Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya has publicly addressed his former rival Floyd Mayweather, urging him to reconsider his recent career choices. The Golden Boy, as De La Hoya is affectionately known, took to social media to express his concerns about Mayweather’s participation in exhibition bouts.
Mayweather, now 50 years old, has been engaging in a series of exhibition matches since his retirement from professional boxing. His most recent encounter was a rematch with John Gotti III, which went the full eight rounds without an official score. This followed a string of similar events featuring opponents such as Logan Paul, Aaron Chalmers, and Japanese combat sports stars Mikuru Asakura and Tenshin Nasukawa.
De La Hoya, speaking candidly on Instagram, highlighted an incident during the Gotti rematch where Mayweather allegedly had the referee replaced mid-bout. “Floyd is used to having the refs do whatever he wants and he wasn’t getting his way this time,” De La Hoya stated, describing the situation as “embarrassing.”
The former champion didn’t mince words in his appeal to Mayweather. “You’re a legend in this sport. I’ve stood up for you in countless interviews, including Shannon Sharpe’s podcast last week. But you have to stop this with these exhibitions,” De La Hoya implored. He emphasized the importance of preserving Mayweather’s legacy, suggesting that these recent activities might tarnish the public’s memory of his illustrious career.
This is especially ironic considering De La Hoya recently went on a spree during which he said 7 out of 10 men secretly wear women’s clothes, had to address claims he got abs by way of plastic surgery and he had his NSFW dancing video taken down by social media.
The clip, featuring Holly in a pink bikini and De La Hoya in skimpy attire, quickly went viral, amassing thousands of comments before being removed by Instagram, which De La Hoya attributed to “haters.”
Adding to Mayweather’s woes, De La Hoya mentioned ongoing legal troubles involving a Miami jeweler who has filed a lawsuit against the boxer for alleged unpaid items from 2021. This situation has led to speculation about Mayweather potentially having to liquidate assets.
Despite the critical tone, De La Hoya insists his message comes from a place of concern and support. “I’m rooting for you, come on, let’s turn it around,” he concluded, offering a hopeful note for his former rival’s future.
As the boxing world watches this unexpected exchange between two of its biggest stars, many are left wondering about the future of exhibition matches and the delicate balance between maintaining a legacy and pursuing post-retirement endeavors in the sport.
