“The world fell in love with my story. But it was a lie,” Oscar De La Hoya.
The forthcoming two-part HBO documentary on Oscar De La Hoya will premiere on July 24, and judging by the trailer that has just dropped, the new documentary is fantastic, as well as sensational. De La Hoya, one of the most famous fighters in modern day history and an absolute superstar of the highest magnitude in his fighting prime, really was sensational in every sense of the word.
De La Hoya, a crossover superstar, was sensational in the ring and he was the S word outside of it. De La Hoya’s face was emblazoned across all the magazines, his handsome visage was readily welcomed into the homes of millions of adoring fans across the globe, De La Hoya especially appealing to women. But De La Hoya could never live up to his “Golden Boy” monicker and he knew it all too well. And this, the now long since retired, we hope at peace 49 year old, talks candidly about in the new release, entitled “The Golden Boy” (what else!)
Featuring rarely seen footage, interviews with people from Oscar’s inner circle, and delving into all manner of subjects, with apparently nothing off limits, the two-parter looks to be as glitzy, as fascinating and, yes, as sensational as can be. Also, the time De La Hoya spent in confronting his inner demons for the purpose of the film we will have the privilege of watching will hopefully prove cathartic for De La Hoya.
De La Hoya, who says in the documentary that he was “A 24-year old making 20 million a fight,” also admits he has “never told anyone the real story.” He does so, it seems, in the new film. Fighting for the wishes of both a strict father (“you’re gonna take us out of this lifestyle”) and a mother who was dying from cancer and wanted to see her son win the Olympic gold medal, De La Hoya was, as he says tearfully, “under a lot of pressure.”
Pressure no young man could possibly deal with, this while carving out an image that could never be lived up to. But De La Hoya won the gold medal, he won a handful of world titles (or an armful) and for a while he maintained his fake image and reputation. De La Hoya knew, however…… “Truth always comes out, and I knew it would come back to haunt me.”
As these words are spoken by De La Hoya, an image of him wearing female lingerie flashes across the screen. De La Hoya was much-mocked and much-ridiculed when the lurid photos came out, yet the former fighter showed genuine bravery by admitting to their realness, in coming out with the truth (stitched up as he was by would be extortioners).
“Money changes everything,” De La Hoya also says in the documentary. And his dream “became a nightmare.” The forthcoming two-parter could be a tough-to-watch, yet also unmissable piece of work.
“Who in the f**k am I?” De La Hoya asks. Maybe we will find out come July 24.
