The boxing days are long gone for Hall of Fame boxer Oscar De La Hoya. But you wouldn’t know if from yesterday’s (May 1) altercation with Canelo Álvarez. The almost-fight happened during the press conference for Canelo’s undisputed super middleweight championship defensive vs. another Mexican, Jaime Munguía. The fight is set to take place on Saturday (May 4).
De La Hoya and Canelo’s relationship has been rocky since the Hall of Fame Boxer stopped being Álvarez’s promoter in 2020 and most of the leadup to the fight has been focused on the bad blood between them. So, during the press conference, Golden Boy Promotions CEO De La Hoya, who is Munguía’s co-promoter, took the time to address Álvarez.
“Yes, I’ve been to rehab several times,” De La Hoya said, referencing Canelo’s comments about his drug use. “Yes, there were some really low points in my life. And yes, there were times that work was not my priority based on my mental health, which I neglected for so long. But that doesn’t change the fact that Golden Boy built Canelo over this period.”
“The company you fought under for decades has always had one name, and it’s mine. So put some f**cking respect” on it.”
Canelo then started responding to De La Hoya, calling him “cabrón” and “maricón,” the latter a slur that basically means “faggot,” and questioning if anyone wrote De La Hoya’s speeches as the promoter tried to talk about Munguía. De La Hoya did his best to fight back by mentioning Canelo’s positive test for clenbuterol before his 2018 rematch with Gennadiy Golovkin. De La Hoya got to finish his words, but only barely, as Canelo got up from where he was sitting and walked towards De La Hoya, who came towards him. They were, of course, separated.
Posturing? Maybe, but the bad blood is real and the fact that these two men can come to blows is very true too. Canelo made it clear in an interview after the press conference.
“If he came closer, I’d f**k him. He’s a f**king asshole. He tried to steal money from his fighters. He tried to steal money from me… F**king motherfucker, son of a bitch.”