De La Hoya Says Garcia Is Mentally Well To Fight Haney- ‘Mark My Words, It’s A Knockout’
Oscar De La Hoya has downplayed concerns over Ryan Garcia’s mental health.
Garcia is set to face Devin Haney on April 20 as he attempts to win The Dream’s WBC Junior Welterweight Title. However, the build-up has been dominated by Garcia’s social media activity. Garcia has spoken about a variety of topics, including human trafficking.
His most recent feud was attacking PRIME, the energy drink founded by Logan Paul and KSI. Garcia alleged it was potentially harmful as he slammed Haney’s sponsorship with the brand. That has raised doubts over whether Garcia will turn up on fight night. But De La Hoya was confident that the fight would go ahead.
De La Hoya On Garcia
“Ryan will be ready. I see Ryan going out there and doing something special; mark my words. I think it’s a knockout, I really do. I don’t even know if it’s down on the cards. Keep in mind, they’re 3-3. They know each other. Ryan and Haney handled him. This is #7, and it’s for all the marbles. People don’t realize how competitive this is going to be. Absolutely. One thing about Ryan is he’s on social media and he has his moments where he wants to be who he is,” De La Hoya stated
Garcia will have to be in his best form. There is no rematch clause in place, so there are no excuses for any fighter who comes up short. There is also no rehydration clause, which Garcia was vocal about in his loss to Gervonta Davis. Garcia had to abide by the 136-pound catchweight and ten-pound rehydration clause. So, can Garcia come out victorious?
De La Hoya On Canelo-Munguia
Elsewhere, Oscar De La Hoya feels that Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia will see a shift in who the best Mexican fighter is. The two boxers face off on Cinco de Mayo as Canelo defends his Undisputed Super Middleweight Title against the undefeated Mexican.
Canelo avoided calls for him to fight David Benavidez, who is the current WBC Super Middleweight Interim Champion. The perception is that Munguia is the easier fight, even if he is a knockout artist. He has a 43-0 record, which includes 34 knockouts.
His last fight was a ninth-round knockout win over John Ryder. Munguia dropped Ryder four times before the stoppage. The manner of his win was all the more impressive since Canelo could not stop Ryder. Following his loss to Munguia, Ryder retired from the sport. De La Hoya feels this fight could be a big moment in Munguia’s career.
“Jaime is an undefeated, serious fighter who wants to become great and world champion again. Jaime Munguia’s career was built on this moment, and I think he’s going to seize. You take a look at when Cotto fought Canelo. I think they were like the same age, where Cotto was the older guy, and Canelo was the passing of the torch. So, this is almost similar to Canelo and Munguia. Canelo is a great fighter. I just feel our fighter [Munguia] will be better that night,” De La Hoya said
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