The Ring Magazine Award Event in London, held on Saturday, marked the first major event following the purchase of Ring Magazine by His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh from the Golden Boy head honcho, Oscar De La Hoya last year. The event saw the presence of many boxing elites walking down the red carpet. As the evening unfolded, De La Hoya was approached for an interview by Fight Hub TV, regarding the Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia rematch.

When the interviewer asked De La Hoya about HE Turki Alalshikh’s desire to see a Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney rematch, the Golden Boy Promotions founder didn’t hold back. “If Ryan Garcia wants it, then that’s what he wants. But me personally, I’d say No! I see no need for it. Ryan Garcia destroyed him and that’s the bottom line,” De La Hoya replied boldly.

The interviewer pressed further, asking whether De La Hoya thought a rematch between Garcia and Haney was worth pursuing. De La Hoya responded, “We have to make the best fights possible. And there’s fighters like Teofimo [Lopez]. There are fighters here that we can match up Ryan [Garcia] with anyone and make terrific, terrific events.” He continued, “If they’re the best at the moment, if that’s what people wanna see, we have to make it.” 

This conversation came after Ring Magazine posted an image on Instagram yesterday. The caption of the post read, “📋 Turki Alalshikh has named five fights he wants to see: [Froch on Fighting] #RingMagazine #Canelo #TysonFury #AnthonyJoshua.”

In the post, there was a photo detailing Alalshikh’s five most wanted matchups, which included the Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney rematch. Alalshikh’s other proposed bouts included Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua, and a rematch between Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois. For De La Hoya, however, the Haney vs. Garcia bout was not on the priority list, citing the overwhelming nature of Garcia’s victory in their first fight.

De La Hoya’s stance raised a valid point. Garcia’s win was indeed undeniable. It would have been a clean unanimous victory as the 31-0, 15 KO boxer was down in three rounds. While some boxing fans may still want to see the rematch for closure, De La Hoya believes that Garcia’s future should be tied to other big names, like the current WBO Super lightweight champion, Teofimo Lopez.

According to the 51-year-old, ‘The Takeover’ could present a more intriguing challenge for King Ry in the ring. However, as far as the Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney fight is concerned, both the boxers have their own set of opinions to share.

Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney’s Diverging Paths

Amidst the chaos, Ryan Garcia has made it clear that while he has no issue fighting Devin Haney again, certain conditions must be met first. In a recent interview at the Ring Magazine event, Garcia reiterated that he would be willing to step back into the ring with Haney, but only if Haney dropped his lawsuit against him.

To recap, the lawsuit stems from allegations of fraud and breach of contract after Garcia tested positive for the PED Ostarine following their April 2024 fight in Barclays Center, Brooklyn. Garcia’s suspension is set to end in April of this year, but he has made it clear that without the lawsuit being dropped, a rematch will not happen. But what about Devin Haney?

The Dream, who seems to be poised to return to the ring this March, remains enthusiastic about a potential rematch with KingRy. During an interview at the Ring Magazine event, Haney expressed his desire “to settle unfinished business” with the Victorville native.

However, yesterday when asked about Turki Alalshikh’s prioritization of the rematch, Haney said, “I’m happy that [Alalshikh] wants to make the fight happen. He wants to see that fight.” Haney’s comments suggest he is still focused on facing Garcia, despite the complexities surrounding the fight.

However, Ryan Garcia’s recent stance on VADA testing has complicated the situation further. Garcia has even suggested that VADA’s involvement in his previous fight with Devin Haney “still feels salty.” However, both fighters have differing opinions on what is needed for the rematch to happen. Thus, the situation between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney remains as volatile as ever, with De La Hoya’s recent comments adding more fuel to the fire.

Now with that being said, do you agree with Oscar De La Hoya that there’s no need for a Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney rematch? And most importantly, would a fight between Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez be a more exciting matchup than the rematch with Devin Haney? Do share your valuable thoughts below.