Oscar De La Hoya talks comeback, plans for Ryan Garcia, and belief he will promote Canelo Alvarez again

Oscar De La Hoya came on the Ak and Barak SiriusXM radio show, and was asked what he thought about ex-Golden Boy client Canelo Alvarez saying he thinks Eddie Hearn is the best boxing promoter out there.

You think he took the opportunity to take a pot-shot at Alvarez?

Ak threw Oscar a softball, which he could have pictured as Canelo and taken a hard swing. But De La Hoya — who in the second half of 2020 was engaged in some rugged beefs with Canelo — let the pitch go right by.

“Good for him, I’m glad that he appreciates (Hearn), it makes me happy that they’re going to be working long term and I’m sure they have a deal together,” Oscar said. “It’s good news for everybody, because as long as Canelo fights the whole boxing world wins. I think he’s doing a good job, I think that Canelo right now is on top of the world and good for him. I wish him all the best. Let’s move on because like I said, when Canelo fights, everybody wins.”

I had to rewind the tape and listen again; the absence of enmity was conspicuous, because to be sure, the long-term relationship between Canelo and De La Hoya really went hard off the rails.

Barak kept at the topic. Oscar said that he’s been promoting for 20 years, with the A-graders like Floyd Mayweather and such, and he’s had only one fighter who wasn’t unhappy.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be working with him once again,” he said of Canelo. “I have no doubt whatsoever. People always think the grass is greener on the other side. We’ll see.”

Straight up, that’s as about as mature as you can get, with Oscar basically saying, “Hey, it’s business.” Also, it’s smart to put ego and feelings aside and not burn a bridge, because there’s money on the other side.

With regards to recent renewed drama with Golden Boy and Ryan Garcia. Oscar said it was much ado about little. That talk about a Manny Pacquiao vs Ryan Garcia fight was basically just chatter, he said.

“I need for Ryan up top of the boxing world, I need him to be calling the shots.”

It’s hard, he says, when Ryan calls out Gervonta “Tank” Davis, someone who is a heavy A-side and has so much leverage.

Oscar said he just sat down with Ryan’s management and is amped to lay out to him a three-fight “global tour,” like what Muhammad Ali used to do.

“Ryan Garcia literally has the world in the palm of his hands,” he continued. “Ryan just has to let us do our job, that’s it.”

And what about Oscar making an in-ring comeback? Was he maybe going to fight on a Triller card, as Teofimo Lopez recently claimed?

He said he’s “very good friends with Ryan Kavanaugh,” and he believes Triller is going to keep excelling. He likes the way they mix in live music as part of the package. “I think (Kavanaugh) is on the verge of changing the game,” he said.

Oscar said he did indeed touch base with Teofimo Lopez, who is fighting under the Triller umbrella next against George Kambosos Jr. He said he gave Teofimo tips on how to proceed in business, but made clear he didn’t interfere in his promotional matters, because he’s still contracted to Top Rank.

Regarding other Golden Boy talent, Oscar said he should know ASAP when Jaime Munguia will fight and against against whom.

“At 160 he feels comfortable,” he said, and he thinks he’s a throwback sort who fears no one. “I wouldn’t mind throwing him in with the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin.”

De La Hoya finished up with some focus on his plans for fighting. He turned 48 in February, but he reported to the hosts that he’s been training again, and it’s going well.

“I’ve been in the gym for the last two months, I sparred for the first time the other day, and I didn’t know I was that good. I actually surprised myself, I didn’t know I was that fast! I’m at 175 right now, I want to get to 165, 164, see where my speed’s at,” he said.

He thinks his power is present, but he needs to know how his speed and timing are. He wants as an opponent in a real fight, someone just under 160 pounds who “can hit like a mule and is slow as hell. That’s basically everybody out there!”