Tag Archives: Oscar De La Hoya

Posted on 02/23/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Canelo Alvarez is a highly wanted man at the moment.

Shortly after wrapping his waist with Caleb Plant’s IBF super middleweight title on November 6th, to become the division’s first undisputed champion, Alvarez was given little time to celebrate.

As the Mexican star attempted to enjoy his victory, he was bombarded with offers from both PBC’s Al Haymon and Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn. On Haymon’s side of the table, he reportedly offered Alvarez a two-fight deal worth upwards of $100 million to take on current middleweight champion Jermall Charlo and former two-time super middleweight titlist, David Benavidez.

On the other side of the coin, Hearn has also offered Alvarez a two-fight contract. In fight number one, Alvarez would face off against WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, followed by a third and presumably final showdown against Gennadiy Golovkin.

Having fought against some of the best fighters of his generation, including Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Fernando Vargas, and a long list of Hall of Famers, Oscar De La Hoya views both deals as noteworthy. However, when asked who would present Alvarez with the most difficult challenge in the ring, the former six-division titlist pointed a finger in the direction of PBC.

“As a fan, as an ex-fighter, I would choose Charlo and Benavidez because they’re the tougher guys. They’re the real threats,” said De La Hoya during an interview with K.O. Artist Sports. “I would choose them.”

Despite De La Hoya viewing PBC’s offer as a bigger challenge, Alvarez is reportedly still mulling over both offers. Although the Hall of Fame fighter turned notable promoter likes the sound of back-to-back showdowns against Charlo and Benavidez, he has a hunch that Alvarez will ultimately go the other way.

“I can see Canelo choosing Bivol and GGG. Unfinished business. Either way, it would be great because we get to see Canelo again.”

Posted on 02/22/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Eddy Reynoso’s name often protrudes near the top of the coaching ranks.

At the moment, the multiple-time Trainer of the Year has led several fighters, including Canelo Alvarez and Oscar Valdez, to championship glory. In addition to being the head trainer to Alvarez and Valdez, Reynoso’s stable also includes undefeated heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez and former unified heavyweight titlist, Andy Ruiz Jr.

Considering the fighters Reynoso has under his wing, current welterweight contender, Vergil Ortiz Jr., was intrigued by the idea of joining forces. In somewhat of a test run, Ortiz Jr. parted ways with renowned trainer Robert Garcia and spent approximately one full month in San Diego, California, to be in close proximity to Reynoso’s gym.

Ultimately, Ortiz Jr. opted against sticking with Reynoso and instead, has decided to strengthen his boxing partnership with his father. The 23-year-old has also brought Manny Robles onboard as his co-trainer. While the highly ranked contender admits that he was initially fascinated by their possible partnership, he quickly realized that it wasn’t a good idea.

“Yes, there was some truth to it,” said Ortiz Jr. to a group of reporters when asked if he was interested in training with Reynoso. “I was at that gym for maybe three or four weeks. It just further proves my point that my dad was always my main trainer. We were the only ones in the gym for the most part. We didn’t get to see too much of Eddy. It’s towards the end of the year where it’s the holidays and I couldn’t get sparring either. It’s just like a very dead time for boxing. It was just really bad timing. So we were forced to go somewhere else.”

Much like Ortiz Jr., Ryan Garcia, a former 135 pound interim titlist, recently decided to end a near four-year partnership with Reynoso. Although Garcia reeled off five consecutive stoppage victories, Garcia grumbled about the lack of training time with Reynoso. Now, the flamboyant 135 pound contender will train under the guidance of Joe Goossen.

News of both Garcia and Ortiz Jr.’s decisions are backed heavily by Oscar De La Hoya, who promotes both fighters. In the opinion of Golden Boy Promotions leading man, Alvarez is Reynoso’s main and oftentimes, only focus.

“When the Virgil’s were thinking of going to Eddy Reynoso, I liked the idea because he has knowledge and training beside a great world champion like Canelo would’ve been great. But the only issue was the time. Eddy Reynoso has so many world champions, including the very best one. If Canelo tells Eddy ‘hey let’s go on vacation,’ he drops everything and he goes cause they’re best friends. It wouldn’t have been fair to Virgil or the fighters. We now see with Ryan, he went with Joe Goossen which is a great choice. It’s timing. Eddy Reynoso only has time for Canelo, that’s the bottom line.”

