Oscar De La Hoya can’t wait to see Ryan Garcia’s returning to championshif fights. Now that the Californian boxer’s suspension has ended, the boxer-turned-promoter is already thinking about his fighter’s next opponent and is confident he has the perfect fight lined up for “King Ry’s” comeback.
Everyone remembers Garcia’s downfall. The highly anticipated WBC super lightweight title fight against Devin Haney ended up being declared a no-contest when Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine.
The result led to suspensions from both the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) and the World Boxing Council (WBC), effective June 20, 2024.
The NYSAC suspension ended on April 20, and the WBC lifted its ban on November 3. This sets the stage for Garcia’s return to the ring, and De La Hoya already has his sights set on an opponent: Mario Barrios.
Barrios is the ideal opponent for Garcia
After the debacle against Haney and a year plagued by controversy, De La Hoya expressed his excitement about the possibility of arranging a fight between Barrios and Garcia for the WBC welterweight title.
“I think that’s the perfect fight for Ryan to come back to,” the promoter said in an interview with Chris Mannix of DAZN. “I think Barrios having a draw against the great Manny Pacquiao is a great thing for Barrios.”
“Mario [Barrios] vs. Ryan Garcia makes a lot of sense,” De La Hoya said. “It’s for a world title and brings Ryan right back to that superstar stage,” the promoter explained.
However, the end of Garcia’s suspensions is only the beginning. Now, the boxer’s team must file a motion to reinstate him in the rankings and qualify as a contender for Barrios’ title.
Garcia’s recent record
The mission doesn’t seem easy, as the former WBA Gold super lightweight champion’s record of 1-2 with one no-contest in his most recent fights is far from stellar.
Garcia lost by knockout to Gervonta Davis in April 2023 and by unanimous decision to Rolando Romero in May 2025. Although he won his fight against Haney by unanimous decision in April 2024, a positive test for ostarine resulted in the result being overturned.
His only victory was in December 2023, a knockout win over Oscar Duarte. Nevertheless, if De La Hoya gets his way, we could very soon see Garcia face Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship.
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