Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya has been one of the biggest critics of the finalized fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC superstar Conor McGregor - who collide on August 26 in a boxing match that will feature two of the top-selling fighters in the world.
The two fighters both announced the fight Wednesday, after months of speculation about whether Mayweather would be lured back to the ring at the age of 40 to face a mixed martial arts fighter who has never had a pro boxing fight.
Mayweather, who retired in September 2015 after winning all 49 of his pro fights, will face the Irish UFC superstar at the T-Mobile arena on the Las Vegas Strip.
A few weeks ago, De La Hoya penned an open letter that asked boxing fans to unite in a widespread boycott against Mayweather-McGregor - which the former six division champion believes will damage the sport, possible beyond repair.
“It’s a circus show. The Ringling Brothers are coming to town. That’s the bottom line. Take a look at McGregor’s boxing record: it’s 0-0-0. That’s who Mayweather is. Obviously, the person who knows the fight game and anything about boxing or combat sports knows that Mayweather will never get the credit he thinks he deserves," De La Hoya told the Star Telegram.
De La Hoya admits that he did everything possible to secure September 16th, Mexican Independence Day weekend, at T-Mobile Arena - because he was warned that Mayweather-McGregor would go head to head with his upcoming pay-per-view blockbuster, which features Saul "Canelo" Alvarez facing IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight king Gennady "GGG" Golovkin, if the Golden Boy event was held in another state or venue.
“That story is true,” De La Hoya said. “It was important to Canelo to lock in that Sept. 16 date. That’s an important date to boxing, and Canelo did something that no other fighter since me has done — that’s move Mayweather out of that Sept. 16 date. Every (proposal) was sweet, and Jerry Jones is as good as they come when it comes landing the big event, but Canelo was adamant about securing that date.”