Posted on 01/18/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Over the past several years, Jermall Charlo has beseeched Canelo Alvarez to face him in the ring. Yet, despite his urgent pleas, the Mexican star has often looked past him.

Though Charlo has enjoyed a widely successful career, including two world title runs and a growing tendency for scoring concussive knockouts, some in the boxing world have been under the impression that the Houston native has yet to prove himself worthy for a shot at Alvarez.

In 2018, following three triumphant title defenses at 154 pounds, Charlo opted to make the move six pounds north. Shortly after the pernicious puncher officially landed at 160 pounds, he was crowned the WBC interim titlist following a second-round stoppage win over Hugo Centeno Jr. Soon after, Charlo was then moved up to full titleholder with Alvarez, who held said title, being elevated to “Franchise Champion.”

Much like his title reign at 154 pounds, Charlo has mostly blown through the competition. As a result, not only has longtime promoter Oscar De La Hoya taken notice but more importantly, he believes Charlo has earned his stripes.

“I think Charlo just now earned his way to Canelo, like just now,” said De La Hoya to K.O. Artist Sports during a recent interview. “Charlo is one of those late bloomers. He’s a great champion. There’s fighters that kind of gain notoriety later in their careers. You have to really establish yourself. Right now is the perfect time to make that fight.”

As first reported by Mike Coppinger of ESPN, Alvarez is currently locked in intense negotiations with team Charlo. The plan appears to have Alvarez defend his undisputed super middleweight throne against the Houston product on Cinco De Mayo weekend.

Although Charlo currently campaigns one weight class lower, he has stated on countless occasions that if he were able to secure a showdown against Alvarez, he would be willing to move up in weight to challenge the pound-for-pound star.

If negotiations continue to go smoothly, Charlo could very well land the one bout he’s craved for years.

Posted on 01/06/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Oscar De La Hoya kept a close eye on the ongoing war of words between both Isaac Cruz and Ryan Garcia. The two lightweight contenders continued to hurl derogatory statements at one another with Garcia urging the budding star to accept an upcoming showdown against him.

Yet, according to De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter, Cruz was given an opportunity to settle his issues with Garcia in the ring, something that he has reportedly turned down.

“It is very unfortunate Isaac Cruz team turned down a very lucrative offer,” said De La Hoya on his social media account. “More than he made with Tank.”

Cruz, of Mexican descent, recently saw his stock skyrocket following his previous trip to the ring. With Gervonta Davis in desperate need of a replacement opponent on December 5th, following the removal of his original opponent Rolando Romero, Cruz eagerly stepped in.

Although most were expecting a quick and easy night at the office for Davis, Cruz gave him everything he could handle. For the first time in the career of the hard-hitting star, Davis was forced to go the full 12 round distance. While he would ultimately eke out the close unanimous decision victory, Garcia is of the belief that Cruz did just enough to pull out the win.

Still, despite Garcia heaping praise on the rough and rugged contender, the former WBC lightweight titlist was hoping to deliver a statement of his own in stopping Cruz in their presumptive showdown. But, with De La Hoya revealing that team Cruz has opted to go in another direction, the hunt for Garcia’s next opponent will now continue.

For the 23-year-old Garcia, he’s anxiously awaiting his next ring date. After starting his 2021 on the right foot, scoring a seventh-round stoppage win over Luke Campbell, Garcia was forced to sit on ice for the remainder of the year due to a combination of mental health recovery and right wrist surgery which subsequently led to the cancelation of his contest against Joseph Diaz.

Posted on 09/27/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Jaime Munguia had his pick of two noteworthy fighters.

The former WBO 154 pound titlist was recently ordered to engage in negotiations with Sergiy Derevyanchenko for a WBC title eliminator. Instead of taking on the former multiple-time title challenger, Munguia has opted to take on fringe contender Gabe Rosado.

The two will now officially face off on November 13th, at a yet to be determined venue. All along, both parties saw the writing on the wall.

On June 19th, at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas, Munguia headlined a card against journeymen Kamil Szeremeta. Just as many were expecting, Munguia easily ran through his man, scoring the sixth-round stoppage win.

Playing chief support in the co-main event on the night was Rosado. The Philadelphia product was pegged as a significant underdog in his matchup against the highly touted Bektemir Melikuziev. After hitting the canvas in the opening round, Rosado completely turned things around in the third, landing a picture-perfect overhand right which saw Melikuziev remain unconscious well after the formal ten count.

