one of the biggest punchers in the weight class? A guy [in Ortiz] who can barely make the weight himself?”
Even though the pair have met on two separate occasions during their amateur days, with Garcia taking the W both times, weight classes are there for a reason.
However, despite all speculation, the fight will have to remain hypothetical for now since Garcia is currently banned. On the other hand, Ortiz Jr is set to face Serhii Bohachuk for the interim WBC super welterweight title on August 10.
