Although he is a retired fighter and now a promoter, the head of Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, seems to keep on getting into a beef with active fighters. We all know Oscar doesn’t get on with Canelo Alvarez, which is putting it mildly. And now, as a result of the months-long beef he has had with Edgar Berlanga, De La Hoya has laid out a challenge to the Puerto Rican 168-pounder.
Berlanga Challenge: De La Hoya’s Threat
Ahead of his July 12 fight with British warrior Hamzah Sheeraz, De La Hoya issued a challenge/borderline threat to Berlanga.
“Edgar Berlanga, I have a huge surprise for you on July 12,” De La Hoya said in a short video release, as he was lighting up a cigar. “I’m going for [William] Zepeda. But you know what? I cannot wait to see you. You say you’re going to slap me? I dare you!”
Now, is Berlanga gung-ho enough, and wild enough to defy De La Hoya and actually make good on the threat he made around a year ago, with Oscar clearly remembering the threat/insult? Who knows. But this kind of spice sure adds more drama and hype to the Berlanga-Sheeraz fight.
To some, the upcoming 168-pound fight is around a 50/50 affair, and both men have swapped insults ahead of the fight in New York. Now, De La Hoya, who surely knows how to promote a fight, has added more zip to the July 12 clash.
Berlanga Slap: Will He Do It?
How would De La Hoya react if Berlanga, AKA “The Chosen One,” did have the sheer nerve to give him a slap across the face? Maybe we will find out!
For the record, Berlanga is currently 23-1(18), and he is one winning fight removed from his September 2024 decision loss to Canelo. Sheeraz, currently 21-0-1(17), last fought in February, when he boxed to a draw with Carlos Adames in a WBC middleweight title challenge.