Author: Sean Close
“We are watching boxing slowly decline,” Oscar De La Hoya said on social media Monday after Canelo Alvarez won a wide decision over Jermell Charlo on Saturday night. “I’m calling on all promoters to unite,” De La Hoya continued, “and make all the fights that fans want to see happen… finally. I’m tired of fighters fighting for money, the stars are… Fight for your legacy (sic).”
As far as the Hall of Fame fighter goes, “Canelo vs. Charlo was a super boring fight.” In other words, it certainly didn’t help the sport of boxing. “I mean, he just came to get paid,” De La Hoya said of Charlo. But De La Hoya wasn’t finished. “Canelo obviously, like I said, he’s throwing bombs on quicksand,” he continued. “He won easily. But in any case, if we want boxing to survive, if we want boxing to thrive, we always need super fights.”
De La Hoya clearly recognizes that boxing is a sport in need of repair, and such repair requires multiple people. “Martial artists have to fight each other,” he said. “Promoters, Eddie Hearn, Al Haymon, Bob Arum, whoever is out there, we have to unite. Unite, I’m calling you all. Boxing is You could die, so come with me, let’s meet, let’s have the strength of our minds, and let’s figure something out. I’m calling on you all, let’s do it.”
De La Hoya certainly knows the importance of big fights that fans want to see. During his illustrious ring career, he fought on the ring roster. Ike Quartey, Shane Mosley, Ricardo Mayorga, Pernell Whitaker, Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad, Floyd Mayweather, Fernando Vargas, Bernard Hopkins, Manny Pacquiao and many other famous fighters. No matter what, De La Hoya knew how to get attention. He frequently engages in fierce ring battles. He may not have always won, but De Ja Hoya was always competitive in the big events.
That being said, boxing has certainly had or will have some big fights this year. For example, De La Hoya’s own protégé, Ryan Garcia, fought a very favorable fight with Gervonta Davis (that bout ended in a knockout for Garcia). And of course, there was Terrence Crawford defeating Errol Spence for welterweight supremacy. Additionally, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have finally signed a deal to fight for the world heavyweight championship. But if Mr. De La Hoya is claiming that this sort of thing should be commonplace, he’s absolutely right.
