Oscar De La Hoya’s name is back in the headlines, though not for reasons he’d prefer. A six-division world champion during his storied 16-year career, “The Golden Boy” built a legacy filled with marquee victories over legends like Julio Cesar Chavez, Arturo Gatti, Ike Quartey, and Hector Camacho. It was only after a decisive loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2008, when De La Hoya retired from boxing and turned his focus to the business side of the sport. Ultimately, under Golden Boy Promotions, he’s achieved significant success as a promoter but not without his fair share of controversy and public spats.
His long-standing feud with Canelo Alvarez is well known, and more recently, he’s been under fire from Ryan Garcia. Now, tensions are rising again, this time with Edgar Berlanga. Following a months-long back-and-forth with the Puerto Rican super middleweight, De La Hoya has taken things up a notch for the undefeated 168-pounder just a few hours ago.
Ahead of his July 12 showdown with British contender Hamzah Sheeraz, Oscar De La Hoya has reignited tensions with Edgar Berlanga, issuing what can only be described as a challenge, bordering on a threat. Just hours ago, De La Hoya took to Instagram, sharing a clip accompanied by a pointed caption. Celebrating Golden Boy’s recent success in July 28th, he wrote, “After the most gratifying night in @goldenboy history we have FOUR NEW STARS… Edgar Berlanga I have a huge surprise for you after all the sh-t you’ve been talking for a year lmao. Please wear all the jewelry you own… I look forward to you trying to slap me like you’ve been promising.” Moreover, the video itself didn’t disappoint.
Lighting a cigar, De La Hoya looked directly into the camera and said, “Edgar Berlanga, I have a huge surprise for you on July 12. I’m going for [William] Zepeda. But you know what? I cannot wait to see you. You say you’re going to slap me? I dare you!” The sharp tone and personal jab made it clear that De La Hoya hasn’t forgotten Berlanga’s remarks from nearly a year ago, bringing their beef into the spotlight just days ahead of the highly anticipated fight.
It’s uncertain if Edgar Berlanga will actually act on his previous bold claims, but one thing is clear: this unfolding drama intensifies the excitement surrounding an already thrilling matchup at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens. Now, it’s time to see how he would respond if The Chosen One actually went through with that slap he once promised. However, the more pressing inquiry is: what precisely did Edgar Berlanga say to ignite this intense reaction from De La Hoya?
Edgar Berlanga has had enough of Oscar De La Hoya
It was last year when Edgar Berlanga took direct aim at Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who had been a vocal critic of the potential matchup between Berlanga and Canelo Alvarez. “Guys like Oscar De La Hoya out there trying to destroy my reputation, destroy Canelo’s reputation, trying to say that we’re not going to sell no tickets, that the PPV numbers – nobody’s going to buy, it’s not going to hit over 100K. That’s bi-ch sh-t, and if I see him I’ll smack the sh-t out of him,” the 23-1 boxer said bluntly.
Edgar Berlanga however didn’t stop there. “He’s just upset that he’s already old. He’s got a guy like Canelo that’s a real Mexican… I know where his hate comes from with him. And with me, he wanted to sign me. He flew from Vegas trying to come out from LA, trying to come down to sign me. And we signed with one of the best, Eddie Hearn. So Oscar, fu-k you.” It’s no secret that De La Hoya had been actively pursuing Edgar Berlanga after the fighter parted ways with Top Rank in early 2023, but that deal never materialized.
Now, the tension seems to be boiling over once again. And in response to De La Hoya’s posts, Berlanga has already fuelled the fire by sharing a bizarre picture of De La Hoya in a penthouse with the caption, “See you in New York my little stripper .” Could it be a confrontation in New York? A challenge? A public stunt? What do you think?
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