What's my honor to bring into our podcast tonight none other than the Hall of
Fame boxer and outstanding promoter from Golden Boy Promotions, none other than Oscar Delaway.
Oscar, I've interviewed you probably about a thousand times and knowing you for
almost twenty five years, but the first time you're a guest on our podcast.
So thank you very much for doing this. It's a pleasure. Dan,
Thank you very much. And you know, obviously you've you've been you've
been very instrumental in the sport of boxing, you know, to bring us,
you know, the best interviews, and so it's really it's really an
honored I appreciate that. Well. One of the guys that Golden Boy promotes
who has already become a star is Ryan Garcia. You've recently announced his next
event, coming off of the loss to Gervanta Davison, what will go down
presumably as the biggest money fight of the year in terms of pay per view,
at least in the United States. I mean, Tyson Fury, He's
got his event coming up. We'll see what happens there, but certainly Garcia
and Davis was huge, huge event December. Tewond in Houston, Texas at
the Toyota Center against Oscar Duarte, one of your other fighters. So I
want to ask you about that. First of all, what is your take
on Ryan's new training situation After he lost to Davis, he and Joe Goosen
parted ways and now he's gone to work with Derek James, who obviously has
shown himself to be a top trainer in his own right, with a great
stable and plenty of guys he's worked with. What's your take on on the
trainer change for Ryan? Well, my take on the trainer change is that
Ryan made a great choice because I've I've heard from several sources that Joe Goosen
had no control whatsoever. I heard from several sources, and this is not
me saying that. I heard from several sources that Ryan would show up whenever
he would want to show up, that he wasn't really focused, and then
he wasn't. He wasn't one hundred percent. But new trainer that he chose
I believe will get him in tip top shape. He's a serious trainer.
He's he's developed developed world champions. So you know, I I I strongly
feel that and I hope that this relationship is a is a good relationship for
the sake of Ryan's career because for him, sky's a limit. Look,
he got knocked out against against Gravante Davis, and I was very surprised that
he chose Oscar Dwarte, who's a knockout artist. He had, I believe,
eleven knockouts in a row. He's a serious fighter, a serious puncher.
So it's gonna be very interesting how how Ryan Garcia, you know,
utilizes those new tools that he's been that he's been learning, uh, and
that he's been you know, sharpening. So I I'm very curious to see
what's gonna happen. It's gonna be a great fight. Oscar dwart is gonna
come forward, He's gonna come with everything. He's motivated, he has nothing
to lose, and he has a great record, great power, great skills.
So yeah, we'll see what happens. Yeah, you're right, by
the way, I just counted while we were talking, he has in fact
one eleven in a row, and the one time that he did solf for
a loss, it was a split decision over ten rounds, so it's not
like he got knocked out in the first round by something like that. The
other interesting thing I find about the whole situation with the upcoming Ryan Garcia event,
and this is not exactly a trade secret. Here you are working on
this event with a golden boy and Ryan and his team, even though you
have a loss repending against him over your contract, and obviously that has to
be a little uncomfortable, I suppose. But from another point of view,
it's like, Okay, you have a difference of opinion about the agreement,
but everybody seems to be being mature about it, and you're going forward and
doing the event while the legal portion of it gets itself settled out, whether
it's court or I know you have mediation, etc. How is it like
to work on an event when you know there's obviously an issue between the company
and the fighter. It's it's all business and uh and just like Ryan has
stated in the past, it's all business and uh, you know, we're
here to work, We're here to do a job. We obviously know we
have a solid contract. We obviously know you know that that we wanna,
you know, do the best for Ryan. We wanna you know, make
the best fights possible. And uh, you know the mediation was uh was
was just a a a a place where we can just you know, iron
things out and uh and make sure that everybody honors their contract. And so
I strongly feel that everything will be okay. I strongly feel that we'll move
forward and just you know, business as usual. And how did that mediation
go? Mediation? Mediation is great. Mediation, Uh, you know,
give you the opportunity to to iron out your your differences. It gives you
the opportunity to to maybe you know, find out the facts. It gives
you the opportunity to to to just you know, move on with your career.
