“We work with every promoter,” De La Hoya told Fighthype. “Even if it’s Dana White and Zuffa, as much as I hate it, let’s go. Why not? Because the fighters want this fight.

“Ryan wants this fight. He wants to fight Conor Benn. Well, yes. Hey, let’s do it. That’s what boxing is all about. You have to work with the promoters to make these fights happen.

“So I’m not going to get in the way of that. If that’s what Ryan wants, that’s what he’s going to get. It’s a matter of detail. It’s about making sure all parties are ecstatic.”

Ryan remains under contract with Golden Boy Promotions, meaning De La Hoya’s involvement will be required to reach an agreement. Meanwhile, Benn became one of the first faces associated with Zuffa’s planned entry into boxing.

While De La Hoya has been openly critical of Dana White’s boxing ambitions in the past, he admitted that discussions between both sides will eventually become inevitable if the fight progresses.

“Absolutely,” De La Hoya replied when asked whether talks would eventually be necessary with White’s team. “At the end of the day, there has to be a conversation, and whether they like it or not, we might be on stage together a few feet away.

“Who knows what might happen? Maybe the press conference will be more stimulating than the fight itself because me and Dana White will be in it. Who knows? But I’m ready. You know me.”

The potential fight would mark one of the biggest fights available in the welterweight division and another example of rival promoters working together to deliver major events. For De La Hoya, personal differences seem secondary if they mean giving Garcia the opportunity he was looking for.

De La Hoya insists the focus must be on making the fight itself happen, regardless of who is involved behind the scenes.

Manny Pacquiao is the only boxer to win a world title in four different decades, and the Filipino fan favorite could reach fifth if he succeeds. His former rival, Marco Antonio Barrera, believes he will succeed.

Pacquiao returned to the ring in July 2025 in an attempt to break his own record as the oldest welterweight world champion by defeating then-WBC world champion Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, but only managed a draw.

The legendary southpaw will next face his venerable foe Floyd Mayweather in a rematch, 11 years after their money-making meeting in 2015, as he tries to put the biggest regret of his 73-fight professional career behind him.

The veteran fighter said he will remain in the sport once the fight is over and pursue his goal of regaining his world title, hoping for a shot at the 147-pound world title in 2027.

I’m talking to Boxing King’s MediaBarrera – who has lost twice to Pacquiao – said he still has the ability to dethrone WBA champion Rolando Romero, with whom he negotiated earlier this year.

“He wants to fight for the title at the age of 47!”

“We can do this [beat Rolando Romero]”

‘Rolly’ was ordered to defend his belt in a difficult fight against Chorley-born Jack Catterall, However, recent reports suggest he will first fight in a lower-risk competition in August before facing the Briton. He claimed that the Pacquiao fight didn’t happen because “PacMan” demanded too much money.

Yevgeny Romanov remains in third place in the WBA rankings despite a series of defeats, he turned 40 years elderly and has not recorded any victory since 2023.

The Russian boxer, renowned for being the first to stop Deontay Wilder, has maintained his high position in the latest WBA bridgeweight rankings despite a string of results that would normally relegate most contenders to the bottom of the list.

Romanov is currently behind Julio Cesar La Cruz and Andrew Tabiti, with only champion Muslim Gadzhimagomedov and interim titleholder Vartan Arutyunyan ahead of him in the latest rankings.

Career in reverse

Romanov’s fall was dramatic.

After compiling a professional record of 19-0 and preparing for a potential world title fight, the Russian was knocked out in two rounds by Zhaoxin Zhang in February 2024.

At the time, defeat looked like a bad night against an unannounced opponent. What happened next only deepened the decline.

Romanov returned in July 2025 and suffered another defeat, retiring after five rounds to Georgi Yunovidov. He hasn’t fought since.

These two losses followed a victory over Wilmer Vasquez in September 2023, which remains Romanov’s last victory.

Now 40 years elderly and inactive for almost a year, Romanov appears to be further away from a title shot than ever since turning professional.

Still number three

Despite this form, Romanow remains third in the WBA rankings.

The ranking stands out even more considering the state of the current bridge division.

Several spots in the rankings remain vacant, reflecting the ongoing struggle to establish depth at 224 pounds. In fact, almost half of the WBA’s current top 15 remains vacant.

The lack of challengers should not become an excuse for players who have stopped winning. Romanov now suffered further defeats, including a knockout defeat, and spent another long period on the bench.

What does the WBA see?

The problem is not that Romanov lost. Players lose all the time. The problem is that Romanov hasn’t won since 2023, suffered a knockout defeat, then suffered another defeat, and then disappeared from the ring again.

Form has to count for something.

Even if the WBA is having difficulty filling all the bridgeweight rankings due to lack of interest in the division, keeping fighters ranked just because they have been ranked before is not how the rankings should work.

This only creates confusion and leaves energetic challengers wondering what they need to do to get ahead of him.

One loss could have justified Romanov’s removal from the upper rankings, especially considering the manner in which the defeat occurred.

To keep him in third place after another loss and another nine months MIA is astounding.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.