2023 is revealing itself to be a year of more downs than ups for Ryan Garcia. Not only did he drop his first fight against Gervonta Davis, but he also found himself embroiled in a legal battle. The Mexican-American boxer felt cheated and has been at loggerheads with Oscar De La Hoya for the better part of this year. A tussle over the fine details of a contract has caused a rift between him and Golden Boy Promotions. While it seems the two have put aside their differences to give fans a dose of ‘KingRy’s left hook and quick hand speed, it might all turn out to be a ploy.

A back-and-forth on Twitter and an exchange of multiple lawsuits between Garcia and his promoters seized the headlines in June. The promoters and their legal entourage tried to force the 25-year-old to respect the contract. However, two months later, the boxer slapped a similar legal document on his promoters. What had gone down, exactly?

What is Ryan Garcia’s beef with Oscar De La Hoya?

Garcia signed with Golden Boy in 2017 and renewed his deal in September 2019. His growing star power and his following outside the ring helped him negotiate a clause that allowed him to fight on PPV with any network. Despite that, Golden Boy tried to arm-twist the boxer to ensure the super fight was broadcast on DAZN, as the promotion had an exclusive deal with DAZN in place.

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While the fight with ‘Tank’ made its way to Showtime, selling $1.2 million PPVs, it was also streamed on DAZN. Notably, DAZN received a check for $1.25 million as a step-aside fee, out of which Garcia shelled out $120,000. There have been two diverging accounts since then. One is from the 23-1 record holder, and one is from Golden Boy.

Golden Boy was on the same road as Canelo Alvarez three years ago. The promotion continued to press hard on the legal process while keeping their exclusive deal with DAZN intact. On the other hand, Garcia has alleged a violation of California’s seven-year rule for personal service agreements.

Additionally, Garcia tried to invoke the Ali Act and demanded the promoters tweak their contract with DAZN, as he couldn’t be held exclusive to DAZN. Both parties held firm ground, and it appeared Garcia’s lucrative deal, which was supposed to ensure his rise, might end up clipping his wings. But soon, the news of Garcia fighting Oscar Duarte caught fire, and now we are days removed from the California native’s return. What changed exactly?

Why is Ryan Garcia still fighting under the Golden Boy Promotion banner?

Both colliding parties put aside their differences and ensured the legal strife didn’t take a toll on Garcia’s career and the Golden Boy’s pockets. Both have since shifted their focus to the upcoming make-or-break fight for Garcia.

“Cordial, all respect each other, so that’s good,” Garcia told ESPN. He added, “Again, all the legal stuff, I just leave to my lawyers and let them handle it. So, I haven’t really thought about it too much. Just focus on the fight. And that’s it.”

“He’ll Probably Thrive Without Oscar”: Following Intense Feud With Promoters, Fans Implore Ryan Garcia to Leave Golden Boy as De La Hoya Promotes Fight on Social Media

However, off-the-ring tensions have spilled over, and the boxing community is watching the heat splash out in interviews and press conferences. The fiasco between Garcia and Golden Boy has reached a tipping point where the boxer has lost faith in the promotion to even back him up.

Are Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins backing Duarte to beat Ryan Garcia?

Garcia caused a stir when he disclosed that Golden Boy backed Duarte to beat him. Interestingly, Duarte is also signed with the Golden Boy. “It’s very clear to me that, you know, they’re backing this guy to beat me. Just like they thought [Romero] Duno was gonna beat me. He was the next Filipino star. They say he’s the next Mexican star,” Garcia declared during the presser.

These shocking statements came after Golden Boy Promotions partner Bernard Hopkins unleashed a flurry of scathing remarks. He didn’t hide his disdain for Garcia when he told Fight Hype, “We’re not in business of kissing fighter’s as*, telling them something that they’re not. Now I will promote a fight, but I will not promote a lie.”

When you want to bounce back to winning ways, you don’t face a knockout machine in Duarte. He is on an 11-win streak. Golden Boy might feed him a couple of fights before putting him against a boxer he can’t defeat. They can even rob him of a Davis rematch if he fails to bend their way. However, it might be a stretch at this point. Garcia is a cash cow, and you churn money out of it, not leave it to starve and die. 

What do you think of this legal conflict between Ryan Garcia and Golden Boy Promotions? Do you believe their controversy is causing harm to both parties? Let us know in the comments below.

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