Look, we both know that Ryan has a great future. We both
know that we have a contract. We both know that you know, we
as promoters want the best for Ryan. So it was a matter of just
ironing out a few things and you know, we we strongly feel that that
this will be over and done with very soon and we can just all move
forward. Okay. I'm glad to hear that as it relates to that event
that Ryan is going to have on December second with Duarte. Obviously he's going
back to the full fledge one hundred and forty pounds. Obviously he made the
catch weight of one hundred and thirty six to fight the Tank fight, and
so there's been a lot of conversation that one of the fights that may be
on that card is you have recently signed O'Hara Davies, who is a top
contender from the UK, and the WB has ordered him to fight Ishmael Barroso
who had fought against Roly Romero who was on the shelf with an injury.
So they're in line to fight for the vacant title while or rather the interim
title. I should say, Well, Raley is getting better from his injury,
are you going to be able to make that match and put it on
a Ryan's card and set up the possibility of him fighting the winter for a
title. Well? Yeah, I mean it's very interesting. You know that
you mentioned that we are working on something like that, and actually we are
working on that. Well yeah, but you know, it's it's a perfect
stage for any one hundred and forty pounder is a contender who is you know,
in line to fight for a world title. You know Ryan Garcia,
you know he he generates eyeballs. Ryan Garcia is now a pay per view
star. So this this platform that we have in front of us. We're
gonna utilize it, you know, smartly, and make sure that we showcase
the right fighters on the under card. So one thing that happened recently with
your announcement of the Garcia fight and getting ready for the Roach event was I
don't know. Oscar de la Hoya went on his Instagram and posted some photos
of him with his old buddy and former promoter Bob Aaron from Top Rank,
talking about meetings with each other. You had your arms around each other.
I mean, I know you and Bob if you've had your ups and downs
over the years, but I feel like at this time, you know,
you guys are cool with each other. And you did this fight between Roach
and Santion together, no purspid, no nonsense. You made them an offer
for their fighter, Santion, and they're doing the fight. And I love
to see when people can work together without being forced to do so. So
now you got to tell me what the heck went on with your meeting with
Bob. What was that all about? Yeah, I mean, look,
first of all, first of all, it was great to see Bob.
It's great to be working with him to make these types of fights. Take
a look at this card, for Saturday night. We have I believe,
three promoters. We're working with Samson Nicholwich, We're working with Migo Coto,
and we're working with Bob Aram. So my message to the boxing world,
to the boxing promoters, you know, I want to keep my word and
make sure that we give the fight fans the best fights possible. It was
a great pleasant talk with Bob. We discussed Ryan Garcia, we discussed the
OPEMO, We discussed how to make the best fights possible. Look, Bob
is Bob is ninety two years old, or I believe he's been ninety two
for the last fifteen years. But you know, Bob is energetic, Bob
is happy, Bob is Bob wants to, you know, make the best
fights, the biggest fights, and just have a good time. That's exactly
how he told me. He wants to have a good time making them.
So you know, I seriously think that that that me and Bob will be
doing some business together in the near future. Uh, starting with this fight.
And uh you know, I believe that sky's the limit and and and
and and this message to all the promoters, if we can work together,
if we can set our sides, our egos to the side. We can
make the fight, make the fights that the fans want to see. So
how realistic is I mean I've heard you talk about like a big perhaps a
super Bowl weekend kind of fight where it's uh uh tia Fimo defending the world
title against Ryan if he wins on Saturday. I mean that's a huge fight,
of course, I mean how realistic can you actually? It's one thing
to talk about it, it's another thing to put it into action because there
is still the fact that you know your your vents are with his own Bob
has a disagreement with with ESPN. It is possible to work together, as
we have seen in recent times. How realistic is that match? It's it's
very very realistic. And look, like I said, Ryan Garcia even though
he lost to Tank Davis, Ryan Garcia has a fight with Oscar Duar to
December second. But Ryan Garcia is still is still kind of like the gatekeeper
there at one without a title, because Ryan Garcia is the one that sells.
