Oscar De La Hoya has come to his senses. Sort of. The 48 year old is still going ahead with his return to the ring against Vitor Belfort, and De La Hoya recently told the media they can “call me crazy, but I miss getting hit!” – but he has stopped calling out Canelo Alvarez. De La Hoya said a while back, perhaps more than once, how he would certainly be open to a fight with the superstar, at his peak fighter he used to be good friends with. (Photo credit: Triller Fight Club)
Fans everywhere shuddered at the thought of 31 year old Canelo getting in the ring with 48 year old De La Hoya. But now, thankfully, Oscar (who in his prime would have beaten Canelo) has moved on. Speaking again with Fight Hype, the former multi-weight champ said he will now call out both Felix Trinidad and Floyd Mayweather.
“I changed my mind,” De La Hoya said. “Not because he’ll knock me out. It’s just, I’ve thought it over and I’d actually rather call out, after I do two [initial comeback fights], Floyd Mayweather or Felix Trinidad.”
Floyd seems to have zero interest in taking a return fight with the man he closely decisioned in May 2007 “The World Awaits” mega fight; with 44 year old “Money” only interested in big, easy-money exhibition bouts these days (Floyd recently boasting how he is currently worth over $1.2 billion). As for Trinidad – who was recently enshrined in The Atlantic City Hall of Fame and looked to be pretty trim and in shape whilst attending, not too much over his fighting weight even – who knows if he would be interested in boxing a return fight with the man he controversially out-pointed back in September of 1999 down at welterweight?
Trinidad, like De La Hoya 48 years of age, has not fought since January of 2008, when he dropped a wide decision to a past his best Roy Jones Jr. But again, Trinidad does look to have kept himself in pretty good shape. If a Trinidad-De La Hoya II did happen, fans would certainly watch. That close, debatable (very debatable decision loss) still bugs Oscar, and for good reason. Maybe after all these years both legends would find the chance to put things right most appealing.
Let’s see how De La Hoya looks against the seriously determined Belfort before we assess any chance he might have of getting as far as that second aimed for comeback fight. I wonder if Floyd and/or “Tito” will be tuning into Triller on the evening of September 11?
The fact that this reporter says de la Hoya would have beat Canelo in his prime shows he don’t know about boxing. While Oscar is taller, canelo carries he’s weight much better and has moved up to beat fighters at 168 and 175. While Oscar couldn’t handle fighters at 160 because he didn’t have the power and couldn’t take the power.