Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia Will Be Among Top 10 PPVs of All Time: Oscar De La Hoya Makes Bold Claim

Come April 20, and boxing will knock at the doors of another fight. From the looks of it, it has the necessary ingredients that make a mega fight. Two young superstars are on the cusp of everlasting boxing glory, sharing a history of rivalry dating back years. It dashes off a great storyline. But still, does it have that dazzle, that ‘X-factor’ that will rake in the moolah as well? Oscar De La Hoya seems certain that the Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney clash will set the pay-per-view register ringing to record breaking decibel. But is it mere wishful thinking of a promotor or a genuine voice from inside?

The Olympic gold medalist and former world champion was at Ariel Helwani‘s studio. Needless to say, the discussion zeroed in on Ryan Garcia, especially his hyperactive online presence. ‘The Golden Boy’ explained how the former interim lightweight champion has been doing a brilliant job selling the fight. Expecting it to be an intense face-off, De La Hoya shared how Garcia has mastered the art of pressing someone’s emotional triggers. But soon the talk moored on a bit more serious topic: the business. Let’s hear out what Oscar De La Hoya has to say about the fight’s PPV projections.

Oscar De La Hoya: Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney, An All-Through Profitable Venture

So Ariel Helwani felt that, basically, Oscar De La Hoya expected the fight to be a sell-out. But how much? “Like, what’s the ballpark in terms of what a success would be on pay-per-view for you? Like, what are you what are you hoping for in terms of buys?” asked Ariel Helwani.

Oscar De la Hoya replied, “I’m I’m one of one of the biggest uh top 10 uh pay-per-views of all time.” Probably the ‘2023 MMA Journalist of the Year Award’ recipient found it hard to believe. Hence, he checked again. Whether the pay-per-view sales would cross the million mark. ‘The Golden Boy’ replied, “Absolutely okay, absolutely yeah, this is is huge it’s really big; it’s successful; it’s successful already.”

However, once again, he went back to explaining how Ryan Garcia has done outstanding work in promoting the fight. According to De La Hoya, ‘KingRy’ knows how to stir someone up in an effortless manner. But the former world champion also clarified that while he could mentor Garcia within the ring, he rarely interfered without.

He said, “I’m not really, you know, it’s not my job to, like you know, babysit or whatever you know; my job is to obviously organize the event and promote and and and and and find the fighters, and guess what I found? I found the diamond in the rough with Ryan; he is a hell of a fighter, and come Saturday night, I mean he’s he’s going to be in tip-top shape.”

Will History Repeat Itself?

With nearly 1.2 million buys that generated over $102 million in revenue, Ryan Garcia has an easy claim over participation in one of the biggest fights of the modern era. But it takes two to tango. So he had ‘Tank’ Davis, arguably one of the bona fide ‘faces of boxing’ as the dance partner. But on this Saturday night, he will be hitting the dance floor with Devin Haney, who is still finding his footing in boxing’s super stardom. So will it be a thumbs up or thumbs down this time?

At the end of the day, it’s ‘Money Talks’. Whether one likes it or not, boxing needs big checks. Huge paydays attract generational talents. They attract crowds who keep visiting every time their icon gets in the ring. If they are unable to visit, then come hell or high water, they will pay up to watch the live stream. Thus, the chain goes on.

What’s your take on Oscar De la Hoya’s assessment? Do you agree with it or disagree? Please share your views with us in the comments below.