Following each man’s respective victories, the two were spotted chatting and appeared both ready, willing, and able to face each other next.

According to Oscar De La Hoya, Munguia’s promoter and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, a matchup between his young star and the veteran contender will be nothing short of a violent night of fights.

“This fight will be full of non-stop action,” said De La Hoya. “It will be a war that fight fans will enjoy and a new exciting chapter in the classic Mexico vs. Puerto Rico boxing rivalry. Both fighters are coming off of spectacular performances and knock-out victories that showed their power, speed, and resilience. This is truly a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender, a fight that fans will remember for years to come.”

Posted on 09/21/2021

By: Hans Themistode

After spending numerous months whipping his 48-year-old body into fighting shape, Oscar De La Hoya was excited about returning to the ring.

The former six-division world champion was set to end his retirement, which spanned over a dozen years, to take on former UFC light heavyweight champion, Vitor Belfort. But after shaking off the cobwebs and wiping the dust off his once elite skills, De La Hoya was left despondent and frustrated as he tested positive for COVID-19 and was subsequently removed from the card.

De La Hoya would then be hospitalized and endured what he describes as “five days of hell.” Since going through that uncertain period, De La Hoya has bounced back and even flaunted his abs during a recent interview with TMZ.

While the 2014 Hall of Famer was hoping to prove to the boxing world that he was back and better than ever, he was forced to watch from the sidelines as Evander Holyfield stepped in as his replacement. Like most anticipated, the 58-year-old former two-division champion was outclassed on the night as he was stopped in the very first round.

If COVID-19 hadn’t taken De La Hoya by the throat and forced him to observe the festivities from a hospital room, the multiple division titlist believes he would’ve taken care of Belfort quick, fast, and in a hurry.

“I would’ve knocked him out in 30 seconds,” said De La Hoya to TMZ.

Originally, De La Hoya had outlined his exact plans. Had he taken care of business against Belfort, the 48-year-old would’ve scheduled another come-back fight. Provided he was victorious the second time around as well, De La Hoya planned on calling out long-time rival, Floyd Mayweather.

The two famously fought in May of 2007, with Mayweather eking out a close split decision win. All along, De La Hoya believes he’d done more than enough to earn the victory.

Be that as it may, De La Hoya was hoping that he could ease his way back to the ring before facing Mayweather once more. But, with his plans taking an unexpected turn, De La Hoya is now singing another tune. Instead of working his way back into a rhythm, the former six-division titlist would now rather go straight to the main event.

“I’ll offer Floyd Mayweather $100 million dollars. Let’s go.”

Although Mayweather has shown over the years a willingness to step inside the ring to take part in several exhibitions, the 2021 Hall of Famer hung up his gloves for good in 2017, following a 10th round stoppage win over UFC star, Conor McGregor.

Mayweather may have teased making several comebacks over the years, he seemingly closed that chapter of his life for good.

“I’m not coming back to the sport of boxing,” said Mayweather following his exhibition against Logan Paul. “Absolutely not.”

Posted on 08/25/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Oscar De La Hoya was very much serious when he announced that he wanted to return to the boxing ring several months ago. The former six-division world champion showed off his older but still shredded physique during a recent workout to promote his showdown against former UFC champion, Vitor Belfort.

The two are set to clash in just a few short weeks on September 11th, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. While De La Hoya has failed to step foot inside a ring since being handed a one-sided beating against Manny Pacquiao over a decade ago, the 48-year-old has expressed confidence in his current comeback.

Initially, De La Hoya had much more ambitious plans. Should he pick up the win against Belfort and another against a yet to be determined opponent, De La Hoya revealed that a showdown against pound-for-pound star Canelo Alvarez was on his agenda. Yet, after carefully considering his options, De La Hoya is now targeting a pair of former champions much closer to his age bracket.

“I changed my mind,” said De La Hoya to FightHype.com when asked if he still wanted to face Alvarez. “Not because he’ll knock me out. It’s just, I thought it over and I’d actually rather call out, after I do two [comeback fights], Floyd Mayweather or Felix Trinidad.”

