'Where's Oscar?' is the question of Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn fight week

LAS VEGAS – Oscar De La Hoya and Dana White’s feud has been continued entertainment for the better part of the past year, but as the climactic moment of Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn fight week has arrived, the dominant question is, “Where’s Oscar?”

According to officials close to the head of Golden Boy Promotions, De La Hoya is not expected at Thursday afternoon’s final news conference despite the significance of his fighter Garcia’s first WBC welterweight title defense Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

Both White and Garcia have shrugged regarding De La Hoya’s whereabouts even as the Hall of Famer, Olympic gold medalist and six-division champion keeps a home in Las Vegas and has members of his company on the ground as fight night nears for Garcia, 25-2 (20 KOs), and England’s Benn, 25-1 (14 KOs).

“I have no idea, brother,” Garcia said Wednesday when asked where De La Hoya is. “I try to stay out of it. I have no bad feelings toward Oscar and I don’t really know what’s been going on. I just stay out of it and focus on the fight.”

An individual close to De La Hoya told BoxingScene that he expected to attend the ceremonial weigh-in Friday.

While UFC CEO/President and new Zuffa Boxing head White bypassed Wednesday’s media-day and public-workout sessions, he is expected to preside over Thursday’s news conference.

The potential for remarkable verbal fireworks would’ve been dynamic given the vitriol each has spewed at the other, as De La Hoya has scorched White for working to change fighter safeguards in the federal Muhammad Ali Act while criticizing Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh for appointing White his lead U.S. promoter.

De La Hoya calls White “Uncle Fester,” the bald character from “The Addams Family,” and often tops his numerous criticisms of the promoter with a closing expletive.

Alalshikh owns 60 per cent of Zuffa Boxing and the promotion has a lucrative streaming deal with Paramount+ while signing talent including current or former world champions Shakur Stevenson, Jai Opetaia, Richardson Hitchins along with Benn.

White has colorfully torched De La Hoya as “weird” while criticizing his business disputes with star fighters Canelo Alvarez and Vergil Ortiz Jnr and painting him as an example of so many of the flawed characteristics of boxing, ailments that allowed White to enter the sport and seek to take it over.

The company is also positioned now to go after Garcia, whose long union with Golden Boy is ending, and perhaps two-division champion David Benavidez after compiling a formidable roster of cruiserweights.

“You see the level of preparation and level of experience they have in media,” Garcia said. “This is something I want for boxing. I want people to cover it and watch it. It feels like Zuffa knows what [it’s] doing.”

One individual with a business interest in the fight said a golden opportunity is being lost by De La Hoya not being present.

In 2024, De La Hoya’s mutual bitterness with Alvarez exploded in a memorable news-conference event where De La Hoya told Alvarez to “put some fucking respect” on his name, and Alvarez pierced De La Hoya as a swindler while referencing humiliating allegations in a woman’s civil lawsuit against De La Hoya.

“That was gold,” the business individual said. “That did wonders for the promotion. Can you imagine what Oscar and Dana could do?”

The source said they are not sure if De La Hoya will have any involvement in the fight.

White was asked about the situation earlier this week and remained mum when asked, “What is [De La Hoya’s] involvement?”

“You answered your own question,” White told the reporter.