Oscar De La Hoya Rejects Canelo’s Mexican Fighter Claim

The Hall of Famer said performances, championships and respect for Mexican boxing carry more weight than a fighter’s birthplace.

Oscar De La Hoya has disputed Canelo Alvarez’s view that Mexican American fighters face a disadvantage with fans in Mexico. Citing his own career and Ryan Garcia’s future, De La Hoya argued success in the ring ultimately determines who earns support on both sides of the border.

Canelo recently told Ariel Helwani that Ryan Garcia and David Benavidez are viewed differently because they were born in the United States rather than Mexico. De La Hoya disagreed, arguing that what happens inside the ring has far more influence than a fighter’s birthplace.

“No, it’s unfair to those guys, because look at what I did. I wasn’t born in Mexico. I was of Mexican descent just like Ryan Garcia. It wasn’t fair to say that because if you’re a great fighter inside the ring and you have respect for Mexico and the fighting style and the fighters and are born here in the U.S, you’re going to capture both markets. You’re going to capture the hearts of millions of people. That’s an incorrect statement to make,” said Oscar De La Hoya to Ariel Helwani.

De La Hoya points to his own career as evidence. Born in East Los Angeles to Mexican parents, he developed one of the sport’s largest fan bases in both the United States and Mexico. His popularity suggests that elite performances and a connection with boxing traditions can outweigh the country listed on a birth certificate.

De La Hoya also believes Ryan Garcia still has an opportunity to emerge as boxing’s biggest attraction, but only if he delivers in major fights and embraces the responsibility that comes with representing his heritage.

“Yeah, if he wants to. Absolutely. It’s all about performance in the ring. It’s all about winning world titles. It’s all about who he fights. And you obviously have to make the effort and speak the language. You have to care. So can he be the one? Absolutely. It’s up to him.”

The disagreement between De La Hoya and Canelo reflects two different views of what defines a star in the sport. Canelo believes being raised in Mexico gives fighters an advantage with those supporters. De La Hoya believes victories, championships, and a genuine connection with those supporters decide who earns that distinction.