De La Hoya, of course, has plenty of experience in facing both men. In 2007, De La Hoya took on Mayweather with his WBC 154 pound title on the line. Although De La Hoya had his moments, Mayweather proved to be far too elusive as he won a close split decision.

Eight years prior, a prime, undefeated De La Hoya attempted to unify his WBC 147 pound title with the IBF trinket of Trinidad. Early on, De La Hoya had little to no trouble dealing with the hard-hitting Hall of Famer. However, a deleterious shot from Trinidad zapped the confidence of De La Hoya during the latter rounds and forced him to box a much more cautious fight.

His reluctance to engage ultimately led to his defeat. Since then, De La Hoya has always looked back on his loss against Trinidad with regret, wishing he had done more in the later stages.

Now, if things go according to plan, it appears as though he’ll attempt to make things right against either Trinidad or Mayweather.

Posted on 08/02/2021

By: Hans Themistode

At first, Oscar De La Hoya was simply attempting to get back into the ring and shake off the cobwebs. After spending 13 years on the sidelines, the 2014 Hall of Famer was scheduled to end his retirement with an exhibition showdown against former UFC light heavyweight titlist, Vitor Belfort.

Yet, after whipping his 48-year-old body back into fighting shape, De La Hoya has opted to make a full-blown return. Now, the former six-division world champion will remove the headgear and take on Belfort in an eight-round sanctioned boxing match on September 11th, at Staples Center in Los Angeles California.

While De La Hoya has expressed an enormous amount of hubris in the outcome of his matchup against Belfort, he ultimately believes that September 11th will only be step one on his way to a world title reign.

“I believe so,” said De La Hoya to Fight Hub TV when asked if he can make another championship run. “The fact that George Foreman has done it, the fact that Bernard Hopkins has done it, maybe it’s my time.”

On November 5th, 1994, Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion at the age of 45. He did so when he scored a deleterious one-punch knockout over 26-year-old Michael Moorer. In more recent history, Bernard Hopkins one-upped Foreman.

In 2011, the newly inducted Hall of Famer dethroned Jean Pascal to capture the WBC light heavyweight crown at the age of 46. Now, two years older than Hopkins was, De La Hoya believes he can do the same.

While he wouldn’t go as far as to say that he’s better than he was before, De La Hoya did admit that at this very moment, he feels incredible.

“I feel fast right now, freaken lighting fast. I think that with this mental strength that I have now, with training smarter and my motivation just in life in general. It’s a different route that I’m taking. This route is much easier. Yes it’s strenuous, it’s hard, it’s difficult for your body. It’s tough at 48 but it’s much easier. Why didn’t I figure it out a long time ago?”

Posted on 07/21/2021

By: Hans Themistode

At first, Oscar De La Hoya’s return to the ring was viewed as somewhat light-hearted. Although the former six-division world champion has been working hard in the gym to remove approximately 13 years of ring rust, his upcoming showdown against former MMA star Vitor Belfort was scheduled as an exhibition.

Now, however, after claiming that he’s in the best shape of his life, De La Hoya has decided to make their contest a full-blown fight.

“Triller Fight Club and My team have been working together to bring the most epic event boxing has seen in a long time,” said De La Hoya. “I decided if I was coming back it was for real, none of this exhibition stuff. Two warriors, one walks out the other doesn’t. Vitor Belfort is clearly a very tough MMA legend and while I’m sure he will give me a good run, a knockout is in my plan.

“This isn’t that WWE theatrics we’ve been seeing in boxing lately, this is the real deal, a real fight with real knockouts for a real win. This is not to be missed as I’m in better shape than I was 15 years ago.”

The last image of De La Hoya in a boxing ring wasn’t a pretty picture. The 2014 Hall of Famer was pummeled by former eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao. With only the second stoppage defeat of his career, De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) retired from the sport soon after.

As news of De La Hoya vs. Belfort turning into an official fight has circulated, Andy Foster of the California State Athletic Commission has revealed that he is simply waiting on the medical results of both fighters before sanctioning the event.

If everything goes according to plan, the two will face off in an eight-round, two-minute bout at 180 pounds. The event has officially landed in Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

While it may have come as somewhat of a surprise, Belfort is taking full advantage of this golden opportunity. Although the majority of his fighting experience has come on the mixed martial arts stage, Belfort has fought professionally in the boxing ring before. In 2006, the former MMA star stopped Josemario Neves in the first round for the only ring appearance of his career.

