Weeks after being dragged into a lawsuit by Devin Haney following his fight against Ryan Garcia, Oscar De La Hoya has broken his silence on the matter.
The Golden Boy Promotions CEO responded after Haney filed legal action related to the April 2024 bout, which saw Garcia secure victory after knocking down Haney three times.
However, controversy erupted when the banned substance Ostarine was found in Garcia‘s system, leading the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) to declare the bout a no-contest.
As a result, Garcia was banned for one year and fined $1.2 million.
Haney, dissatisfied with the punishment, took legal action against Garcia, alleging battery, fraud, and breach of contract.
His team also demanded a full accounting of the fight’s PPV revenue from Golden Boy Promotions.
In response to these claims, De La Hoya addressed the issue in his weekly Clapback Thursday segment on Instagram.
De La Hoya Reveals Underwhelming PPV Numbers
In a candid video posted on Instagram, De La Hoya discussed the legal challenges and revealed, “The Haneys also named my company, Golden Boy Promotions, in their case against Garcia because they want a full accounting of Devin’s fight against Ryan.”
He noted that he could have shown Haney the financial records at any time without the lawsuit, as they are neighbors and he has nothing to hide. However, he went on to disclose the surprisingly low PPV numbers for the fight.
“They want to see my books. They don’t believe that Garcia-Haney only did a little over 300,000 homes, and they have been paid what they are owed. They want more money that does not exist,” De La Hoya explained.
Prior to the fight, De La Hoya had confidently predicted that the fight would sell more than 1.5 million PPVs, declaring that anything under 500,000 would be a major disappointment.
The actual sales, which only reached just over 300,000, confirmed that the event had underperformed dramatically.
This marks the first time De La Hoya has openly admitted that the PPV sales for the Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia fight fell short of expectations. He used the opportunity to criticize Haney and his father, Bill Haney, for pursuing the lawsuit, stating that the low sales figures disprove the claims made in their legal filing.
Dismissing Haney’s Battery Accusations
In addition to financial disputes, Haney’s lawsuit includes a battery accusation against Garcia.
De La Hoya dismissed this claim as unfounded, remarking, “Your son is a professional fighter. His livelihood is based on battering other opponents. This is the lamest claim I have ever seen in the four decades I have been involved in this sport.”
De La Hoya also defended the legitimacy of Garcia‘s win, downplaying the effect of the Ostarine found in Garcia’s system.
“The traces of Ostarine were so minute that professionals have said it didn’t make any difference,” he stated.
According to De La Hoya, Haney simply couldn’t handle Garcia‘s powerful left hook, which sealed the fight’s outcome.
Despite De La Hoya‘s defense, Haney and his team remain determined in their legal battle.
Only time will tell how the courts rule on the lawsuit, but it’s clear that the ongoing saga between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney is far from over.
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