I just want to jump in. I don't think you mean gatekeeper because
that has a negative parents Sorry, I think you mean he's the rain He's
the rain maker. He's Yeah, he's the rainmaker exactly. He can make
it rain and obviously anybody fighting him will make the most money possible. But
yeah, fighters like Till Femo, fighters like Devin Hamy and Pro Grace and
uh, you know, anybody at one who makes sense. I strongly feel
that that we can make. And when I said about you know, the
Super Bowl of Boxing, yeah, we can do something like that. I
mean, Barbara promotes you know, uh uh uh course Stevenson, uh,
Barbara, and you know, match him up again star guy William Sapeida for
instance, which would be in a terrific fight. That's a great fight.
That's a great fight. We can do Ryan with Fo Fimo on the same
card. You know, when I'm talking about the Super Bowl of Boxing,
you know, I'm talking about the big picture here with the sphere opening,
and I mean imagine that pay per view, it would be the numbers would
be astronomical. Well, I'm never one to say never, but if you
can somehow make a fight card where you had Ryan Garcia challenging Tiafimo Lopez for
the forty pound world title and Shakor Stevenson, which would theoretically be a defense
of the lightweight title, which he is in line to win if he,
you know, with these victorias in a few weeks and that chim up against
the paid on the same card, I will tip my hat to everybody involved.
And plus and plus, I would love to to face him and Mungia
with somebody like Berlanga where match room boxing is involved. So this is what
I'm talking about, then, this is what I'm talking about where we should
be working together. There's a lot of money in the pot. You know,
there's a lot of money to be you know, shared with, So
you know, these are the events that these are the events that we must
think about and think outside the box and make them happen. Well, you
just you just touched on the next topic I wanted to ask about, which
was Jim and Mangia. My understanding, you tell me if I'm wrong,
is that while it's not done yet by any means, there's still a lot
of a lot of stuff to get done, at least in terms of agreements,
in paperwork and the particulars, but that Jimi would fight perhaps at the
early part of twenty twenty four. I've heard the name John Ryder come up,
who is a Matchroom Fighter also and then Edgar Berlanga is do also to
fight a fight come on at the beginning of the year January issue, maybe
February, and the two guys would do their fights, but going into those
fights have an agreement in place with each other and with the zone to deliver
them against each other in the summertime. Is at a plan that's in the
works, Well, it's not a planet's in the works, But I love
it. I mean you you you hit the nail right on the head.
I mean you, you know better than anybody else that you know, us
promoters, especially Bob Aram and Don King. That's the way they worked,
you know, they would set up their their future fights, you know,
uh, you know, and and and think about the bigger picture. You
know, Jimi Mungia against John Ryder is a terrific fight. I agree with
that for sure. Yeah, it would be a terrific fight. And imagine
if Jimi Mungia knocks out Rider and something that Canelo couldn't do, so that
would that would be that would be something that I'm very interested in. Well,
it's certainly not something that you're not known about, because when you were
getting ready to fight Ju Bob Aeron put you guys on the same card,
prelude to glory, and then you fought each other after you both beat your
opponents. You did the same thing when Top Rank was setting up the big,
humongous fight between yourself and Bernard Hopkins. You fought together on the same
card and both got your victories and then moved on and fought each other.
So obviously that is something that is tried and true in the business. I
hope that that, hope that can happen. What better way, what better
way than to promote your your next fight. What better way, I mean,
it's a it's a perfect need way, it's a perfect commercial, you
know, to set up your next fight. And is that what you're gonna
work on then try to do? And I'm not saying that that Berlanga and
and Mongia would fight on the same card with each other necessarily, that I
don't think is in the works. But is there going to be a plan
to try to get them in the ring and have them fight ahead of time
before they fight each other. It's it's it's it's definitely a plan. Okay,
it's definitely a plan. I strongly feel them that look us promoters and
everybody in boxing. You know, I was a fighter first, and I
sometimes think like a fighter when I'm promot voting fights. I think like a
fighter when I'm negotiating fights. And you know when when promoting a fight,
I mean, this is this is the perfect opportunity, you know, for
a fight to get made, you know, fighting on the same card,
announcing the fight is the next fight on inside the ring or yeah, this
is this is you're reading my mind. Yeah, I just thought when you
were saying that, I thought of a recent example also, or at least
more recent. Anyway, when when the when we finally saw the first fight
between Canelo Alvarez and Gnati Glovekin. You saw Canelo Alvarez score of victory,
and what happened your march triple g into the ring to the music to announce
the fight. So it's not you know, this is not exactly, it's
not rocket science. Exactly, it's not rocket science. But you know,
you're you're dealing with a lot of people who do not understand and you know,
like fighters, like managers. Uh, but it can be done hard.
