Promoter Oscar De La Hoya has ruled out Ryan Garcia facing Jake Paul as a replacement opponent for his November 14 exhibition match on Netflix in Miami, Florida. De La Hoya claims that Ryan (24-2, 20 KO) has a contract with DAZN and Golden Boy Promotions. He says it’s “business.”
Ryan has not commented on whether he is interested in entering the fight with Jake. His name has been mentioned, among others, as a possible replacement opponent for Jake for the November 14 fight.
De La Hoya draws the line
“I’ve been getting calls from reporters about Ryan Garcia vs. Jake Paul. I’ll tell you why that fight isn’t happening. Ryan Garcia is fighting on DAZN and Jake Paul is fighting on Netflix,” promoter Oscar De La Hoya told Fighting Hub TVexcluding Ryan Garcia as a substitute for the match against Jake Paul on November 14.
Jake Paul’s originally scheduled fight against Gervonta Davis is in jeopardy due to accusations of domestic violence from Tank’s ex-girlfriend. If he is replaced, the lucky fighter who faces Jake could receive a huge payday.
“That’s basically the bottom line. Golden Boy has a contract with DAZN. Ryan Garcia has a contract with Golden Boy and that’s what it is,” De La Hoya said. “This is a business. Ryan Garcia will probably go on a tirade and say, ‘Oh, you’re stopping me from making money.’ ” NO.”
Oscar looked annoyed today, saying that Ryan wasn’t allowed to see Jake. Garcia himself didn’t push for the fight. His name was mentioned by others. Of course, he’d probably be elated to receive Tank Davis’ massive purse of $40 million. For Garcia, it would be the highest payday of his career.
Legal walls between platforms
“You have to follow the law, the rules. You have a contract with DAZN. You have a contract with Golden Boy. This is not happening. I will say it again: Ryan Garcia’s next fight will be announced by me, who he will fight and when he will fight next,” De La Hoya said.
Tom Galm has been covering the global boxing scene since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, business trends and fighter psychology.