Eddie Alvarez thinks a potential boxing match with Oscar De La Hoya is a “dead issue.”
A few weeks ago, De La Hoya announced that he was planning to come out of retirement on a date in July, with the Triller app financially backing the event.
The six division world champion has been out of the ring since 2008 – when he suffered a one-sided stoppage loss at the hands of Manny Pacquiao.
In a recent interview, Alvarez revealed that he was negotiating a boxing match against De La Hoya.
“Recently we’ve been hearing from Oscar De La Hoya’s guys,” Alvarez said to ESPN.
“Look, I’m fixated on the ONE Championship belt. I’m laser, laser focused on making history and getting my world title, but I feel like there’s gonna be a lull. The champion is gonna sit for a bit—I think he’s having a baby. If that happens, Oscar De La Hoya and them guys have been reaching out and, hell, I’d love to get in there and mix it up with him. That’d be a hell of a fight and I’ve got everyone here in Philadelphia backing me, and the whole Philadelphia boxing [community] to back me up.”
“Getting in there to mix it up with that guy would be a dream come true. I actually think I’d do pretty damn good against him. I’d be crazy excited about that if them guys figure that out. There’s serious talks. They’re serious like wanting to get a deal done this week serious.”
Things have now changed, with Alvarez confirming the negotiations have fallen through.
“I would say it’s a dead issue for right now,” Alvarez said during the ONE on TNT IV media call, according to MMA Fighting.
“I feel like when we were saying yes to the Oscar thing, I felt like maybe I was making a decision too quickly that I just feel like this is my sport. This is what I’ve done my whole life and if you want a real fight, this is a fight. MMA is a fight. Boxing is a fifth of what we do. It’s a part of it. It’s not a fight.”
