Beverly Hills, Calif. – Canelo Alvarez might be bypassing the opponent that most fervent fight fans want for him on Cinco de Mayo weekend, but he certainly embraced the widespread interest in the ongoing rivalry with his former promoter, Oscar De La Hoya.
During his opening comments onstage Tuesday at the Beverly Hills Hotel, undisputed super-middleweight champion Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) credited many associated with the making of his May 4 Amazon Prime Video pay-per-view fight against his countryman, former super-lightweight champion Jaime Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs).
He thanked Premier Boxing Champions head Al Haymon, Munguia, and even the challenger’s Mexican promoter, Fernando Beltran.
Left off the list was De La Hoya, who later had to explain to a reporter that he was involved in negotiations all the way until they reached “the finish line.”
When it was clear onstage that Alvarez was going to disregard De La Hoya, the Hall of Fame fighter jokingly made a pained facial expression and pursed his mouth in a kissing shape as if he was consoling himself for being dissed by a fighter who was once his most loyal athlete.
More than a decade ago, Alvarez remained in the Golden Boy Promotions stable during the turbulence when De La Hoya struggled with addiction and powerful manager Haymon recruited a slew of his then-Golden Boy fighters to the newly formed PBC, including future heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo, his middleweight-champion twin, Jermall Charlo, and four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz.
Following a lucrative doubleheader of bouts with Gennadiy Golovkin and an 11-fight deal with streaming service DAZN, Alvarez and Golden Boy split as the DAZN arrangement fractured and Alvarez grew weary of De La Hoya’s erratic behavior that included another rehab stint during a fight week and a fake presidential run.
The formerly tight bond between promoter-mentor and fighter collapsed.
The pair haven’t worked together since, and De La Hoya Tuesday jabbed Alvarez for bypassing unbeaten former super-middleweight champion David Benavidez in favor of Munguia … and a De La Hoya reunion.
When a reporter mentioned a reported comment by Mike Tyson suggesting Alvarez lacks heart and is afraid to lose to Benavidez, who is now headed to a June 15 date with former light-heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, De La Hoya responded, “Whatever Mike Tyson says, you believe him.”
Why does De La Hoya believe Alvarez has chosen Munguia instead?
“You would have to ask [Alvarez] that question. When he said he wouldn’t fight a Mexican [like Benavidez], that was mind-boggling,” De La Hoya said. “Fighters don’t have nationalities. A fighter is a fighter. All we know is we got this fight made.
“And, checkmate.”
Being connected to this card pitting two prominent contenders that were guided from prospects to world champions under De La Hoya’s watch seems like a crowning moment for the promoter.
Yet, De La Hoya was more concerned with the potential crowning of Munguia.
“This is all about the fighters. We feel we’ve done our job. And now it’s [Munguia’s] turn inside the ring,” De La Hoya said.
The promoter who once advised Alvarez on fight strategy is now plotting his downfall.
“There’s a lot of little tricks in the book that obviously I have, and I’m going to help Munguia win,” De La Hoya said. “Munguia’s with Golden Boy, and we’re going to do everything within our power to make sure Munguia wins.”
Munguia, 27, is banking on his continued development under famed trainer Freddie Roach, who cornered Munguia’s January knockout in Arizona of England’s John Ryder, whom Alvarez went all 12 rounds with in May in his Mexico homecoming fight.
De La Hoya beamed when asked about a rumor that he would be banned from participating in the news conference because it was a PBC event and because of his continued “beef” with Alvarez.
“There’s no squashing of the beef over anything,” De La Hoya said. “I haven’t talked to him. I haven’t dealt with him. Nobody’s keeping me away from any boxing business. We’re always front and center with everything. We’ve proven that over the years.
“I’m here. I’m alive. I’m well. And people are nervous. People are scared.”
Of course, by “people,” he means Alvarez.
“You can’t keep the Golden Boy away,” De La Hoya said. “That’s for sure.”