With a chance to pick up arguably the biggest win of his life, Belfort isn’t taking this moment lightly. According to the Brazilian, he’ll do whatever it takes to end the night with his hand raised in victory. Even if that means causing De La Hoya fatal damage.

“Oscar De La Hoya is a true superstar in the boxing world and one of the greatest and most popular fighters of our time,” said Belfort. “While we both have a great deal of respect for each other’s accomplishments, on September 11, I will make my MMA fans proud to show that MMA and ex-UFC fighters can take down even the best boxer in the world. I hope I don’t end up killing him but everything is on the table. This is a no holds barred, all-out gladiator fight to the bitter end.”

Posted on 06/17/2021

By: Hans Themistode

After spending months whipping his nearly 50-year-old body back into fighting shape, Oscar De La Hoya announced that he would make his return to the ring.

Now, after sifting through several opponents, the 2014 Hall of Famer finally has his foe. As first reported by Mike Coppinger of The Athletic, De La Hoya has agreed to terms with former UFC champion Vitor Belfort in an exhibition that will be available on Triller. The two are now set to face off on September 11th in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For De La Hoya, he hasn’t officially competed in the ring since suffering an eighth-round stoppage defeat at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in 2008. Shortly following his brutal defeat, De La Hoya opted to hang up his gloves. However, after watching fellow all-time great Mike Tyson return to the ring and look impressive in his exhibition contest against Roy Jones Jr. in November of last year, De La Hoya began getting the itch to compete again.

Originally, the former six-division world champion hinted that he would be more than willing to face current IBF middleweight titlist, Gennadiy Golovkin. While nothing ever materialized, De La Hoya attempted to take on former UFC lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez. Although Alvarez admitted that he was interested in the matchup, negotiations broke down. Next up on De La Hoya’s list, was retired UFC legend, George Saint Pierre.

By all accounts, everything appeared to be pointing towards the two sharing the ring with one another. But, UFC President Dana White, nixed those talks immediately.

As for Belfort, the 44-year-old enjoyed massive success early in his MMA career but recently, has gone on a slide. The former UFC belt holder has two wins in his last seven fights in the cage and was knocked out in the second round due to a front kick by Lyoto Machida in 2018.

In terms of his boxing experience, Belfort won’t be entirely out of his element. The Brazilian native has fought once professionally, scoring a first-round knockout against Josemario Neves in 2006.

Posted on 06/14/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Oscar De La Hoya is still very much serious about making his return to the ring. The 2014 Hall of Famer announced to the boxing world that on July 3rd, he’ll officially end his retirement. Yet, with less than a month remaining until his targeted date, De La Hoya is still without an opponent.

While no one has inked an agreement to face the former six-division world champion, that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been behind the scenes trying desperately to make things happen. Although De La Hoya has stated on numerous occasions that he wants to face one of the best boxers today, he’s reportedly dived into the mixed martial arts pool to find an opponent.

Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez was the first to come forward with news that he was offered a contract to face De La Hoya. Despite that, those talks broke down. Next up was former two-division UFC champion, George Saint Pierre. While the living legend said he was more than willing to face De La Hoya, President of the UFC in Dana White nixed those talks.

Now, with no one seemingly on the radar, an expected former boxer who was a heavy hitter in his day, wants a crack at De La Hoya.

“Come on,” said former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito. “I’m right here. We’ve already told him we’re right here to fight of course.”

Margarito, 43, was thought to be done with boxing on a professional level. After suffering back-to-back lopsided losses to Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, a lingering eye injury effectively ended his career. With that said, after spending several years on the sidelines, Margarito managed to make his way back to the ring, although it was short-lived.

From 2016-2017, Margarito reeled off three straight. Though he has failed to enter the ring since then, the former multiple-time 147-pound belt holder still has a desire to return.

At the moment though, while he still doesn’t officially have an opponent, De La Hoya continues to release videos of himself hitting the mitts and working the heavy bag. Considering how impressive he looks, even at the age of 48, Margarito is hoping that he gets the call.

“He looks good, he looks good and that’s why I believe it will be a good exhibition.”

Posted on 06/03/2021

By: Hans Themistode

At one point, Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez were seemingly the best of friends. The promoter/fighter relationship they shared appeared to be just fine over the years as De La Hoya sought to find Alvarez the biggest fights possible.

