To be honest Oscar comes in sometimes for a bit of unneeded abuse and criticism from time to time.
Sometimes some is deserved, as well.
Sure, he comes out with crazy comments, bizarre statements almost at times but it’s the fight game and he’s a promoter after all.
This is the fight business not the nice guy business — there’s always going to be arguing and controversy in fairness.
Anyone who is bitten by this boxing bug who works in anyway in the sport will tell you boxing is an emotional business in plenty of ways outside the ring too.
People just seem to love boxing in a different way to other sports. It has an uncanny ability to pull at the heart strings.
Within professional boxing, hype sells and we all know it.
Oscar seems to be embracing that as he gets older and is being himself more and more in the media.
If hype sells, so does being genuine in today’s brutally honest and unforgiving social media world.
One thing I figured out a while back is he’s also terrible at picking and calling fights.
I learned a long time ago whenever watching a De La Hoya interview where he’s asked to call a fight that usually picking the exact opposite of his pick was a good strategy.
But all jokes aside, on a serious note, he’s still one of the biggest promoters in boxing and has been involved in putting on some of the biggest fights in the US over the last decade and a half to be fair.
Between boxing promoter and media wars and politics, boxing is all one big family at the end of the day and promoters whether they like it or not are characters alongside the fighters in the story and soap opera of big time boxing.
As for 2018, De La Hoya landed his star fighter Canelo Alvarez the biggest deal in sports this year too with streaming giant DAZN in between ongoing feuds and public spats with the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Dana White.
Canelo also beat Golovkin in their rematch so it hasn’t been a bad year all in all for De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions.
He’s had a positive Christmas message overall but perhaps a not so subtle ending to it for his haters:
Happy Merry Christmas Eve to everyone who is great full and optimistic about life and positive about everything that doesn’t go your way. Life is truly Beutiful if you wake up every morning believing in yourself and in others. And to the haters go **** your self. Hoho— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) December 24, 2018
Don’t expect any Christmas cards from Floyd Mayweather or Dana White this year, Oscar.
Roll on the fun and games in 2019’s thriving boxing landscape.
