The fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul was supposed to be a celebration of sorts. Long-time fans of Iron Mike were hoping to see the resurgence of one of the most electric combat sportsmen in history. Instead, they were let down by a slow and inactive Tyson. It makes sense when you consider his age, but it left a sour taste in many mouths.
So much so that many are unwilling to renounce their belief that the fight was rigged, at least in a way. Even some professional athletes have opined that Tyson may have been contractually prohibited from throwing uppercut punches. Some believe Tyson simply let Paul win by not throwing punches. Oscar De La Hoya is in that camp, and the Golden Boy went off on boxing as a whole on his Instagram a week after the fight.
Oscar De La Hoya gives his take on Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight
First, De La Hoya went on a rant about the Paul-Tyson fight, calling it a “horrible” fight. He believes the fight was scripted, with Tyson just playing safe for the paycheck and Paul essentially paying for a win on his record.
The Golden Boy Promotions CEO then unloaded on today’s boxers. He’s adamant that no one wants to be great, and singled out Canelo Alvarez in the process, something that has become quite common for the Golden Boy.
Fighters are not daring to be great, and we are stuck accepting mediocre fights… It’s the fighters who are killing the sport. People try to blame the promoters or the managers or the trainers. No, it’s the fighters. Fighters today don’t think they’re getting paid enough or they’re scared of taking an L… We know the outcome of the “big” fights these days before the fight even starts. Look at the Canelo fight… We have Canelo, who is the most boring but most popular fighter in boxing today.
Alvarez’s last few fights have left a lot to be desired for many boxing fans, and De La Hoya feels the same way. Facing Dmitry Bivol at a higher weight was a big challenge, but since then, Alvarez has made easy work of opponents that have looked outclassed.
A part of that is Alvarez simply being a superior boxer, but he has avoided David Benavidez like the plague, which has been the logical matchup for over a year.
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