Terence Crawford outclassed Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in a stunning display at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on September 13. The American's victory over the Mexican superstar has sent shockwaves through the boxing world, and former champion Oscar De La Hoya didn't hold back in his assessment of the fight.
De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo's former promoter, took to Instagram Live for his 'Thursday Clapback' segment to share his thoughts on the bout. The Golden Boy pulled no punches in his criticism of Alvarez's performance.
"It was like taking candy from a baby. He just toyed with Canelo, made him look like a fool... It looked like he was throwing punches in the air. What was that?"
De La Hoya claimed he had foreseen Canelo's struggles, stating, "I told you his feet would be stuck to the ground... and they were." He went on to downplay Alvarez's career achievements, arguing that Mayweather, Bivol, and now Crawford were the only top-tier boxers Canelo had faced, and "they all played with him."
In a particularly scathing remark, De La Hoya declared, "Canelo was always a failure," mocking his former fighter's abilities. On the flip side, he heaped praise on Crawford, noting, "He went up three divisions and had a beautiful fight," implying that Crawford had now surpassed Canelo in the boxing world.
De La Hoya didn't stop at critiquing Canelo. He also took aim at Dana White, who recently promoted his first boxing card in partnership with Netflix. The Golden Boy mocked White's appearance, saying, "Dana didn't have his best week, his shirt was shrinking every minute."
He questioned White's commitment to boxing, pointing out, "He showed up at the beginning of the event watching UFC on his phone. Will he regret leaving the UFC for a sport that doesn't want him?" De La Hoya also accused White of wanting to amend the Muhammad Ali Act for his company's benefit, stating, "TKO needs to change it so they can screw the fighters."
De La Hoya's comments come across as settling old scores, both with Canelo and with newcomers to boxing promotion. They highlight the ongoing tensions between established figures in the sport and those trying to break into the promotional side of boxing.
As the dust settles on Crawford's victory over Canelo, it's clear that the repercussions will be felt throughout the boxing world for some time to come. And if De La Hoya's reactions are anything to go by, the verbal sparring outside the ring might just be as intense as the action inside it.
