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Steve KimESPN
The promoters for Luke Campbell and Ryan Garcia reached an agreement Wednesday for a WBC interim lightweight title fight to take place in November.
Matchroom Sports, which promotes Campbell, and Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Garcia, made the announcement Wednesday, just minutes before a WBC purse bid was to be held for the right to promote the bout. Last week, the two sides had requested a seven-day extension believing they were close to a deal.
The venue has not been finalized, but Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya said it will take place in California.
“We’re very happy that Ryan Garcia will be fighting here in the U.S. in California,” De La Hoya said. “It’s a very difficult fight, and again, we have to give it to DAZN, we have to give it to [Matchroom promoter] Eddie Hearn for making this happen, and we’re looking forward to it.”
The WBC recently ordered this bout to be for their interim title, putting the winner a step closer to a shot at champion Devin Haney. Vasiliy Lomachenko is the WBC “franchise” champion.
Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs), 32, will arguably be the toughest opponent of Garcia’s (20-0, 17 KOs) young career. He won a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympic Games and put a good effort in decision losses to Jorge Linares in 2017 and Lomachenko in 2019.
De La Hoya said he believes Garcia, the 2017 ESPN prospect of the year, is ready to face a fighter of Campbell’s caliber.
“Absolutely, 1,000 percent,” De La Hoya said. “We strongly believe that once and for all, Ryan Garcia will be able to shut up the critics, prove to everyone that he’s the real deal. It doesn’t get any bigger or more dangerous than Luke Campbell, being an Olympic gold medalist, being tall, strong, and this is going to be Ryan’s time to shine.”
Garcia and Golden Boy haven’t always been on the same page, but with this fight now being made, it seems as though they are a united front.
“Everything is wonderful,” De La Hoya said. “As Ryan has always said, and the way I’ve always expressed it, we’re a family. Families sometime have their differences, but at the end of the day, we’re still family.”