Striking a discordant note in the boxing world, the latest tiff between the Mexican boxing icon Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and his former promoter Oscar De La Hoya has taken an ugly turn. This enduring feud added another layer recently when “Canelo SOUNDS OFF on De La Hoya beef & tells him to stay away!”
While it’s never unusual to see friction between a boxer and their promoter, the simmering hostility between Canelo and De La Hoya has made waves throughout the sport. Their professional relationship ended in 2020 when Canelo filed a lawsuit against De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and the streaming giant DAZN, claiming breach of contract. Since leaving Golden Boy, Canelo has been exhibiting an undeniable regression in his relationship with De La Hoya.
Recently, Canelo fired back at his former promoter De La Hoya’s comments about his boxing record and the quality of challengers he’s faced in the ring. Canelo claimed his accomplishments speak for themselves and that De La Hoya is simply bitter about losing control of his career.
“The truth is I don’t like to fight with anyone, I’m a person who focuses on doing his thing, and [De La Hoya] is doing his thing…well, I don’t know if he’s doing anything right now, but he should continue doing what he’s done his whole life,” Canelo said, effectively telling De La Hoya to stay away.
“Boxing is a sport that I love and keep alive, not him. Suddenly, he starts criticising those who are keeping boxing alive, that’s not fair and that’s why I said those things to him,” said the undisputed super-middleweight champion.
Despite the current animosity, it’s worth noting De La Hoya played a significant role in building Canelo’s brand and shaping his career, as he was under De La Hoya’s tutelage from 2010 up to 2020. Still, the acrimony between them came to light when De La Hoya openly criticised Canelo for not fighting the top names in his weight class.
The verbal jabs continued as De La Hoya took to social media to voice his criticism of his former protégé, calling Canelo’s most recent fights a ‘joke’. Canelo didn’t hesitate to strike back, saying, “He doesn’t do anything in boxing, and he’s just living in the past”.
The ongoing feud proves to be a distraction from Canelo’s remarkable achievements in the ring. Known in his home country of Mexico as ‘El Canelo’, he is a four-division world champion and arguably one of the biggest stars in boxing.
The spat’s timing is questionable, as De La Hoya had been plotting a comeback. This comeback however was perturbed by his contraction of COVID-19. It is unclear whether De La Hoya’s inflammatory comments are an attempt at sparking interest ahead of a potential return to the ring, or purely indicative of his sentiments towards the current boxing environment.
Widely recognised as one of the greatest boxers of his generation, Canelo’s focus is unwavering despite the contentious public exchange. The champ is currently preparing for his next bout. As the beef continues, the only certainty is the assurance that the boxing world will be eagerly watching the next move in this ongoing battle beyond the rope-encased ring.
Through this feud, Canelo has sent a strong message not just to De La Hoya, but to promoters worldwide: a champion’s success lies primarily in his own hands, not in those steering his career from beyond the ring.
