De La Hoya vs. Hearn: The Ultimate Battle of Promoters
In a recent interview with Boxing King Media on YouTube, legendary former world champion Oscar De La Hoya shocked fans by offering to face promoter Eddie Hearn in the ring—for free. The unexpected proposal comes in response to Hearn’s previous comments, where he expressed a willingness to fight De La Hoya if the right financial offer was made.
The prospect of two heavyweight figures in boxing—one a former champion and the other a leading promoter—facing off has captured the imagination of fans and sparked intense interest in the sport.
As the head of Matchroom Boxing, Hearn is a familiar face in the world of professional boxing, while De La Hoya, founder of Golden Boy Promotions, has made his mark as both a promoter and a champion. Their rivalry outside the ring has been well-documented, but now, it seems, they may be taking it to a new level—in the ring.
In an earlier interview, Hearn made headlines by suggesting that he might be open to fighting De La Hoya if the price was right. Specifically, he hinted that an enticing offer from His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, could get him to lace up the gloves.
De La Hoya wasted no time responding. In the Boxing King Media interview, the Golden Boy promoter confidently declared that he would fight Hearn for free as a "gift" to His Excellency Alalshikh. “Your Excellency, I will fight Eddie for free as a gift to you. For free. It will be my pleasure,” De La Hoya said, adding that he only needed two months of training to prepare.
“I still have my jab, my power. I already know the combination I would knock him out with. I don’t want to share it just in case we do fight,” De La Hoya continued, expressing his belief that the bout would last no longer than four or five rounds.
The idea of De La Hoya and Hearn facing off in the ring has generated mixed reactions. While some fans view it as a potential historic event, others question whether it’s just a strategic move to boost both promoters’ profiles and continue building their respective brands.
Despite the back-and-forth, the notion of a Golden Boy vs. Matchroom 5v5 event has also been floating around, with speculation rising about the potential for such a spectacle to end with the two promoters finally facing off in the ring.
The growing involvement of Saudi Arabia in high-profile sporting events, with figures like Alalshikh showing interest, makes the possibility of this unprecedented showdown even more likely.
For now, both De La Hoya’s offer and Hearn’s openness to negotiating have stoked the flames of excitement among fans. If this fight does materialize, it could go down as one of the most talked-about events in recent boxing history.
