Oscar De La Hoya gave world champion boxers like Gervonta Davis and Teofimo Lopez a roasting after discussing their lack of ambition.
The Golden Boy promoter responded to a fan who stated Davis and Lopez threatening to retire was nothing short of a smokescreen.
Oscar De La Hoya on Gervonta Davis and Teofimo Lopez
De La Hoya said: “Fighters today are soft and think they are worth so much. I’ve always preached that when you fight for legacy, the money will follow.”
The ten-time world titleholder is back on social media and vocal again after a short break. This time, De La Hoya seems hell-bent on shaking up the sport.
His new focus is getting every major promoter around a table and finding a way to pit the best against the best.
For too long, the sport has failed to deliver the most significant events for the fans, who pay good money for mediocre shows and Pay-per-views.
De La Hoya’s mission
He added: “I’m organizing a moderated round table with some boxing promoters. I’m on a mission to bring you the best fights possible. I’ll keep you posted on where you can watch it and when.
I’m calling out BobArum, Al Haymon, Eddie Hearn, and Dmitriy Salita to join me in a round table discussion. We have to figure out how we give the fans the best fights possible.”
As Haymon looks for a new outlet following the demise of TV network Showtime, De La Hoya sent out a call to arms.
“Attention PBC fighters without a promoter contract, call my headquarters. Let’s make some good fights happen.”
When quizzed whether those boxers would be under contract with Haymon, De La Hoya responded: “Every single fighter at PBC has no promotional contract.
“It’s too complicated to explain because you all know s*** about boxing.”
Davis and Lopez
Davis and Lopez will not be on board with De La Hoya’s new plan if he’s branding them ‘soft’ and questioning their desire.
“Tank” beat his top fighter, Ryan Garcia, back in April. Garcia is on the comeback trail in December but still has much to prove after Davis knocked him out handily.
As for Lopez, retiring after beating Josh Taylor before retiring weeks later seems to have flown under the radar. Lopez is back in training and looking for a big fight in the New Year.
The former lightweight king successfully lobbied the WBO to become the ‘super’ ruler at 140. He can now challenge any other champion at any weight limit.
Both are in the gym and ready for their next tests.
