By Jake Donovan
Oscar de la Hoya was invited as a special guest on Wednesday’s edition of ESPN2’s “First Take”, a sports talk segment hosted by Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman. Such appearances are common during the week of big fights, and the platform at least allowed the Hall of Fame former six-division titlist and founder of Golden Boy Promotions to discuss the event.
It just wasn’t as much as he’d have liked, given the topic that dominated the five-minute interview-turned-grill session.
Instead, he was forced to once again explain why his company’s biggest star, reigning 154 lb. titlist and lineal middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has allowed all of 2016 to go by without honoring his public guarantee of securing a superfight with unbeaten, unified middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin.
Smith and Kellerman – both of whom have been openly critical of de la Hoya the promoter not living up to de la Hoya the boxer – wondered aloud whether or not Alvarez is having second thoughts about such a fight, or even his willingness to campaign at middleweight. The 26-year old superstar from Guadalajara, Mexico spent 2016 fighting Amir Khan at a 155 lb. catchweight and squeezing down to 154 lb. in a 9th round title-lifting stoppage of Liam Smith in September.
The point was raised that de la Hoya spent the bulk of his prime taking on the best competition in the majority of divisions in which he campaigned. Included among the lot was his taking on then-World middleweight champion Hopkins despite de la Hoya being well beyond his best fighting weight (although the bout took place at a maximum limit of 157 lb., a fact lost on Kellerman when claiming de la Hoya never demanded catchweights unlike Alvarez).
With that came the questions of whether Alvarez truly aspires to be great or if he’s content with just being among the sport’s most popular figures today.
“No reluctancy whatsoever,” de la Hoya insisted during the show. “When I fought (the best) guys I was 25-26 years old (de la Hoya was actually 32 when he faced – and was stopped in nine rounds by – Hopkins in their Sept. ’04 clash). “Canelo is now 26 years old and ready to face those guys.
“However, he can’t just go to up to 160 and fight the best. He will move up to the weight, fight at that weight (in his next fight) and then in September face GGG. (Golovkin) just has to sign the contract… this fight must happen for the public in 2017.”
Getting properly acclimated to a new weight class is understandable, as Alvarez only weighed 155 lb. when he wrested the World middleweight crown from Miguel Cotto in their superfight last November. Still, there was the issue of his calling Golovkin into the ring following his highlight-reel 6th round knockout of Khan in May, insisting the fight would take place next but instead calling an audible in taking on England’s Smith in September.
By his own admission, de la Hoya would’ve handled the post-fight situation different had he known of Alvarez’ plan at that moment.
“That was out of my hands,” de la Hoya insisted. “Fighters are weird. That's the bottom line. It was out of my hands.”
What he claims full ownership of, is the assurance that his superstar will take on Golovkin as promised by September ’17, providing the unbeaten boxer from Khazakstan gets past mandatory challenger Daniel Jacobs in a bout that’s due for a December 19 purse bid hearing.
“I can say this in the court of law and this is the truth, in 2017 we want this fight to happen,” promised de la Hoya. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez wants it, we want it. We're offering Golovkin an incredible contract. Hopefully he takes it.
“Canelo truly is a 154 pounder. He can make the weight no problem. We made a promise in 2017 that he will move up to 160 and fight all of the champions, including GGG. I guarantee it and will put my promoter's license on the line.”
Twitter: @JakeNDaBox_v2
