Promoter Oscar De La Hoya was incensed by the latest administrative fiat in boxing.
The head of Golden Boy Promotions lashed out at the International Boxing Federation, one of four major sanctioning bodies in the sport, for deciding to strip undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford of his IBF belt earlier this week.
The decision was rooted in the fact that Crawford, of Omaha, Nebraska, cannot fulfill his obligation to fight mandatory challenger Jaron Ennis of Philadelphia because of a contractual rematch he is owed to Errol Spence Jr., whom Crawford defeated in the summer by ninth-round stoppage. Ennis has now been elevated to the IBF’s full titlist.
Crawford retained his WBO belt with the win, while adding to his wares the WBA, WBC, and IBF belts owned by Spence. Crawford has now achieved undisputed status in two divisions, having achieved the feat the first time in the 140-pound division.
De La Hoya, who does not promote Crawford, nevertheless came in defense of the fighter in a recent social media post, while extolling the virtues of the ratings of The Ring Magazine, the longtime boxing magazine (which folded its print operations last year) that De La Hoya owns.
“What a pathetic decision from the IBF,” De La Hoya wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Terence Crawford is the Ring Magazine champion and recognized as the “MAN” Bunch of BULLS”
“The only ratings that matter,” De La Hoya wrote in a follow-up post. “Ring Magazine no corruption, no politics and no bulls.”
De La Hoya was briefly in talks with Crawford earlier this year when Crawford was exploring options for this next in the wake of failed negotiations with Spence Jr.
The two butted heads somewhat recently on the topic of the boxing business after it was announced that Showtime would be folding its entire sports department by the end of the year.
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.