Oscar De La Hoya apparently has limited patience for “influencer boxing,” even the kind promulgated by one of his most important business connections.
The Golden Boy Promotions head took aim at boxing’s recent spate of crossover boxing cards featuring inexperienced social media stars (YouTubers, Tiktokers, et al.) gloving up against each other in sanctioned bouts.
The latest permutation of this combat sports phenomenon—which is, in one sense, an offshoot of a much longer tradition of celebrity boxing—saw British influencer KSI take on FaZe Temperrr last Saturday at Wembley Arena in London. KSI knocked out Temperrr in the opening round.
Critics have derided the sloppy nature of crossover fights and potentially dangerous ramifications they may have on its participants, while supporters continually point out that influencers are expanding an ailing sport’s typical demographic base to a younger generation.
Soon after the card ended, De La Hoya made it clear he belonged in the critics’ camp.
“Can we just go back to real boxing soon?” De La Hoya tweeted.
De La Hoya’s remark was also notable because KSI-FaZe Temperrr was streamed on DAZN, the sports subscription streaming service with which De La Hoya’s Golden Boy has an extensive content deal. Along with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy is responsible for filling up DAZN’s calendar of pro boxing.
By criticizing Saturday’s KSI card, De La Hoya seemed to be departing from typical corporate code of conduct by taking a veiled shot at arguably his most important business partner.
De La Hoya, moreover, promotes one of DAZN’s most important commodities in Ryan Garcia. The lightweight star is expected to take on Gervonta Davis in the spring. The fighters announced late last year that they had agreed to all terms.
But De La Hoya cast some doubt on the feasibility of that fight by tweeting early Sunday morning that he had not received a contract from Davis' team and that he would be “moving on” if he did not receive one by Monday.