Super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga turned the final pre-bout press conference into a viral sideshow when he threw lingerie at boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya reigniting a personal feud that has simmered beneath the surface for months.
The chaotic exchange unfolded ahead of Berlanga’s July 12 bout with Hamzah Sheeraz at Louis Armstrong Stadium. But instead of focusing on the upcoming bout Berlanga used the press conference to theatrically taunt the Golden Boy founder.
As Berlanga reached into a bag De La Hoya smirked asking
“Is that a Louis?”
“Yeah for you”
Berlanga shot back—before launching what appeared to be women’s underwear toward the boxing legend.
Then came the money—literally. Berlanga flung cash in De La Hoya’s direction repeatedly calling him a “dancer” in a not-so-subtle jab at De La Hoya’s past scandals particularly his history with cross-dressing photos that resurfaced during his 2024 documentary *The Golden Boy*. In it De La Hoya admitted the infamous images in fishnets and heels were real and claimed:
“I bet if I asked 30 people here, 20 of them say, yeah, I’ve worn something from a woman. In closed doors. That’s what happens. Mine just came out publicly.””
referring to men secretly wearing women’s clothes.
De La Hoya visibly irritated by Berlanga’s provocations responded by questioning Berlanga’s Puerto Rican identity.
“This guy’s not even Puerto Rican. I’ve been asking you for your Puerto Rican passport. Where is it at? I’m more Puerto Rican than you”
he barked escalating the verbal warfare.
Not to be outdone Berlanga fired back mocking De La Hoya’s jewelry as “fake” and doubling down on his disrespect. De La Hoya countered by pointing out Berlanga’s lack of a world title a dig that stung as both men exchanged barbs in front of a stunned crowd.
Security was eventually forced to step in as the verbal exchange threatened to spill into something more physical. Moderators made repeated attempts to calm the situation but the damage was already done—the headlines were written and the spectacle had taken on a life of its own.
Ring Magazine captured the moment and posted it with the caption:
“This press conference was wild”
a statement few would dispute.
The moment wasn’t just about spectacle—it was pointed referencing De La Hoya’s own confessions from *The Golden Boy* where he said of the crossdressing scandal:
“I’m glad I said they were real because it set me free… I bet if I asked 30 people here 20 of them say yeah I’ve worn something from a woman. In closed doors. That’s what happens. Mine just came out publicly.”
Berlanga clearly didn’t forget.
With the bout against Sheeraz just days away the focus remains split between what happens in the ring and what just happened on the stage. While theatrical antics are nothing new in boxing Berlanga’s use of props and pointed ridicule marks a new level of promotional warfare—one deeply personal and laser-focused.
Whether this distraction helps or hurts Berlanga in the ring remains to be seen but it’s clear he’s made his presence known—and then some.
