Sunday Convo: Ryan Garcia Knocking on The Door of Super Stardom, Where Was Oscar De La Hoya?

There is nothing like the roar of a packed arena crowd after a stoppage in boxing. That was the scene on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, as Ryan Garcia (26-2, 21 KOs) scored a second-round TKO over Conor Benn (25-2, 14 KOs) live on Paramount+. After that destructive performance, Garcia has slightly surpassed Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis as the young face of boxing, with Canelo still holding on to the spot as the top guy in the sport.

I don’t get out much these days to fights outside the SoCal area because I have little ones, but for the big events, I try to make them. That was the case for this fight, and I made the 90-minute flight from San Diego to Las Vegas. When I arrived on the Strip, I was taken aback by how empty it was at 6 pm local time. It didn’t feel like a big Mexican Independence Day weekend. Boy, did that change quickly. Two hours later, traffic was insane, there were people everywhere, and that’s when it finally felt like a big weekend.

Another noticeable thing was the Garcia-Benn advertising. That fight was everywhere, and all the casinos had fight merch for sale, which is different from other fights, where you can only pick it up at the venue or at the MGM Grand. The material used for the T-shirts, sweaters, and hoodies didn’t feel cheap, and the price tags on them weren’t either.

The next day, walking into the T-Mobile Arena for fight night, I arrived 30 minutes before the first fight, as I normally do. After receiving my credential, which was more like a badge you would wear at certain workplaces or conventions, I passed through security checkpoints every 20 or so yards, where I had to scan my badge to continue into the venue. That was different for me, as I had never been to a boxing event with that level of security and protocol.

At first, I thought this was all for a possible visit from the President, but instead it could have been related to the event hosting the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and boxing financier Turki Alalshikh. Either way, Zuffa Boxing was running a tight ship.

After getting through all that, I was escorted to my seat inside the arena, where I was placed in the elevated media area behind the floor seats. I mentioned this because where you sit as credentialed media in boxing, or even just being approved, can often be a roll of the dice.

The venue filled as the sun began to set, since it was 105 degrees outside. By the time the co-main began, the arena was full. After Jai Opetaia stopped Noel Mikaelian, the reportedly 18,855-strong crowd was ready for the main event.

A lot was said about the ringwalk after the fight, but at the time, we didn’t know any of it. All we knew was what we saw, and that was Garcia walking down the aisle with WWE legend Rey Mysterio. There was no Oscar De La Hoya, and everyone began to wonder where the Golden Boy was. Dan Rafael later tweeted that De La Hoya was denied a credential, something Dana White would deny during the post-fight press conference.

Then FightsATW learned that De La Hoya was supposed to walk with Garcia, but Golden Boy received a call from Garcia’s manager and attorney, Lupe Valencia, saying his client had changed his mind. It feels like more will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Update A source close to the situation told me that the invitation did occur however that Ryan's manager Lupe Valencia called GBP today to let them know Ryan changed his mind and that he was having Barrera and Mysterio do it. Always 2 sides. #GarciaBenn https://t.co/1UoqUd0eUp

After the ringwalks, Garcia and Benn were in the ring, and we were all ready for the fight. Once the bell rang, Garcia wasted no time throwing that left hook. The first one that landed buzzed Benn immediately, and that’s when I knew the guy who went 12 rounds twice with Chris Eubank Jr. wasn’t going 12 that night. Benn was reckless and aggressive, as advertised, but didn’t land anything significant. Sure, there were a punch or two that got through, but Garcia was never really hurt.

When the second round came, Garcia knew what he needed to do to catch a charging Benn. Garcia threw his whipping left hook and missed, then stuck his left hand out to gauge the distance, stepped back, and landed a crushing right hand. Even though he wasn’t able to turn his knuckles, the punch landed cleanly and set Benn down instantly.

Benn was badly hurt, and although he beat the count, the end appeared near, and it was. Garcia landed lefts and rights as Benn held on for dear life. Referee Thomas Taylor saw that Benn was hurt and stopped the fight. Guys like Dan Rafael and Mike Coppinger thought the fight was stopped a little early, but I disagree. It was rightfully stopped.

After Saturday night, Garcia may have gone from a star to a superstar. All the attention he received and the performance to match it have really set him apart. This was exactly what Garcia needed to reach that next level. It couldn’t have happened at a better time, as he is one fight away from being a promotional free agent. And given the way Dana White praised him after the fight, there is no question Zuffa Boxing will make a big play for Garcia when the time comes. In the end, Garcia is now a superstar, just as Canelo is closer to retirement than ever before.

All signs point to WBA welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez, whom Garcia called out as his next opponent after the fight. That is a matchup that Top Rank boss Bob Arum once tried to make, but for one reason or another, it never got past the finish line. In hindsight, it’s probably a bigger fight now than it would’ve been a few years ago. It’s the right fight at the right time for Garcia and Lopez, so let’s hope nothing gets in the way this time.

It was a good fight weekend, and now it’s time to head back to much cooler temps. The lasting impression from Las Vegas is that Garcia is knocking on the door of Canelo-level star power. A big win over guys like Lopez and Devin Haney will get him there. It’ll be interesting to watch where Garcia’s career goes from here.