Former world champion and now boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya openly slammedSaudi Arabian delegate and co-founder of Zuffa Boxing Turki Alalshikh after the historic Canelo Álvarez-Terence Crawford battle in Allegiant Stadium.
De La Hoya’s comments target undercard bouts as well as the promotion of the event, with a focus on tensions that still exist in the sport of boxing and also between De La Hoya and Turki Alalshikh.
De La Hoya voices his frustration
Following Crawford’s unanimous decision victory, which crowned him the first four-belt era fighter to become a three-time undisputed champion in different weight classes, De La Hoya made his anger public on his social media accounts. He fired at Alalshikh suggesting him to “fire your matchmakers” and also criticized the low quality of the undercard matches in his opinion.
“I have been promoting for over 20 years,” De La Hoya wrote. “I am going to stay in my lane and continue to give fans excellent matchups.“
Turki Alalshikh’s pivotal role
Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, has been instrumental in introducing big boxing events to the globe and to the Middle East. His alliance with Dana White to introduce Zuffa Boxing to the globe has revolutionized the promotional scene of the sport, with record-breaking viewership and media consumption.
Despite of De La Hoya’s complaints, Alalshikh has been extensively praised for putting the boxing events on top of the limelight, such as the Canelo vs. Crawford bout that garnered more than 60,000 viewers.
Boxing promotion under the spotlight
The controversy serves as an example of the brutal aspect of boxing promotion. Top past boxing figures such as De La Hoya tend to clash with newer businessmen such as Alalshikh, who come with enormous capital and fresh event planning ideas. The critics and public in general are closely observing how these two influence matchmaking, fighter opportunities, and the sport overall.
While De La Hoya’s statements are evidence of his devotion to quality great fights, they also speak to the tenuous relationship between old-fashioned promoters and new-age power brokers in boxing.
As Crawford celebrates his history-making win by popping the champagne, the boxing universe continues to debate on the quality of event, promotion level, and changing face of global celebrities such as Alalshikh.
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