The feud between Canelo Alvarez and his former promoter Oscar De La Hoya is hotter than ever.
De La Hoya, who promotes Jaime Munguia, Alvarez’s opponent on Saturday in Las Vegas, said in a recent interview with journalist Ariel Helwani that he was going to go hard on Alvarez during fight week.
And he followed through.
Speaking Wednesday at the final news conference before the fight, De La Hoya, standing at a lectern, let the undisputed 168-pound champion have it as he sat near him at a dais.
Canelo Alvarez GETS UP AND GOES AFTER Oscar De La Hoya in response to his comments at the final press conference ahead of his fight vs Jaime Munguia on Saturday night…
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@PremierBoxing] pic.twitter.com/X3RuhsU4Ob
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 1, 2024
“There were times that work was not my priority based on my mental health, which I had neglected for so long,” said De La Hoya, who worked with Alvarez from 2010 to 2020.
“But that doesn’t change the fact that Golden Boy built Canelo Alvarez, period. The company you fought under for decades has always had one name and it’s mine. So put some f—ing respect on it.”
A raging Alvarez then began talking as the same time as De La Hoya but the latter continued.
“As for Jaime, he is always there to be great, just as this Saturday night,” De La Hoya said. And this serves as a full circle for him. Remember when Jaime was 21 years old [he] volunteered to step in for Triple-G (Gennadiy Golovkin) and Canelo failed two drug tests.
“Though Jaime wasn’t allowed to fulfill his dream, 2018, on Saturday night he’ll do just that, fulfill his dream and be world champion.”
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— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 1, 2024
Alvarez got up from his chair and walked toward De La Hoya and the two exchanged words, including insults. Alvarez repeated in Spanish, “You don’t write anything,” meaning De La Hoya’s speech was written for him.
Alvarez then let De La Hoya have it when he was asked what he told De La Hoya during the exchange. He responded in English.
“He’s a f—ing a——, that’s what I said,” Alvarez said. “He’s a f—ing a——. He tried to give the attention for him, not for Munguia. He’s a f—ing a——. He steals his fighters, that’s what he do. … F—ing p—-, motherf—–.”
De La Hoya evidently was irked that Alvarez refused to deal directly with him during the negotiations for the fight on Saturday, which will be streamed on DAZN Pay-Per-View.
He said on Helwani’s “MMA Hour” that he would “speak the truth” during fight week, presumably meaning the news conference.
“I’m going to wait until fight week and I’m going to go hard. I’m going to talk s— like there’s no tomorrow. You know how much s— he’s talked on me? I got all kinds of stuff.”
He went on: “The fact [is] Canelo only had two choices – Munguia or unbeaten super middleweight champion David Benavidez – so he probably thought, ‘OK, s—, they cornered me. Let me pick Munguia’
“You take a look at Canelo. The decline has been happening slowly. You can see the wear and tear. So this could be De La Hoya-[Julio Cesar] Chavez all over again. It happens in the sport all the time. I’m going to speak the truth.”
Boxingscene.com asked Alvarez during grand arrivals Tuesday for a response to De La Hoya’s comments.
“I don’t really care,” he told the outlet. “I’m so happy. I don’t really care about Oscar. He has s— in his head. I don’t give a s— what he says.”
Alvarez tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol before a bout with Golovkin that was scheduled for May 2018 in Las Vegas.
The Mexican star was suspended for six months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which pushed the fight with his rival back to the following September.
Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) will be making his seventh defense since winning his first two (of four) super middleweight titles by outpointing Callum Smith in December 2020.
He lost a decision to 175-pound titleholder Dmitry Bivol during that period but has since won three consecutive fights, although he gave flat performances against Golovkin and John Ryder before looking sharper in a one-sided victory Jermell Charlo last September.
Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) is a former 154-pound champ who will be fighting for a 168-pound belt for the first time.
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