Karmazin Still Wants De La Hoya

By Mark Vester

In a recent interview with The Press-Enterprise, IBF 154-pound champion Roman Karmazin said that he still wants to accomplish his dream of facing Oscar De La Hoya, but knows his chances of landing a bout against De La Hoya are next to impossible.

Several years ago a pay-per-view bout was actually going to happen between De La Hoya and Karmazin, but De La Hoya got injured and the bout was never rescheduled. Karmazin calls the De La Hoya bout his "lifelong dream."

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Saturday | Jan 31, 2026

On July 8, Karmazin faces former welterweight champion Cory Spinks and hopes a win will make him a bigger name among boxing fans and possibly put him in the running for a big money fight.

"Once I beat Spinks, any doubters that exist will no longer exist. I just want to show I'm the best," Karmazin said.

Shakur vs Teofimo, Why Winning as the Underdog Is a BIG Deal Paulie & Algieri Break Down BIG FIGHT

In this episode, Paulie Malignaggi and Chris Algieri break down why winning as the underdog in a fight like this is such a big deal — not just for rankings, but for momentum, perception, and long-term stardom.

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