De La Hoya On Canelo – ‘I Said Sorry'

Golden Boy Promoter Oscar De La Hoya opened up about his strained relationship with Canelo Alvarez, stating he was unsure over the cause of their fractured relationship. 

De La Hoya stated that things became difficult following Canelo’s defeat to Floyd Mayweather in 2013. It was the Mexican’s first defeat of his career in a performance where he was comprehensively beaten. De La Hoya was not in attendance, although he said he had called Canelo to let him know what he was in rehab. Things seemed to be cordial only for it to change in the aftermath. Oscar had advised Canelo to not take the fight, saying he was too young. Canelo went ahead anyway, as he came out second best. 

"I actually called Canelo in rehab, and I said Sorry, I am in here, and I can’t make it, and he said, ‘Oh, I understand, and we are going to win,’ and that was it. After that, there were no issues, that’s why I can’t pinpoint. It could be jealousy because I remember every time I go into a room where he is, all the attention turns over to me. They have a lot of love, so there must be some kind of jealousy there. That’s all I can think of because we are straight shooters," De La Hoya said 

The Other Side

And yet, the most significant factor in their split was the financial disagreement over Canelo’s record-breaking 11-fight, $365 million contract with DAZN. Canelo, through a lawsuit he filed, alleged that Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya failed to fulfill their contractual obligations. The lawsuit was ultimately settled, but it marked the end of their professional relationship.

A key element of the feud is Canelo’s feeling of personal betrayal. This sentiment was evident during a heated press conference for Canelo’s fight against Jaime Munguia. At the event, De La Hoya publicly criticized Canelo and claimed that Golden Boy "built" his career, demanding respect. Canelo, visibly enraged, accused De La Hoya of being a "thief" and of trying to steal money from his fighters, as the pair are no longer on good terms.

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