I want to turn my attention another topic a little further north, on
the weight uh on the weight scale, uh to, And that's your cruiserweight
or your new cruiserweight. Zerdo Ramirez Gilberto Zerdo Ramirez who made his cruiserweight debut
on October seventh against Joe Smith, which I thought was a really interesting fight
going in, both guys moving up in weight, both guys you know,
in need of a victory coming off defeats h and I thought, Zerdo Ramirez
look maybe as good as I've ever seen him look. He looked comfortable at
the weight. He he what I made the joke when he first got in
the ring and I saw how big he looked, like, I said,
oh my god, he ate Canelo. But but he but he looked really
good. I mean, I mean that was just a joke. But he
looked light on his feet, he got snappy, quick hands as he moved
very well. He always had a good chin. And you know, Joe
Smith is no joke, and he beat him rather handily. I thought,
So it seems like he can become a factor in the cruiserweight division. Obviously
if he fights you know, the other top guys. It's fighters who have
already been in that weight class. But what do you make of his performance
and should he have been fighting at cruiserweight, you know, a couple of
fights ago. Sure, No, Look he is a big kid. He
he should have been fighting at cruiserweight several fights ago. But he looked amazing.
He looked impressive. Like you said, he was moving light on his
seat, his head movement, his his waiste movement was was incredible against a
solid, solid, tough fighter, heart puncher and Joe Smith. And he's
surprised everybody. And uh, you know, I I do have to uh
take my hat off to Uh. I believe it's Malik Scott. Uh that
that is his trainer who who was in his corner, and he was just
amazing there. He it's a perfect fit for Sudo. Malik Scott was just
incredible, Uh, giving him, uh the perfect instructions and uh you know
they're great, They're they're perfect combinations. So I think for Sudo, you
know, we're gonna sit down with him. But I do like I do
like a fight for a world title at cruiserweight, possibly with a bad Jack
instance. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, I mean bad My
understanding and having communicated with the WBC as well as with Beddu personally that his
title is currently a vacant he is gonna, you know, or he's in
recess. His his goal in mind at the moment is he's going to move
up to the bridgerweight division, which the WBC created, and he's going to
look to win a title there. Uh to go for what would be a
title in another weight class. I don't think that's necessarily in the cards.
I was thinking, and I'm acting on what our good friend Chris Mannis said
on the broadcast when Zerto fought. You have a ji Opataiah who was with
mattrim but you but they're both on his own. Who is the number one
cruise of weight, the lineal champion, the IBF champion, who looked spectacular
in the knockout victory and a fight a few weeks ago, just around the
same time that Zerdo had his fight. Look, I mean, I know
he may not be the biggest name, and you know, frankly Zerto maybe
not the biggest name, but you know, that's a hell of a fight.
Is that something that would cross your mind because it is makeable? And
I say that given that you're on the same broadcaster. Absolutely, absolutely,
where is open to any thing. Survo knows that is his window of opportunity
is closing. Surdo knows that he must take advantage of what's left of his
career, you know, and his career is bright after his last performance.
But you know, I think that you know, any opportunity that arises,
you know, sur Do understands that he must take. So yeah, it's
definitely a possibility. And you know, I'm open to to to working with
anybody, Like I said, so, I want to ask you also about
a fighter who unfortunately isn't active like the guys we just talked about, and
that's Virgil Ortiz, the welterweight. Obviously everybody knows if they follow this thing
for a while, He's had his medical stepbacks, his problems. Unfortunately,
no fights in twenty twenty three, obviously not scheduled for twenty twenty three.
