By Chris Williams: Oscar La Hoya revealed tonight that he’s looking to sign WBO welterweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford to Golden Boy Promotions and then match him up against Alexis Rocha, Vergil Ortiz Jr, then possibly PBC fighter Errol Spence Jr.
De La Hoya says he had positive talks with Crawford tonight, and he feels he can sign him and immediately match him against #3 WBO 147-lb contender Rocha (22-1, 14 KOs), who won his fight tonight in a Golden Boy card against 38-year-old light welterweight George Ashie (33-6-1, 25 KOs) on DAZN at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.
Rocha, 25, looked badly flawed in his fight with Ashie tonight and was tagged many, many times by the weaker & smaller fighter. The way Rocha looked, Crawford would make easy work of him if the two fought next.
Rocha’s defense is nonexistent and would be another David Avanesyan type of opponent for Crawford. In other words, another gimme with an inflated resume, filled with obscure opposition like his opponent he fought tonight in Ashie.
“He wanted to come to say ‘hi’ to two legends, me and Hopkins, and just showed him some love, Terence Crawford, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” said Oscar De La Hoya to Fight Hub TV.
“We’re looking forward to furthering our discussions. So maybe we can make a Rocha vs. Crawford fight. We can deliver whatever fights he wants. He’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world now.
“He’s the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. It’s a matter of strategizing and sitting down with him again. I have a good feeling that he liked what he heard today with me and Hopkins.
“Yeah, we can get him and Rocha, him and Vergil, and we can even get him & Errol Spence. So this is the way we work with other promoters. We want to make things happen. We want to make 2023 the biggest year for boxing.
“I’m going after everybody. I’m back, baby. I’m back. I wouldn’t mind watching Terence with Rocha. That’s the fight, and then we have Vergil; then why not sit down with PBC and finally figure out Spence.
“ESPN highlight reel, Sports Center, against a tough kid, tough kid. He came to fight,” said De La Hoya about 38-year-old light welterweight George Ashie, who lost to the much bigger, stronger & younger hulking 147-lb Alexis Rocha stopped in the seventh round on Saturday night.
“He actually reminded me of Ike Cortey, his style. I was getting flashbacks, good counter-punch.
“I think that fight happens, Rocha vs. Crawford, and then Crawford against Vergil, and then we go after Spence, whatever it is. I have to sit down with Crawford again and figure out a game plan. We have some good fights lined up for him,” said De La Hoya.