The announced fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, considered by many to be one of the most relevant fights of the decade, has not been without controversy, as while a large sector has generated a wave of enthusiasm among fans, it has also generated controversy among the protagonists of the boxing world.
One of the main detractors has been promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who hit out at Dana White, president of the UFC, for his unexpected role as promoter of the event.
True to his style, De La Hoya, during the “Thursday Clap-Back” program, detailed in great detail all those aspects of the fight and the industry in general with which he does not agree:
To begin with, he criticized the silence of the traditional media in the face of controversial cases, such as the recent positive test for banned substances by Jaime Munguia. But he quickly focused his attack on the fight between Canelo and Crawford, which he described as “laughable”.
Oscar de la Hoya criticizes Canelo Alvarez fight
De La Hoya questioned the sporting merit of the encounter, pointing out that Crawford, who will move up two weight divisions, would be at a clear disadvantage against a Canelo who has fought as high as light heavyweight, so the boxer would be at a clear advantage in the fight. For him, the fight is not only uncompetitive, but also represents a dangerous distortion of the sport.
Oscar de la Hoya hits out at Dana White
However, his harshest criticism was against Dana White, whom he accused of taking advantage of boxing without really understanding the business: “He’s never been in the boxing space,” said De La Hoya, claiming that White does not negotiate fights and simply benefits from other people’s money.
What is also ridiculous is that Dana White is named promoter of this fight
“Ah, and Dana, what now? You’re turning your back on the UFC. I mean, we all know you’ve been trying to get into boxing on your own for years, and you haven’t made it. Remember Zuffa? Oh, but now that daddy Turki negotiated a big fight and paid for it, you’re very proud to be the lucky boy who shows up to be the face of this fight,” he said, referring to the fact that it was Turki Alalshikh, a key figure in financing the event, who really closed the deal, while Dana White has only taken advantage of the work of others.
De La Hoya downplayed the importance of the fight, pointing to the age of the fighters and their supposed decline. However, days later, he told the press: “I’m totally in favor; I actually want to see it”, showing some inconsistency in his speeches.
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