The fallout from Terence Crawford’s historic win over Canelo Álvarez continues to reverberate through boxing, and former promoter Oscar De La Hoya made sure his voice was heard. Crawford. Who jumped up three weight classes to dethrone Álvarez in Las Vegas. Put on what many called a near-flawless display of speed, defense, and ring IQ in a lopsided unanimous decision.
Oscar De La Hoya, who guided Canelo for much of his career, said the outcome didn’t surprise him at all.
“I predicted the Canelo-Crawford fight like a god*mn fortune teller,” he posted on Instagram. “Canelo’s feet were cemented on the canvas and he was hitting air. What the fck was that? Props to Crawford. He just played with Canelo. Made him look silly. And before you start with your sh*t about Canelo being old, just know that Crawford is older!”
Questioning Canelo’s Legacy
Beyond praising Crawford, De La Hoya used the moment to question Álvarez’s career résumé. He argued that Canelo’s greatness has been overstated, pointing to losses against Floyd Mayweather, Dmitry Bivol, and Crawford as evidence that he has faltered against the best.
“Look, I promoted Canelo his entire career and it was a huge flub,” De La Hoya said. “The only real fighters he’s faced were Mayweather, Bivol and Crawford and they all toyed with him. Even Mayweather knew Crawford was going to school him. He put $50,000 on Crawford to win.”
His criticism also reflects the lingering bitterness from Canelo’s contentious split with Golden Boy Promotions, which ended in lawsuits and harsh words on both sides.
Shots Fired at Dana White
Oscar De La Hoya didn’t stop at Canelo. He also took aim at UFC CEO Dana White, who co-promoted the fight under the Zuffa Boxing banner. At the pre-fight press conference, White insulted a reporter who pressed him about TKO Group Holdings’ position on the Muhammad Ali Revival Act legislation aimed at extending fighter protections from boxing into MMA.
“Dana White didn’t have his best week,” De La Hoya said. “His t-shirt shrank smaller every minute, especially when he was questioned about amending the Muhammad Ali Act. So you’re saying this reporter’s an asshole because he’s asking a legitimate question? That’s because the Muhammad Ali Act protects fighters and TKO needs it to change so they can f*ck fighters over.”
De La Hoya’s Victory Lap
For De La Hoya, Crawford’s win provided a platform to both validate his long-standing skepticism of Canelo and jab at White’s new role in boxing promotion. Whether fair or not, De La Hoya is relishing what he sees as vindication, calling himself the “fortune teller” who predicted the sport’s latest seismic shift.
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