Whenever asked, De La Hoya wouldn’t hesitate to name Alvarez the best fighter in the world. With that said, things have changed ever since the pair split.

After several years of working closely with one another, Alvarez legally broke free from De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions. Since then, De La Hoya has proceeded to criticize Alvarez and that trend continued once again.

In what appeared to be a picture of Alvarez on Instagram giving a young fighter tips in the ring, De La Hoya took the time to bash the Mexican star for his technique and accused him of ducking a certain fighter.

“Please, this guy does everything wrong,” said De La Hoya on his Instagram account. “Head up when he throws hooks, on his heels, flat footed. What else? Oh he avoids @twincharlo.”

The Instagram handle De La Hoya is referring to belongs to current unified Jr middleweight world champion, Jermell Charlo. While De La Hoya did point him out, the long-time promoter and former multiple division champion could have been alluding to current WBC middleweight champion and twin brother of Jermell in Jermall Charlo.

For a number of years now, Jermall has called for a showdown with Alvarez at every turn. When both De La Hoya and Alvarez were working together, De La Hoya claimed that he sent a lucrative offer to Jermall for a matchup with Alvarez. Yet, he also claimed that Jermall turned it down.

Although Alvarez has mostly ignored his former promoter, this time around, he let him have it.

“Do me a favor and go f*ck yourself,” said Alvarez in response to De La Hoya.

While Jermell Charlo initially stood back to watch the explosive responses between the pair, he chimed in to accuse De La Hoya of lying several years ago and seemingly took the side of Alvarez.

“Listen [I don’t know] if @OscarDeLaHoya lying or not, but in 2014 he promised me or @KingGabRosado the winner get @Canelo..I Won, but he ended up fighting Kirkland, @OscarDeLaHoya Gotta sick again, HOW DO U GO AGAINST YOUR OWN COUNTRYMAN viva Mexico !!!”

Despite it all, Jermell Charlo admits that at one point, a showdown with Alvarez was the one he craved the most. However, with four Jr middleweight titles currently wrapped around his waist and an undisputed contest with WBO belt holder Brian Castano set to take place on July 17th, Charlo isn’t complaining about the path he ultimately took.

“I’m the 154, twin. I WANTED THAT FIGHT 8 years ago, that ship sailed. The road I wanted to take God didn’t let me. Followed his plan and still made it to a satisfying position in my career & life.”

Posted on 04/14/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Oscar De La Hoya seems to be zeroing in on his next opponent.

After spending several months whipping his now 48-year-old body into fighting shape, De La Hoya announced to the world that he’ll forgo his near decade and a half retirement to return to the ring once again on a July 3rd pay-per-view hosted by Triller.

Although a date was firmly in place, names of opponents were still being sifted through. Following several weeks of discussion, it appears that they’ve locked in on their target.

“Recently we’ve been hearing from Oscar De La Hoya’s guys,” said former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez to ESPN. “There’s serious talks. They’re serious like wanting to get a deal done this week serious.”

Alvarez, 37, now competes in ONE Championship, a globally known mixed martial arts organization. At one point, the world-renowned MMA fighter was considered the best lightweight in the world as he briefly held the UFC title. His venture into the boxing world would be his first from a professional standpoint, but Alvarez actually began his fighting career in the boxing ring.

At the age of eight, Alvarez trained for several years at Front Street Gym in Philadelphia, ironically enough, former multiple division champion Danny Garcia trained a local gym near Alvarez as the two were good friends growing up.

Still, even with a bit of experience under his belt and a unique opportunity to face one of the greatest fighters of all time in De La Hoya, Alvarez refuses to take his eyes off his ultimate goal.

“Look, I’m fixated on the ONE Championship belt. I’m laser, laser focused on making history and getting my world title, but I feel like there’s gonna be a lull. The champion is gonna sit for a bit—I think he’s having a baby. If that happens, Oscar De La Hoya and them guys have been reaching out and, hell, I’d love to get in there and mix it up with him. That’d be a hell of a fight and I’ve got everyone here in Philadelphia backing me, and the whole Philadelphia boxing [community] to back me up.”

In the case of De La Hoya, he hasn’t officially stepped into the ring since 2008. The 2014 Hall of Famer was thoroughly outclassed and stopped in the eighth round against eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao in his final bout.

