Oscar De La Hoya’s Legal Challenge to Canelo Alvarez

In a dramatic twist in the boxing world, Oscar De La Hoya has initiated legal action against his former protégé, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, following Alvarez’s incendiary remarks at a recent news conference. The confrontation has sparked widespread media attention, highlighting a brewing conflict between the former allies.

Clash at the Conference

During an explosive session with the press, Alvarez accused De La Hoya of attempting to pilfer from him, a statement that did not go unnoticed. “He said this outrageous lie not once, but several times – both in English and Spanish – and it has now been re-published to millions around the world,” stated Ricardo Cestero, De La Hoya’s lawyer, in a letter sent to Alvarez’s legal team.

De La Hoya, who was promoting Alvarez’s upcoming super middleweight title defence, responded at the event by publicly demanding respect from Alvarez, reflecting on their previously successful decade-long collaboration that catapulted Alvarez to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.

Legal Repercussions and Historical Context

The allegations made by Alvarez are not just grave but come with substantial legal implications. “It’s defamatory… to accuse someone of a crime [and] to make false statements specifically designed to injure someone’s business. Canelo did both of those things [Wednesday],” Cestero elaborated.

This legal strife comes after their professional split in 2020, a separation that followed Alvarez suing De La Hoya for breach of contract among other claims. Since then, Alvarez has been under the banners of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions, marking a new chapter away from De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.

Disputed Claims and Financial Discrepancies

The crux of the dispute lies in Alvarez’s assertions regarding financial misconduct by De La Hoya. “In fact, Golden Boy has paid Canelo every penny he was entitled to receive from his fights … and then some. And Canelo knows it. … It was Oscar and Golden Boy who established Canelo’s current market value with the groundbreaking deals they negotiated for him,” Cestero defended.

Despite Alvarez’s towering fight purses, which have reportedly exceeded $35 million, his performance post-Golden Boy has seen a plateau, with a notable loss to Dmitry Bivol and less-than-stellar outcomes in subsequent fights. These career stumbles have added fuel to the fiery allegations against De La Hoya.

Cease-and-Desist: A Final Warning

The cease-and-desist letter from De La Hoya’s camp underscores a final warning to Alvarez to halt his damaging statements. “Obviously, Canelo harbours great animosity and ill will toward Oscar [repeatedly referring to him as a ‘f****** a******’ and even stooping to using a derogatory gay slur]… But Canelo also knows full well that neither Oscar nor Golden Boy never stole anything from him or anyone else,” Cestero expressed forcefully.

As tensions simmer, the boxing community watches closely, awaiting Alvarez’s response or possible retraction of his allegations. De La Hoya’s legal team remains poised to escalate their defensive stance to protect their reputation and financial interests.

In a saga where the lines between personal vendetta and professional integrity blur, the outcome of this legal battle will not only redefine the relationship between a famed fighter and his former promoter but also set a precedent in the combat sports industry.