Oscar De La Hoya issues statement on "shot fighter" Devin Haney demanding more money in Ryan Garcia lawsuit
Oscar De La Hoya has issued a statement regarding Devin Haney's recent lawsuit against Ryan Garcia. Haney filed a lawsuit against Garcia in New York, alleging battery, fraud, and breach of contract stemming from Garcia's doping violation after their fight in April.
Garcia initially won the contest by majority decision, knocking Haney down three times in the fight. However, the result of the fight was later overturned to a no contest after Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine, resulting in a one-year suspension and a fine of over $1.2 million.
According to the lawsuit, Haney claims he never agreed to fight someone using performance enhancers and accuses Garcia of misrepresenting his weight before the bout. 'The Dream' seeks unspecified damages alleging that Garcia committed battery because "his contest was limited to a bout held fairly and under the rules."
De La Hoya, who's the promoter of Garcia, characterized Haney's lawsuit as “frivolous,” arguing that it doesn't make sense for the 25-year-old to pursue legal action after being defeated. He emphasized that all fighters associated with Golden Boy Promotions are compensated fairly and that any claims to the contrary are simply false. He posted a note on Instagram, which read:
"Enough is enough! Every fighter who has worked with Golden Boy has always been paid exactly what they are owed and given all the documents they were entitled to. Period! Any suggestion to the contrary is simply false. If the Haneys are still having trouble understanding their contract, we will be happy to walk them through it, again."
While it remains to be seen as to how the lawsuit will impact Ryan Garcia's next fight, De La Hoya didn't hold back while speaking about the lawsuit in an interview with Fight Hub TV. He said:
"What I would do is, call that fighter out, get back in the ring, and beat his a*s. I believe that Devin Haney is a shot fighter. Of course [he would take the fight against Garcia] because it's for a lot of money."
Check out De La Hoya's take on Haney's lawsuit below:
Eddie Hearn labels Devin Haney’s lawsuit against Ryan Garcia a potential "pivotal moment for the sport"
Eddie Hearn, the chairman of Matchroom Boxing, believes Devin Haney’s lawsuit against Ryan Garcia could mark a significant turning point for boxing.
Hearn sees the legal action as a potential deterrent against performance-enhancing drug use in the sport, arguing that current penalties are insufficient. Speaking in an interview with Boxing Social, he stated:
"Ryan Garcia is a good example where he’s got a year’s ban. By the time you have six months off and a little break, you’re going back into camp. But the deterrent of losing tens of millions of dollars is much worse. So now that there’s a potential legal action, against someone that takes performance enhancing drugs, I actually think it’s a pivotal moment for the sport in that respect."
Catch Eddie Hearn's comments below (5:45):