By Eric Flaherty: Oscar De L Hoya revealed last Saturday night that he plans on calling out Floyd Mayweather Jr for a mega-fight soon after he faces former MMA champion, Vitor Belfort in a boxing match on September 11th on Triller PPV.
De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) says he’s been planning what he says will be the ‘biggest comeback” in the sport, and a fight with 44-year-old Mayweather would be the coup de grace for him.
Assuming the 48-year-old De La Hoya can get through his eight-round exhibition match against the 44-year-old Belfort on September 11th, we could see him call out Mayweather.
Despite Mayweather recently saying that he “probably” won’t fight any more exhibition matches following his bout against YouTuber Logan Paul, De La Hoya thinks he can convince him to take the fight.
By letting Mayweather know how much money they can make, De La Hoya will persuade him to do it.
De La Hoya wants Mayweather
“I have a plan; I want to make the biggest comeback in boxing history,” Oscar De La Hoya said last Saturday night on DAZN.
“I want to get two of these fights down under my belt and get the timing ready and everything, and then my third one, I want to call out Floyd Mayweather.”
“I think Floyd after that exhibition he did with [YouTuber] Logan [Paul], I think Floyd has, I think he feels like he has to prove something once again inside the boxing ring.
“So look, if I come out OK, my body feels great, I’m telling you, may jab feels faster than ever. I think it’s the 15 years I didn’t use it. If I feel good these next two fights that I have, I’m going to call out Floyd,” said De La Hoya.
It’s going to be fun to see if De La Hoya can make it through his eight-round exhibition fight against Vitor Belford in one piece.
De La Hoya’s reasons for coming back
“I’ve been waiting with bated breath, and I don’t know what life would be like if Oscar De La Hoya didn’t come out of retirement to fight,” said promoter Lou DiBella to Secondsout.
“Oscar was one of the biggest stars in boxing history, and if there are people that want to see him fight Vitor Belford, then God bless him. You know my belief in this sort of thing.
“I guess if it makes dollars for these guys and for Triller, it makes sense. I’m not going to be negative about it.
“There’s going to be a strange curiosity on many people’s part about it to see what Oscar looks in the ring against anybody.
“If they put enough good boxing on the card, I wouldn’t discount the possibility that I would watch. But I’m not hitting here with bated breath for it.
“Look, Oscar is a superstar in the sport. I do think there will be curiosity. I’m not a big MMA fan.
“I don’t know anything about Vitor Belford, who is sort of an old [44-years-old], established semi-retired kind of name, but I’m not that familiar with it,” DiBella said.
It’s likely a combination of bringing De La Hoya back, but you’d have to believe money plays a huge part.
De La Hoya is watching Mayweather, and the Paul brothers make huge money for their exhibition bouts, and that’s obviously tempting.
Vitor Belford = low-risk fight for Oscar
“If anything, I’m more curious to see what Oscar looks in the ring against anybody,” said DiBella. “Look, if people want to buy it, buy it. I’m not going to go out there.
“Unless I think something is really inherently dangerous, and I don’t think this is. I mean, both of them will be really big.
“There will be a 20-lb difference when one guy weighs 175 [De La Hoya], and the other guy [Belford] weighs in the 190s.
“It’s not going to be that big of a deal. Actually, if I’m Belford, he should be the one that’s worried.
“Two-minute rounds, eight-round exhibition between these guys, I don’t think inherently there’s a huge health & safety kind of risk to it.
“If people want to buy it, God bless them. But, Triller, I heard it’s going to be a part of a huge concert weekend [September 11/12], that there’s going to be major music acts.
“Look, if there’s going to be some major music acts and some good real boxing, then maybe it’ll do well. So I’m not going to criticize it.
“Selfishly, I want to see Triller make it, and I want to see them stay in boxing to some degree,” said DiBella.
There is some risk involved in this fight for De La Hoya because he’s been out of boxing fans for such a long time, and he’s facing a strong puncher. But, on the other hand, Belford is a guy with excellent power, and he’d been competing up until 2018.
In comparison, De La Hoya hasn’t fought since 2008, which is a long time. Also, we don’t know what kind of lifestyle De La Hoya has lived during his 13 years out of the ring.
Has Oscar been taking care of himself? If not, that’s another strike that he has going against him when he gets inside the ring with Belfort.
Oscar misses the limelight
“He’s doing it because he misses the limelight,” said DiBella on De La Hoya’s rationale for coming back at age 48.
“Fighters fight; they always have in the back of their mind to fight. Enzo Maccarinelli, I know he really wants to get back in the ring, and he thinks this Triller stuff gives him the opportunity.
“I’ve had calls from Glenn McCrory [57-years-old], who has the same thoughts. But, honestly, you don’t see me downing these guys and making fun of them because fighters are fighters. That’s who they are.
“Fighters fight. That’s what they know. I don’t like to see seniors tour because I think it’s a little bit dangerous, but I get it, and I’m not going to criticize guys for wanting to get in on the action.
“I’m not going to want to criticize Oscar for wanting to get in on the action, and I’m not going to criticize Oscar for wanting money.
“Also, I’m not going to criticize Oscar for wanting opportunities for his fighters. I get all of that. I do think Triller is looking to compete with DAZN, ESPN or PBC, or real boxing.
“And I think they’re looking to be a multi-disciplinary, multi-platform kind of entertainment thing.
“I don’t think they’re looking to compete with Bob Arum, Al Haymon, or Eddie Hearn. Do I think there’s going to be a great opportunity, and Oscar is going to move his stable to Triller?
“No. But do I think Oscar is going to get a couple of his fighters onto the card that he’s fighting on…by virtue of his relationship with Ryan Cavanaugh of Triller.
“So I think it’s going to endure to the benefit of some of Golden Boy’s fighters, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” said DiBella.
Call it a mid-life crisis, but it does seem like De La Hoya misses the limelight.
We started seeing this behavior from de La Hoya a little over a year ago when his young fighter Ryan Garcia started making waves.
Some boxing fans believe Ryan’s attention from fans reminds the original ‘Golden Boy’ De La Hoya about the adoration he received during his career.