Veteran boxing figure Oscar de la Hoya has broken his silence on the growing fissure with his longtime signee Ryan Garcia, offering a pointed assessment of where their partnership stands and how the dispute evolved.
The remarks came amid fresh social-media jabs, ongoing legal filings and persistent questions about what lies ahead for Garcia and the promotional outfit Golden Boy Promotions.
On the surface the fallout began when Garcia responded to one of de la Hoya’s social-media posts with the blunt message “F*** Golden Boy.”
De la Hoya said his frustration grew after receiving that reply to what had been a routine congratulatory tweet to his other fighters.
Still, the roots of the conflict run deeper. Garcia, 27, emerged as a rising star under Golden Boy‘s umbrella, signing a major extension in 2019 that bound him for multiple years.
But his trajectory took several sharp turns, on-and-off-ring distractions, a split with earlier trainers, and heavier scrutiny when he tested positive for a banned substance after defeating Devin Haney in April 2024.
De la Hoya told reporters that while the contractual relationship remains intact, “we have a multi-year deal”, he is unsure what the future now holds, in part because he has not spoken to Garcia in some time.
How the relationship unraveled
De la Hoya framed the dispute as being about more than one tweet or one disagreement.
He pointed to prolonged instances of unprofessional behaviour, questions about Garcia‘s focus, and the presence of “people around Ryan” who he believes are exacerbating the issues.
In one public-facing moment de la Hoya said: “Unfortunately Ryan Garcia is having another episode.
“Ten days ago he’s talking about God and finding his path, then tonight he sends me this rant while watching his fellow Golden Boy fighters win. Bipolar disorder is very serious and I hope he gets the help he needs.”
Although de la Hoya stopped short of ending the relationship, he made it clear that trust is severely damaged.
He said the fight game demands accountability and discipline, and when a fighter’s messaging and behaviour appear chaotic it puts the entire promotional operation at risk.
On the other side, Garcia has been publicly critical of Golden Boy, claiming the promoter failed him at crucial moments and that he’s frustrated by what he sees as under-invested support.
That bitterness has reached a level where some insiders see the end of the partnership as inevitable once the contract term ends.
The legal backdrop is complex. Media outlets have noted that arbitration was set to begin in October 2023 as Garcia sought to void the promotional contract, pointing to alleged breaches and blocked opportunities.
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