Oscar De La Hoya skipped Ryan Garcia’s fight with Conor Benn because he believed Dana White planned to embarrass him with his seat placement, telling Fight Hub TV he expected to be kept away from his usual position near the other promoters.
The Golden Boy boss stuck with that explanation even when interviewer Marcos Villegas told him White had denied any attempt to embarrass him and said VIP access had been arranged.
“I’m not going to believe Dana White, Uncle Fester. I’m not going to believe him. I was going to be set up,” De La Hoya told Fight Hub TV.
De La Hoya said he normally enters through a VIP tunnel and questioned how he could reach his seat if required to walk through the general crowd. With Ryan fighting on a Mexican Independence holiday weekend, he expected that route to be difficult.
“First of all, I normally get my access through the tunnel, right? VIP,” he said. “How can I walk in through the general public? I won’t make it to my seat.”
When Villegas repeated that White said VIP arrangements were in place, De La Hoya turned to where he believed he would be seated. He described a position on the opposite side, away from Turki Alalshikh and the area where he normally sits.
“Historically, my seats are always right there where the promoter is supposed to be,” De La Hoya said.
For Oscar, the dispute appears to come down to being treated as Ryan’s promoter in a setting controlled by people he doesn’t trust. Sitting away from the other promoters would have been a public demotion in his eyes, even if he still had a ticket and access to the event.
That explains his objection, but it also leaves a question about his decision to stay away. Ryan was the fighter stepping into the ring, and attending would have allowed De La Hoya to support him regardless of where his seat was placed.
The interview offers no proof that White intended to embarrass him. White’s denial, as relayed by Villegas, and De La Hoya’s account remain at odds. Oscar nevertheless considered the suspected treatment enough reason to miss the fight.
