Oscar De La Hoya apparently has restricted persistence for “influencer boxing,” even the sort promulgated by one in all his most necessary enterprise connections.
The Golden Boy Promotions head took intention at boxing’s latest spate of crossover boxing playing cards that includes inexperienced social media stars (YouTubers, Tiktokers, et al.) gloving up in opposition to one another in sanctioned bouts.
The most recent permutation of this fight sports activities phenomenon—which is, in a single sense, an offshoot of a for much longer custom of celeb boxing—noticed British influencer KSI tackle FaZe Temperrr final Saturday at Wembley Area in London. KSI knocked out Temperrr within the opening spherical.
Critics have derided the sloppy nature of crossover fights and probably harmful ramifications they might have on its individuals, whereas supporters regularly level out that influencers are increasing an ailing sport’s typical demographic base to a youthful era.
Quickly after the cardboard ended, De La Hoya made it clear he belonged within the critics’ camp.
“Can we simply return to actual boxing quickly?” De La Hoya tweeted.
De La Hoya’s comment was additionally notable as a result of KSI-FaZe Temperrr was streamed on DAZN, the sports activities subscription streaming service with which De La Hoya’s Golden Boy has an in depth content material deal. Together with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy is answerable for filling up DAZN’s calendar of professional boxing.
By criticizing Saturday’s KSI card, De La Hoya gave the impression to be departing from typical company code of conduct by taking a veiled shot at arguably his most necessary enterprise companion.
De La Hoya, furthermore, promotes one in all DAZN’s most necessary commodities in Ryan Garcia. The light-weight star is predicted to tackle Gervonta Davis within the spring. The fighters introduced late final yr that that they had agreed to all phrases.
However De La Hoya forged some doubt on the feasibility of that combat by tweeting early Sunday morning that he had not acquired a contract from Davis’ staff and that he could be “transferring on” if he didn’t obtain one by Monday.