Oscar De La Hoya Sounds Off On Dana White’s Boxing Ambitions and Canelo vs. Crawford originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Oscar De La Hoya is never one to shy away from controversy, whether inside the ring or behind the promoter’s desk. The boxing legend has built a reputation for speaking his mind, often igniting fiery debates in the combat sports world. From calling out questionable matchups to challenging the legitimacy of rival promoters, De La Hoya’s bold takes keep him in the headlines.
On Thursday, June 12, the boxing legend and promoter took to Instagram for his “Clapback Thursday” segment, delivering a scathing critique of the upcoming Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford superfight and UFC CEO Dana White’s sudden foray into boxing promotion.
“The Golden Boy” questioned the legitimacy of the matchup, Crawford’s chances against Canelo, and White’s qualifications as a boxing promoter.
One of De La Hoya’s biggest criticisms is the size difference between Crawford, a natural welterweight moving up two divisions, and Canelo, a seasoned super middleweight.
“The biggest fight of the decade … to a purist and a fighter, it’s laughable,” De La Hoya ranted. “You have Crawford jumping up two weight classes to fight Canelo, a natural light-heavyweight. Crawford, who went life-and-death with [Israil] Madrimov. What do you think Canelo will do with him? Run him out of the ring.”
De La Hoya saved some of his harshest words for Dana White, who was initially announced as a co-promoter for Canelo-Crawford before reports surfaced that Saudi Arabia’s SELA had taken over.
The boxing veteran did not hold back, saying, “You know what’s laughable also? Dana White being named the promoter of this fight, considering he’s never been in the boxing space, has no stable of boxers, he didn’t negotiate sh—.”
De La Hoya doubled down, claiming White was “handed this fight on a silver platter, and called ‘promoter’. He is the trust fund baby of boxing.”
This jab references White’s partnership with Saudi power broker Turki Alalshikh, whose deep pockets have fast-tracked UFC’s parent company, TKO, into boxing.
This isn’t the first time De La Hoya has criticized White’s promotional tactics. Last month, he went on a similar tirade that White’s UFC model wouldn’t translate to boxing due to the relatively low salaries his MMA fighters get compared to boxers.
De La Hoya’s rant isn’t just about one fight—it’s part of a larger debate about boxing’s future.
With White, Alalshikh, and traditional promoters like De La Hoya and Hearn clashing, boxing’s power structure is in flux. The sport is in limbo, and time will tell if the boxing world will embrace the UFC’s centralized model or if the old guard prevails.
Related: Oscar De La Hoya Rips UFC and Dana White’s Boxing Plans ‘No Fighters Will Work for Pennies’
Related: Dana White’s Boxing Ambitions Take a Hit as Saudis Control Canelo-Crawford Superfight
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.