By: Sean Crose
“I think it’s great that Canelo Alvarez is going back to his roots,” Oscar De La Hoya says in a current Fight Hub video. “I think it’s special. I think it’s a great thing.” While he could seem pleased that former protégé Canelo will probably be preventing a homecoming bout in Mexico this spring, De La Hoya makes it clear within the video that he’s unimpressed with Canelo’s selection of opponent, John Ryder. “In terms of opposition,” says De La Hoya, “I’m not sure exactly what direction he wants to go.”
While there’s little question Hall of Famer De La Hoya is aware of Canelo fairly nicely, (having been Canelo’s promoter) he’s clearly unafraid of criticizing his former fighter. “It seems like he’s regressing inside the ring,” he says of Canelo, “he’s regressing in terms of picking opponents. He’s fighting all these British fighters, but it does nothing for his legacy. I don’t know whose fault that is.” While it’s true, Canelo has fought his share of Englishmen, corresponding to Amir Khan, Callum Smith, and Bill Joe Saunders, the longer term Hall of Famer has additionally lately battled the likes of Dmitry Bivol, Caleb Plant, and arch rival Gennady Golovkin respectively.
Still, De La Hoya signifies within the Fight Hub video that he feels Canelo can face extra high quality opposition. “I don’t want to mention anything,” he says, “but I think Canelo should really analyze carefully who he wants to fight next, whether it’s Bivol, whether it’s Mungia (who, by they way, De La Hoya happens to promote), but he has to step up and fight the tough opposition, the tough guys, the guys who are out there who can give him a fight. It’s not the John Ryders of the world.”
As for De La Hoya himself, the person has his palms full for the time being selling what is probably going the most important struggle in years – Gervonta Davis’ upcoming throwdown with De La Hoya’s personal fighter, Ryan Garcia. Indeed, Davis-Garcia represents one thing of a altering of the guard in boxing, as a brand new era readies itself to take the figurative wheel. Still, till confirmed in any other case, Canelo stays one of many largest names in all the struggle recreation.
For his personal half, De La Hoya was unquestionably a fighter who took on one problem after one other all through his profession contained in the ring. There’s a purpose why De La Hoya himself was one of many sport’s largest names for years. The query, in fact, is whether or not his criticism of Canelo is goal or based mostly on his personal falling out along with his former protégé.
