De La Hoya, known as "The Golden Boy," hung up his gloves in 2008 after a loss to Manny Pacquiao. His career started with a bang, grabbing Olympic gold in Barcelona in 1992. He then turned pro and racked up world titles in six weight divisions, beating big names like Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, Arturo Gatti, Hector Camacho, and Ike Quartey along the way.
After retiring, De La Hoya focused on his promotion company, Golden Boy Promotions, which he started in 2002. He's worked with top fighters like Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins, and Errol Spence.
De La Hoya and Canelo have a complicated history. Golden Boy promoted the Mexican star from 2010 to 2020, but things went south. They had a falling out and parted ways, with Canelo moving on to work with Premier Boxing Champions and Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing.
Now, De La Hoya says he's ready to settle things in the ring. When asked about a potential comeback opponent, he didn't mince words:
"Hands down, Canelo."
It's a bold call from the 51-year-old De La Hoya. Canelo, at 34, is in his prime and holds all the belts at super-middleweight. The Guadalajara native is gearing up for a big title defense against Terence 'Bud' Crawford on September 13.
De La Hoya's challenge comes out of left field, given the age gap and their rocky past. But in boxing, you can never say never. Will this dream match-up ever happen? Only time will tell.