Oscar De La Hoya gives Dana White an F and says UK boxing is "second class"

On The Ariel Helwani Show, De La Hoya said he is "Team Eddie", that Conor Benn "had no business" fighting Ryan Garcia, and called Canelo a "sellout".

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Mon 5 Oct, 21:53 UK · AI-assisted reporting

https://twitter.com/arielhelwani/status/2107205245160116700

Oscar De La Hoya says Dana White would be getting an F for his first 10 months in boxing, and that he is on Eddie Hearn's side in their row.

"I've seen his last press conferences where Eddie Hearn is just cooking him, because Dana White doesn't know what he's doing," De La Hoya told The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday. "He's not the guy that is in charge. He's maybe like the third or fourth guy. He's just Uncle Fester who is right there in front of the camera, f***ing can't even give an interview because he's f***ing cursing at the reporters... Be a professional."

"I never thought I would say this, but I'm on Team Eddie's side," he said. "I am Team Eddie right now because he's cooking Dana."

Asked how White's time in boxing was going, De La Hoya said: "Well, let's just say if I was a teacher, he would be getting an F... All they do is rent fighters... they don't know how to build champions. They don't know how to build fighters from scratch." He added: "Dana doesn't know s*** about fighters. He doesn't want to get to know them. It's all about a number for him." He named TKO president Nick Khan as "the guy who's running the show", and said: "If I were to give Dana a grade, it's a fail."

De La Hoya, who promotes Ryan Garcia, was just as blunt about British boxing after Garcia knocked out Conor Benn in September.

"He had no business being in there with Ryan Garcia," he said of Benn. "...The fighters are not really developing to that championship level because it seems like it's all just regional in the UK. And once you come to the US and fight the real talent like a Ryan Garcia, then you see the reality of the UK boxing. It's subpar. It's second class to the U.S. boxing." Frank Warren had suggested Benn should retire after the defeat.

Garcia has one fight left with Golden Boy, and De La Hoya wants Devin Haney or Teofimo Lopez next.

Asked about Canelo Alvarez finishing his career in Saudi Arabia, De La Hoya said: "He's sold out. He's a sellout. I mean, you have the biggest Mexican fighter on the planet fighting on Halloween. You should be fighting in September. You should be fighting on your Mexican holidays, the final leg of your career, the final hurrah."

White has called Hearn "weak" in their row over Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua.