Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez has given challenger Jaime Munguia nothing but respect in the lead-up to their May 4 clash.
But there was plenty of vitriol between the Mexican superstar and his former promoter Oscar De La Hoya at the final pre-bout press conference Wednesday.
WATCH: Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia, live on DAZN
Canelo (60-2-2, 39 KOs) spent most of his professional career under the Golden Boy Promotions banner, transitioning from a bright young prospect to boxing’s biggest attraction. But after becoming a multi-weight world champion, Canelo parted ways with De La Hoya’s company in 2020 and aligned himself with both Matchroom Boxing and the PBC.
It was a messy split, and the subsequent years have done nothing to quell the angst between fighter and former promoter.
“I have nothing but respect for Canelo Alvarez as a fighter; his record and abilities speak for themselves,” De La Hoya told the assembled media in Las Vegas. “But he has spent much of the last two months insulting me rather than promoting this fight. Yes, I’ve faced a lot of challenges in my life. Yes, I’ve been to rehab several times. And yes there were times when work was not my priority based on my mental health, which I neglected for so long.
“But that doesn’t change the fact that Golden Boy built Canelo Alvarez – period. The company you fought under for decades has always had one name and it’s mine… so put some f—ng respect on it.”
Canelo does not take infringements lightly. When former opponent Caleb Plant got testy at a head-to-head in 2021, the Mexican star slapped Plant across the face.
Following De La Hoya’s verbal attack, Canelo was openly furious.
“Don’t you talk to me like that,” the champion said. “Don’t you f—n’ talk to me like that!”
A riled up Canelo continued to hurl insults in Spanish, while De La Hoya cast up a pair of drug tests that Canelo failed before the original 2018 date for the Gennadiy Golovkin rematch.
Canelo countered by accusing De La Hoya of stealing money from his fighters and the language continued to worsen.
“He tried to steal money and he’s a f—ng asshole,” Canelo raged. “He tried to keep the attention for him, not for Munguia. F—ng p—y! Mother f—r!”
Was this a personal attack by De La Hoya, or is the Hall of Famer attempting to take Canelo out of his game? Either way, the bad blood is real.
How did the Canelo-De La Hoya beef start?
There was open disdain between De La Hoya and Canelo immediately after the Mexican’s 2019 decision win over Danny Jacobs.
It’s understood that DAZN, via conversations with Golden Boy, expected a trilogy fight with Gennadiy Golovkin immediately after the Jacobs victory. However, Canelo had not agreed and would ultimately take on Sergey Kovalev instead.
“Both Canelo and DAZN have issues with Golden Boy. Canelo is saying, ‘It sounds like you made a representation to DAZN that I was going to do things that are not in my contract with you — and I’m not required to do them,'” a source told ESPN at the time. “DAZN, on the other hand, is saying to Golden Boy, ‘You had represented to us you had secured Canelo’s approval and agreement to do these things — and you didn’t.'”
Ultimately, this led to a very messy split in 2020, and there has been ill feeling ever since then.
