De La Hoya Explains How Mayweather-McGregor Fight Outdid GGG-Canelo Match
The credit for the first showdown between (Canelo) Saul Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin goes to Oscar De La Hoya and his Golden Boy promotional company.
However, the boxing legend has just opened up about how Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor’s actions at the time hurt the build-up to the Alvarez-GGG super fight.
“I could see what was going to happen. And there wasn’t much we could do about it,” the Golden Boy told Fox Sports.
When Alvarez and GGG had signed the contract for their fight, McGregor and Mayweather were seen trading barbs with each other all over social media. Being one of the biggest icons in combat sports, they were in the limelight and it drove off the audience from the super fight that De La Hoya had staged.
As much as the Golden Boy promotions tried to hype the boxing fight, they couldn’t do so because both boxers were not trash talkers.
“Canelo and GGG were these great, amazing boxers, the very best of the best,” De La Hoya said. “But Canelo didn’t speak English and Golovkin didn’t say anything interesting to promote the fight. Not that it was frustrating, but it makes you realize it is all in the marketing. It is a whole new world now.”
The first fight between GGG and Alvarez ended in a draw, whereas Alvarez got away with a controversial win in the rematch.