By Steve Kim
Oscar De La Hoya, the founder of Golden Boy Promotions, read with great interest as undefeated IBF welterweight champion, Errol Spence, stated that he really didn't need a traditional promoter handling his career.
Spence has received several offers, but told BoxingScene.com that he's not interested in signing with Eddie Hearn, Top Rank or De La Hoya.
Spence wants to continue being a free agent.
'The Golden Boy' reached out to BoxingScene.com to respond to Spence's comments.
"I have have response to him and to tell him that he's wrong," said De La Hoya, on Wednesday afternoon.
"I strongly believe that a fighter needs a promoter to guide your career. You can have a manager, you can have an adviser. He thinks Showtime is promoting him and that's not the case.
"You need a promoter to move you along and eventually become a pay-per-view fighter, which he will never be without a promoter."
Case in point, was Oscar's own legendary career which was mapped out by Bob Arum and Top Rank, who developed him into a pay-per-view franchise.
"Exactly and look, my case was totally different because I already had that world-wide platform when I won the gold medal. So it was easier to promote me," said De La Hoya, who captured the public's imagination at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain.
"But you're right, if I didn't have Arum to guide my career, who knows where I would be. Who knows where I would be if I had a manager/adviser guiding my career."
De La Hoya continued, "See, a promoter promotes you. A promoter has a plan, a long-term plan to eventually make you a pay-per-view star and look, there's a reason why there's one superstar in boxing - and that's (Saul) 'Canelo' Alvarez. There's a reason why there's only one fighter in boxing that sells pay-per-view - and that's 'Canelo' Alvarez.
"Therefore we have that vehicle, we have that platform to showcase with the pay-per-view audience. He might be a great fighter - and I'm talking about many fighters out there - but there's a reason why you're only making a couple of million dollars and not making 10, 15, 20 million dollars."
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com
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