Oscar De La Hoya rips Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn fight plans

Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya says he still has not been contacted about a Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn fight reportedly set for September 12 in Las Vegas, despite widespread reports the bout is moving forward under Turki Alalshikh's Riyadh Season banner.

De La Hoya posted on social media that no one has formally approached him about making the fight, even though Golden Boy holds a two-fight deal for Garcia with the Saudis. The first bout saw Garcia stop Jose Barrios last year. "Nobody's asking for this fight," De La Hoya said, per Bad Left Hook. "The fans definitely not wanting this fight, and if it were up to me I would've picked Devin Haney for the rematch."

De La Hoya blasts Alalshikh over promotion politics

The Hall of Fame fighter-turned-promoter suggested Alalshikh chose Benn to benefit Zuffa Boxing, the promotion launched by Dana White and backed by Saudi investment. De La Hoya pointed out that Golden Boy and DAZN have existing contracts with Garcia, and that Paramount — Zuffa's broadcast partner — would be disappointed given the network's low viewership for typical Zuffa cards. "You can't just do whatever you want here in America," he said. "There are laws and legally binding contracts."

De La Hoya also took issue with being excluded from a recent peace meeting Alalshikh held with promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn. He said Alalshikh left him, Al Haymon, and Bob Arum out of the discussions despite those promoters controlling the US market. De La Hoya closed by saying Alalshikh has a legal obligation to involve Golden Boy in any Garcia fight. "And don't forget to give me a call about Ryan Garcia," he said, "because guess what, you f*ckin' legally have to."

The Garcia-Benn fight has been discussed for months but has not been formally announced. Garcia is coming off a controversial win over Haney in which he tested positive for a banned substance.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — ‘Nobody’s asking for this fight’: Oscar De La Hoya not on board with Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn