The beginning of Saul Canelo Alvarez‘s climb to the top began hand in hand with boxing legend and now successful promoter Oscar de la Hoya. Victories over Miguel Cotto, Gennady Golovkin, and Sergey Kovalev came with the Golden Boy at Alvarez’s side. However, in 2020 the breakup of the due was made official: what happened between De la Hoya and Canelo?
The Guadalajara native filed a lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions, a company owned by Oscar de la Hoya, and DAZN for breach of contract in 2020. He was seeking a severance payment or else break his employment relationship to become a free agent. The latter was what happened.
Canelo Alvarez has since established himself as the best boxer in the world thanks to feats such as becoming the first Undisputed Super middleweight Champion in history. Currently, the Mexican superstar has a fight against Dmitry Bivol on May 7, if he wins, he would become a two-time Light heavyweight World Champion.
The reason why Canelo Alvarez split away from Oscar de la Hoya
In an interview for La Opinión, the Golden Boy made it clear that his current relationship with Canelo Alvarez is not good, however, he believes there may be a reason for this and also a culprit for why this has happened.
“I put all the blame on his trainer Eddy Reynoso. I once criticized him in the media, saying he needed help to improve Canelo’s style: he needs to raise his hand and not lower his head when he throws his hook. I think that generated the tension because Eddy and Canelo are best friends, and what I say about Eddy is going to hurt Canelo,” stated De la Hoya.
Nevertheless, the five-division World Champion does not have bad blood against Canelo Alvarez, given that an ancient mastertaught him a key lesson to be a promoter: “This is just business. I learned this from Bob Arum who told me not to take anything personally because boxers are going to break your heart“.
De la Hoya’s opinion on Canelo Alvarez’s current boxing form
On how Canelo Alvarez is handling his boxing career now that he is a free agent, the opponents he has picked to fight in2022, the 175-pounds Champion Dmitry Bivol, and Middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin, Oscar de la Hoya was quick to applaud the decisions of the Mexican superstar.
“As long as he picks and fights the best fighters out there everything is ok. And he is doing it, he is doing it really fine. People talk: if he chooses Bivol, they would say he is ducking Benavidez and vice-versa. Right now, he is starting his way to become a legend because he is fighting the best“, shared the Golden Boy.