Promoter Oscar De La Hoya says he’ll fight Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn “for free” in a six-vs-six card featuring fighters from both companies.
De La Hoya says he already knows the combination he’ll use to knock out Hearn, but he doesn’t want to reveal it. Oscar wants it to be an impressive ending of the fight.
The former six-division world champion and 1992 Olympic gold medalist De La Hoya wants to prolong the fight “four to five rounds” so that he can “have fun.” He’s slowly punishing Hearn, and he says, “Eddie will retire.” It’s not a fair fight. Even at 51, De La Hoya’s pedigree is too far advanced for a promoter born into wealth like Hearn to last even one round.
Possible Undercard Fights For 6 vs 6
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis
Jaime Munguia vs. Diego Pacheco
Devin Haney vs. Oscar Duarte
Joseph Ramirez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. winner vs. Jack Catterall
Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez vs. Jai Opetaia
Ryan Garcia vs. Jaron Ennis: Possible
None of these fights have been negotiated at this point. These are dream matchups that Hearn and De La Hoya floated as possibilities for the 6 vs. 6 event.
De La Hoya said he would need “two months” to prepare for the Hearn fight, which is bizarre because even in his current condition, he would be too much for the 45-year-old. Hearn found that amusing that De la Hoya would need two months to train for him.
“Imagine needing two months for me. Too big, too strong anyway,” said Hearn on X.
Hearn reportedly wants eight figures for a fight against De La Hoya, and that’s obviously not going to happen if he’s serious. That would be pathetic if Hearn leans on His Excellency, trying to get a massive payday for a fight against De La Hoya that will be a total mismatch.
“It did start with Eddie because he’s the type of promoter that doesn’t have the farming system that we have and Top Rank. We know how to build fighters from the bottom,” said Oscar De La Hoya to Boxing King Media when asked who started the beef that he has with Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.
“What Eddie did was sign a couple of fighters from America that were already built. He claimed, ‘I built them, and I’m the best promoter.’ Well, no, you’re not. So, our back-and-forth is actually great for boxing. That’s why we can stage a 5 v 5 with me and Eddie. Maybe even a 6 v 6 where me and Eddie can go at it. I wouldn’t mind that.”
It wouldn’t be entirely bad to have Hearn and De La Hoya fighting in a prelim bout, but it would send the wrong message if this were played on the main card. It would make the event look like a clown show and create a stampede of non-boxers and older fighters trying to get in on the action.
De La Hoya Will Fight For Free
“If he accepts the fights. The only question that I will give, and I will speak to His Excellency,” said De La Hoya. “I want a small ring. I wish it could be 16 by 16. 18 by 18 is normal regulation. I believe we can go to 16 by 16. If we go 16 by 16, Eddie will retire.”
Hopefully, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh vetoes the idea of Hearn and De La Hoya fighting on one of his Riyadh Season cards. It would make a mockery of them and potentially end badly for Hearn if he needs to be stretchered out of the ring after suffering a bad knockout.
“You’re Excellency, I will fight Eddie for free as a gift to you. For free, it’ll be my pleasure. I only need two months of training. I still have my jab and my power. I already know the combination I’ll knock him out with. I have it in my head already.
“No, I don’t want to share it just in case we do fight. I think it’ll be a four-round or 5-round fight. I want to have some fun in there,” said De La Hoya about wanting to prolong the beating against Hearn.