Has only had four fights Oscar in the last four years for obviously reasons,
because I just mentioned with his medical issues. The fight that with Stanionis was
postponed a few times, once because of Stanionas's medical problem when he had to
have an apendectomy, but the other times because of Virgil's issues. What's the
latest on him? Is he is he healthy? What are we going to
see Hm back in the ring, and is he gonna fight for you know,
a bigger name. I mean, he tantalizes with his such talent and
such power and such a good attitude. And I've known Virgil since he started
pro. He's such a nice guy. You want to see success for the
kid. But where are we going with him right now? I actually just
spoke to him not too long ago, a few hours ago, and Dan,
let me tell you, he is on a mission. I mean,
he understands that he lost. He lost some time, you know, because
of medical issues, because of you know, certain reasons. But he is
on a mission. He wants to become world champion. He you know,
we we have a possible date penciled in for him and January, first couple
of weeks of January, we will we will work on his opponent. You
know. He obviously does want to move up and wait, it can even
be at one sixty. He's a big kid and so but he is ready
to go. He's training, he's healthy, and I strongly feel that everything
happens for a reason. But his attitude, his attitude change is scary.
And when when Virgio or teases angry in that ring, you better watch out.
I think I think anybody at one fifty four or one sixty is unnoticed
because Vergio is coming for everybody. He's he's on a mission, and so
I'm really looking forward for his coming back. Well, he's got all his
wins by knockout at nineteen, you know, and like you mentioned, he's
not he's not like an old shot fighter. He's only twenty five years old.
So the window is still open pretty good if he can get healthy exactly,
and uh, you know, this is the perfect time to just go
after everybody at one fifty four. With Aero Spence possibly moving up, and
with Crawford, you know, being a big weal throughweight, you know,
sky's the limit to make these big fights happen. Well, making big fights
happen. That kind of leads me into the last topic I want to ask
you about. So, there's been a million big fights over thirty seven years
on Showtime. In fact, I was thinking about this. If you take
a look back to the last thirty seven years, at one time or another,
pretty much every big name fighter had at least one fight on Showtime or
Showtime pay per The only really major, major exception is Oscar de la Hoye,
who had all of the big fights in your career, either on HBO
or HBO pay per view. But there they have announced, and it's not
a surprise. Everybody sort of knew what was coming. It's depressing, but
they made the official announcement this week that they are exiting the boxing business.
Not only the boxing business, but they're shuddering the entire Showtime Sports department.
It's going to cost the thirty eight people their jobs, and the entire department
is going to go away. But their legacy is unsurpassed by pretty much nobody
other than maybe HBO. And I just wondered, I mean, even though
you never fought on Showtime, you know the people there. You know,
for those who don't know, Steven Espinoza, who was the president of Showtime
Sports for the last twelve years. Before that, you know, he was
one of Golden Boys attorneys for many years, so he was involved in tons
of Golden Boy events. And your company had a period where you where you
were a strained from HBO and you did a whole bunch of events on Showtime
for years. So I wonder when you see such an important player in this
business that you make your living in, that I make my living in no
longer going to be involved in boxing at the highest level or at all.
What does that make you think, not only for that situation, but for
the future of the business. Sure, I mean, look, it was
a sad day for boxing. You know, Showtime, like you said,
I mean put on some of the best fights in the history of the sport.
You know, you go back to Tyson and Javis, I mean Trinidad
and most recently with Crawford and Spence and Tank. So they they've done they've
done a great, great job, you know, Showtime, and you know,
obviously it's it's a sad day. But all I can think about is
opportunity. All I can think about is this is where us promoters, this
is where the boxing industry, the the the the uh, you know,
the the heads of boxing, the behind the scenes. Uh. This is
where we must get together and and unite and come together and look for that
and find that next platform that we can mold into the next you know,
the next Showtime, the next HBO. Because as you know, Dan,
that everybody's cutting the cord. Uh, people are still watching linear TV.
But you know, uh, you know, everything is headed towards UH digital
and so I strongly feel that there is opportunity out there. You know,
boxing, when you put on the best against the best, generates millions and
millions and millions of dollars, millions and millions of eyeballs, and you know,
I cannot see any executive from any other platform or or linear TV,
you know, not noticing that. So I strongly feel that, yes,
it was a sad day, but there is opportunity. Well, I echo
that. I hope you're right. I agree with you. I do think
somebody else will fill that gap. Hopefully it's sooner than later. Oscar,
thank you very much for doing this. I'm always happy to talk to you
about all these different topics and just say thank you very much for doing it.
All right, you got it, thank you all right, Oscar,
There you go. Oscar de la Hoya at the Golden Boy