The build-up to the now-infamous fight with Devin Haney was marked by Ryan Garcia‘s relentless social media activity, particularly on X. However, another development that caught attention was the young boxer’s increasing proximity to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Who can forget the footage of the two jogging through the streets of Las Vegas at 3 a.m.? Given the rivalry between Mayweather Jr. and Garcia’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, this report unsurprisingly made headlines.

Last year, Garcia suffered his first career loss to Gervonta Davis. Thereafter, the relationship between ‘The Golden Boy’ and ‘KingRy’ deteriorated rapidly, with De La Hoya filing a lawsuit against his charge. By December, in the lead-up to the Oscar Duarte fight, tensions had escalated further. Garcia publicly criticized De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins at the presser. Thus, Garcia’s forging a newfound closeness with Mayweather Jr. only fueled suspicions. Months after the fallout from the Haney fight and ‘KingRy’s expulsion from the WBC, De La Hoya shared what went through his mind when he saw the superstar from his stable reaching out to someone who had defeated him many summers ago.

Is The Golden Boy’s crown jewel at risk?

Oscar de la Hoya was in deep conversation with Shannon Sharpe. The three-time Super Bowl champion asked, “Ryan Garcia and Floyd has been they’ve been talking and communicating. What’s that relationship? What’s that dynamic between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ryan Garcia?”

So Oscar de la Hoya first shared how, after lying low in the promotions business for a while, Floyd Mayweather Jr. gradually became more active again. Incidentally, the latest developments saw the exit of Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, and Mayweather Jr.’s longtime associate. Richard Schaefer, who in his earlier stint worked as Golden Boys Promotions’ president, subsequently joined.

In light of these changes, many would have started to think that Ryan Garcia’s closeness with Floyd Mayweather Jr. might be part of a broader plan to expand Mayweather Jr.’s promotional business. Nevertheless, Oscar De La Hoya highlighted that Mayweather Jr.’s recent proactive stance hasn’t given enough reasons to lose sleep. In all probability, the undefeated former champion and Garcia could be having a discussion as ‘fighter-to-fighter’.

“Maybe he’s slipping in some business; you know, hey, come sign with me or this and that,” said ‘The Golden Boy’. However, the fact remains that, deep down, Ryan Garcia knows who ultimately stood by him through all his ordeals. “Ryan’s a loyal guy who can in boxing who uh who he’ll tell me if he wants to leave me or he wants to stay with me, and you know, plus we have a contract,” he added further with a smile.

Oscar De La Hoya raises eyebrows but stresses the silver lining.

Earlier, when news of Ryan Garcia and Floyd Mayweather Jr. hanging around came, Oscar De La Hoya, during an interaction with media personnel, said, “If Mayweather is still a promoter—back in the day, in my book that was a conflict of interest. Back in my day, that was, ‘We might put you on notice,’ because promoters are talking to our fighters or poaching.” However, even then, De La Hoya suggested that too much might have been read into the situation.

Instead, Garcia’s interaction with Mayweather should be viewed positively. It is a valuable opportunity for a young boxer to learn from a seasoned champion. Later, Ryan Garcia expressed his gratitude and admiration for ‘The Money’, in a separate post. He also addressed the critics who viewed his association with Mayweather Jr. through a skeptical lens.

What are your thoughts on Oscar De la Hoya’s thoughts on his famous charge of socializing with his archrival?