Regardless of that, if De La Hoya and Alvarez reach an agreement for a July 3rd showdown, the former boxing star figures to be a major favorite heading in. For Alvarez, he’s perfectly fine with that. Although most of the world will brush his chances of pulling off the upset to the side, the former UFC lightweight belt holder believes he can hold his own in there.

“Getting in there to mix it up with that guy would be a dream come true. I actually think I’d do pretty damn good against him.”

Posted on 03/26/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Oscar De La Hoya never considered walking back into the ring again. After spending 16 years of his life throwing fists at the professional level and countless ones fighting as an amateur, De La Hoya had enough.

Yet, as he continued to watch some of his former contemporaries including Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. return to the ring, the former six-division world champion started itching to get back.

Now, after spending the past several months whipping his body back into fighting shape, De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) believes he’s ready to see what he’s got.

“July 3rd, I’m making my comeback,” said De La Hoya during a quick interview.

The 2014 Hall of Famers recently announced contest is expected to take place on Triller as part of a PPV event. In terms of who he will be taking on, the former Olympic Gold medalist was mum’s the word.

It’s been roughly 13 years since De La Hoya has entered the ring. He was last seen in December of 2008 receiving a one-sided beating at the hands of Manny Pacquiao. On the night, De La Hoya was bloodied, beat down and ultimately stopped in the eighth round.

The now 48-year-old has revealed on numerous occasions that his desire to return to the ring stems from former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. De La Hoya was taken aback as he watched Tyson shed his retirement weight and regain his reflexes to somewhat resemble his former self. Since then, De La Hoya has worked tirelessly to return to form as well.

A location for the event has yet to be revealed as of now.

Posted on 02/07/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Things can change immensely in a short time span. COVID-19 has proven that statement to be true as most of the world is still adjusting to life with the infectious disease. In the case of rising welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz, he’s proving that his professional career is also changing in just the blink of an eye.

After winning ESPN’s boxing prospect of the year in 2019, Ortiz now finds himself on the fast track to a world title as he takes on former belt holder Maurice Hooker on March 20th, in his hometown Dallas area. While Ortiz is solely focused on convincing everyone that he is truly a player at 147-pounds, promoter Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t need to be convinced any longer.

Although he might be just 22-years-old, De La Hoya has sat ringside at nearly every single one of the Dallas native’s fights and has witnessed body after body crumple in agony after getting blasted by his young star. Not only is De La Hoya under the impression that Ortiz will get past Hooker in roughly two months but he ultimately believes that no matter who is placed in front of him, the results will be the same.

“When you think about Vergil Ortiz, he has to be the best fighter out there at 147, or any in weight class for that matter,” said De La Hoya during a recent press conference. “I’ve said this all along, Vergil Ortiz will beat anybody at 147 right now.”

In the case of Hooker, he’ll present a much sterner test for Ortiz than what he has grown accustomed to. Not only has the 31-year-old former titlist faced fighters similar to Ortiz and managed to walk right through them but he’ll also have every physical advantage checked on his side of the boxes, including a ridiculous ten-inch reach over his man.

All of those reasons and more, have led De La Hoya to having a few restless nights as he admits it won’t be a walk in the park.

“I think Hooker has the advantage. He’s going to present to Vergil different movements, footwork, speed and mannerisms. They’re all totally different than what Vergil has been used to fighting. He’s fast, explosive and very elusive – it’s going to be different for Vergil. The question is will he pass that test? Will he knock Hooker out? Vergil Ortiz has been knocking everybody out so we want to see Vergil go several rounds.”

With Hooker holding the upper hand in nearly every category other than youth, many have questioned why on earth would De La Hoya place his young and quite possibly brightest star, in harm’s way with only 16 fights under his belt? For the former multiple division champion, however, he views the number of fights that Ortiz has accrued during his career as just that, merely a number.

Once upon a time, De La Hoya was in the same position as Ortiz. Just like the 2014 Hall of Famer managed to pass several tests placed in front of him at a young age, De La Hoya believes both he and Ortiz are cut from the same cloth. Should his young star leave the ring with another explosive victory on the night, then he’ll be well on his way to superstardom.

“I fought for my first world title when I had 11 fights. I believe Vergil Ortiz is on the verge of becoming a superstar. I think skies the limit if he gets past Hooker.”