Oscar De La Hoya says he feels the same void American fight fans have experienced given the flood of major bouts that have been taken to Saudi Arabia.
It’s why De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions is resolute in its intention to bring a steady slate of high-profile events back to the U.S. right away in 2026, featuring its biggest names – Ryan Garcia, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Vergil Ortiz.
“I have a lot of plans for Q1, to bring some really big fights to the States, in Las Vegas and Los Angeles,” De La Hoya told BoxingScene in an exclusive interview. “I feel U.S. boxing is lacking a bit in big events.
“My main focus for Q1 is to bring big-time boxing to Las Vegas – especially Las Vegas – because that’s the Mecca of boxing and we should bring that back.”
De La Hoya and another connected boxing official told BoxingScene the popular Southern Californian Garcia 24-2 (20KOs) is finalizing negotiations to fight WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios 29-2-2 (18KOs) in Las Vegas with a target date of February 21.
Barrios, of San Antonio, is coming off consecutive draws, including his July bout versus Hall of Fame eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao. Garcia has lost two prior title shots, versus Gervonta “Tank” Davis and then to new WBA champion Rolly Romero in May.
“I have to commend Barrios and Ryan for making that fight [move toward reality],” De La Hoya said. “Imagine Ryan winning that fight, something an older Pacquiao couldn’t do. It would be a big accomplishment for Ryan, finally becoming a world champion after all these years.
“It’s exciting. Not an easy fight, but Ryan can show the world what he’s made of because it wouldn’t be easy. I think Barrios will be the guy for Ryan … it’s a matter of [finalizing] the fight.”
Mexico’s unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, returning from shoulder surgery following his successful title defense in June over Cuba’s Yuniel Dorticos, could land on the Garcia-Barrios card.
“Zurdo’s doing great, his recovery has been great,” said De La Hoya, who during this recent fight week in Fort Worth, Texas, mentioned his victorious WBA No. 5-ranked cruiserweight Robin Sirwan Safar as a possible Ramirez foe.
De La Hoya has mentioned a Las Vegas Cinco de Mayo weekend card or an AT&T Stadium show in Dallas as the likely spring headline show for WBC interim junior-middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jnr, who produced a destructive second-round knockout of former title challenger Erickson Lubin Saturday night in Fort Worth, Texas.
Ortiz will negotiate with unbeaten recent unified welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis for the Las Vegas show, and could also pursue what he called his “dream fight” versus former three-division champion Errol Spence Jnr in an all-Texans’ clash at the Dallas Cowboys’ home.
De La Hoya made clear in post-fight statements that he is adamant Ortiz is the “A” side against Philadelphia’s Ennis.
“I strongly believe Vergil Ortiz will be the next superstar of boxing,” De La Hoya said. “‘Boots’ has another thing coming. Vergil is coming with everything, and he’s the golden ticket. He’s the only one who can fill up Cowboys Stadium.”
Yet, when referring to the possibility of a Floyd Mayweather Jnr-Manny Pacquiao rematch in 2026, he said he would watch, but said those two waited too long to meet in the first place – perhaps a harbinger that would drive De La Hoya and Ennis promoter Eddie Hearn to get the fight done rather than string it along.
“This is what I tell fighters: You have to seize the moment when it’s hot, when people are talking about it,” De La Hoya said.
Although there’s an effort to place De La Hoya’s unbeaten lightweight Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield in a domestic February bout against former featherweight champion Joseph Diaz Jnr after their planned Saturday fight was derailed by a Schofield injury, the promoter posted on social media this week that he’s also pointing Schofield at Gervonta Davis.
“I will pressure through the WBA as ‘Kid’ is #1 [contender],” De La Hoya texted BoxingScene Tuesday. “Fight ‘Kid’ Auston or vacate the title.”
An official connected to Davis told BoxingScene Tuesday that Schofield is too green for the three-division champion, who was forced off a planned Friday exhibition against Jake Paul due to domestic violence allegations.
“Great fighter – when he’s training and focused,” De La Hoya said of Davis. “Outside the ring, he gets in trouble. I wish him the best. This is a tough sport. It gets into your psyche and kind of fucks with you.
“Tank Davis has his whole career ahead of him. I don’t know if he really wanted this fight. I don’t really know if he wanted this exhibition. It would’ve been a great payday, it would’ve done a lot for Tank’s exposure, but it does nothing for Tank’s legacy.”
Davis and Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh have bickered in the past, and the Baltimore fighter promoted by Premier Boxing Champions has expressed disinterest in fighting in the Middle East.
“I think Tank cares about his legacy. Tank Davis’ career almost derailed with the [March] draw [with Lamont Roach Jnr], taking the Jake Paul fight and that circus there. But he’s still on the right path to bring it back and continue his legacy,” De La Hoya said. “There’s no loss in Gervonta Davis not fighting Jake Paul … we want to see him fight again. He’s a plus for the sport. I really do hope he gets things together and makes the fights the fans want to see.”
Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.
