Falling outs are often brutal, and in the boxing world, we have seen quite a few of them over the years. However, very few are as contentious, ugly, and ongoing as Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya. It all began with Canelo leaving De La Hoya’s Golden Boy promotions in 2020. The Guadalajara native had joined the promotion way back in 2010, in the nascent stages of his career, and grew into boxing’s biggest star. Then, in 2018, he signed a whopping 11-fight, $365 million deal with DAZN, brokered by De La Hoya’s promotion. At that moment, nobody realized this agreement would become the pivotal reason for the duo’s eventual split.

Just two years after the massive deal, Canelo Alvarez decided to terminate his contract over several issues. He blamed De La Hoya for not being transparent with DAZN’s terms. The Mexican star publicly displayed his distrust towards De La Hoya and even filed a lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya, and DAZN, seeking at least $280 million in damages as well as release from Golden Boy’s contract. Their relationship became so fractured that the pair nearly came to blows at the press event last year for Canelo’s fight against Jaime Munguia. There have been countless theories, with the 52-year-old promoter even blaming Canelo’s long-time trainer, Eddy Reynoso, for the breakup. It appears that even after five years, the six-division world champion is not quite sure what the real issue is.

Oscar De La Hoya is still clueless

The Los Angeles native appeared in an interview on Ring Champs with AK and Barak. During the interview, the host asked the promoter to verify rumors that the feud began because Canelo Alvarez was upset about being rushed into the 2013 Floyd Mayweather fight. De La Hoya, however, clarified that no such issue existed. “Oh, I actually called Canelo. And they’re in rehab, and I told him ‘Sorry. I’m in you know, I’m in here. I can’t make it’ and he was like, ‘Oh, I understand, and we’re gonna win.’ And you know, that was it,” he revealed. The 52-year-old had checked into a rehab just a few days before the Canelo-Mayweather fight. So, he wasn’t available during the fight night. However, the Mexican champion didn’t mind that at all.

De La Hoya added that, just like everyone, even he was surprised by how things ended. Because on the surface, he couldn’t find any issue. And after thinking about it for almost half a decade now, he can only think of one thing: resentment. “I think it might be jealousy. You know, it could be jealousy because I remember every time. Every time I’d go into a room where he’s at, all the attention turns over to me,” he said. The 1992 Olympic gold medalist clarified that it happened because everyone loves him. However, according to him, in Canelo Alvarez’s eyes, it was disrespectful and eventually led to their falling out.

Following that, he dismissed the cheating claims made by the 35-year-old. “We’re straight shooters, everything we do in boxing. That’s why I’ve been a promoter for 20-plus years because we’re straight shooters, man. We do, cuz I’m a fighter myself. So I know what it’s like to get cheated. I know what it’s like to have promoters, you know, promise you this and that,” he said, denying any kind of monetary issue as the reason behind them falling out.

So, just like us, even Oscar De La Hoya appears puzzled. However, while the exact reason remains unknown, one main reason behind the fallout was that Canelo Alvarez wanted financial freedom. And in that aspect, it seems like his move has worked, with his latest Saudi deal working wonders for his net worth.

Canelo Alvarez’s net worth in nine figures?

In December 2023, Forbes estimated Canelo’s net worth to be $275 million. And while it is already staggering, reports reveal that the 35-year-old could soon rival the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, whose net worth stands at around $800 million. How? Let’s find out.

Last month, research by Prime Casino showed that the Mexican champion would receive approximately $200 million in 2025 alone as part of the Saudi four-fight deal. However, after the revelation of William Scull and Terence Crawford‘s fight purses, that amount might be close to $250 million. This colossal amount would position him as the top-earning athlete worldwide based on career earnings.

The scary part is that after 2025, the Guadalajara native still has two fights left in his Riyadh Season contract. And if he is able to defeat Terence Crawford, who knows how high he will be paid following that. So, by the time he bids farewell to the sport, he will establish himself as one of the richest athletes on the planet.

Do you think Canelo Alvarez made the right decision by leaving Golden Boy? Let us know your thoughts below.