The rivalry between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford is starting to heat up. The two came face-to-face for the first time at their press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, officially launching what could go down as one of the biggest fights in boxing history. As the duo traded jabs, Canelo’s former promoter-turned-critic, Oscar De La Hoya, chimed in with his take on the high-stakes showdown.

Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions promoted Canelo for a majority of the Mexican legend’s career, from 2010 to 2020, specifically. Their relationship, marked by professional disagreements and personal tensions, culminated in a messy legal battle that ultimately led to their split. Even today, the duo can’t seem to stand each other. However, the question is what prompted Oscar De La Hoya to speak out about Canelo’s fight?

During the press conference, Canelo was asked how damaging it would be to his brand if Crawford manages to beat him. “He’s not gonna beat me. Don’t worry about it,” Canelo responded confidently. “I think this fight is gonna be in the books of the history of boxing for sure. That’s for sure.” As one might guess, ‘Bud’ had an issue with this bold claim from the undisputed super middleweight champion. 

“For sure, them belts come with me. They’re coming home with me, I am telling you right now,” Crawford interrupted. “And there’s nothing you’re going to be able to do about it come fight night.” This prompted Canelo Alvarez to explain his intentions for His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and Terence Crawford in a chilling warning. “I know Turki is in your corner. But look, it’s going to be very difficult. He’s going to be so mad that day,” Canelo said.

When the clip of this exchange found its way onto Instagram, Oscar De La Hoya shared his thoughts on the matter. “Can Crawford school and do what Mayweather did to Canelo?” Oscar asked. “Or will 2 weight 150 divisions be too much for Crawford..” It’s worth noting that Crawford is moving two weight classes for the fight, which will unfold on September 13th at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. 

However, that’s not all Oscar De La Hoya has to say about the Canelo-Crawford fight.

Oscar De La Hoya and Turki Alalshikh clash online over Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford

Oscar De La Hoya and Turki Alalshikh exchanged sharp words over the scheduling of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford super fight. In his ‘Clap Back Thursday’ video, De La Hoya criticized the early start time, claiming, “Canelo is going to fight in the day on Netflix just to accommodate the UFC card later that day on another channel.” He questioned the decision, asking, “Do they not give a damn about the fans or the ratings?”

Referring to UFC Fight Night Noche airing later that evening, De La Hoya said, “UFC, with a bunch of fighters nobody knows, will be in prime time.” The GEA Chairman, Turki Alalshikh, responded with sarcasm. “I decided with Dana White to have breakfast in MGM at 10 a.m. Then we will go to the arena to have the fights quickly, and we will go for dinner.” He dismissed De La Hoya’s concerns, saying, “Oscar De La Hoya wastes my time.”

That said, Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford seem to have given their fight a great start, but Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t seem to be quite onboard with the timing of the event. What do you make of all this?