It has long been no secret that Canelo Alvarez and former promoter Oscar De La Hoya are not very amiable with each other, and on Wednesday things got heated between them at a press conference dedicated to Saturday’s fight between Canelo and Jaime Munguia.
This is the first time Canelo and De La Hoya have worked on the same promotion since Canelo’s bitter split from Golden Boy in 2020. Oscar sparked today’s renewed tension by addressing some of the criticisms Canelo has sent his way over the years.
“Yes, I was in rehabilitation several times. Yes, there have been some really tough moments in my life. And yes, there were times when work was not a priority for me because of my mental health, which I had neglected for so long,” De La Hoya said.
“But it doesn’t change the fact that Golden Boy was built by Canelo Alvarez, period. The company you fought for for decades has always had one name and it’s mine, so show it some damn respect.
As De La Hoya continued to speak, Canelo, sitting to his right, began speaking to him in Spanish off the microphone. Oscar then recalled a moment from 2018 when a then-unknown Munguia tried to step in for Canelo in his match against Gennady Golovkin after Alvarez failed two drug tests.
Canelo then stood up and walked over to De La Hoya as he continued to speak. De La Hoya stood his ground while the others stepped between them, then he took his seat and nothing else actually happened.
All this time, Munguia just sat in his seat and basically rested.
Canelo then spoke in English and didn’t mince his words.
“He tried to steal money and made a hole in the ground, that’s what I said,” Canelo said. “He’s in a fucking hole. He’s trying to draw attention to himself, not Munguia. He’s in… a hole. He tries to steal from his warriors and that’s exactly what he does. Damn it. Sweet… eh.
If there is a marketing “narrative” outside the ring on Saturday, it is certainly the still raw feelings between Canelo and Oscar, as the feelings between Canelo and Munguia, whom he will actually fight, seem respectful, just as Canelo did without the beef with Munguia.