Oscar De La Hoya said in a statement issued on Tuesday that he will not be in attendance for the Canelo Alvarez-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight in Las Vegas because he will be receiving treatment.
Here is what Oscar said in the statement:
Canelo Alvarez and I have big fights coming up this weekend. His is the ring and mine in treatment.
I will not be at the fight to cheer Canelo to victory since I have voluntarily admitted myself into a treatment facility.
I explained this to Canelo and he understood that my health and longterm recovery from my disease must come first.
Thank you for your understanding. I ask for your support and privacy during this difficult time for me and my family.
De La Hoya has recently been open about his struggles with alcoholism. An August LA Times article said Oscar sometimes goes to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings six times a week, sometimes twice a day.
“This is a battle I have every day,” Oscar said of his alcoholism.
De La Hoya created Golden Boy Promotions, which is one of the most successful fight promotion companies along with Bob Arum’s Top Rank. Alvarez is one of his top fighters, and Oscar has been picking his boy to beat Mayweather on Saturday. This is one of the biggest fights in the company’s history, so you know Oscar has to be in bad shape to miss it.
