Contrary to what other certified boxers have been saying, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya is praising YouTuber Jake Paul for raising the sport of boxing. He also lauds Mike Tyson for successfully proving to one and all that age is just a number, inspiring him to seriously consider a ring return.
The 23-year-old Paul has drawn flak for what they call is disrespecting boxing. Among those who aired their disapproval include Claressa Shields, Antonio Tarver and Canelo Alvarez.
De La Hoya becomes one of the rare boxers to back the efforts of Paul, believing it is good since it provides boxing some added exposure. The 47-year-old weighed in on the YouTuber’s efforts in a report from Bloomberg.
Oscar De La Hoya sees GGG as an “easy” opponent if he decides to return to boxing pic.twitter.com/0F8Q0hCbRw — ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) November 26, 2020
“We’re appreciative of a Jake Paul who is a boxer now,” De La Hoya said. “He’s creating attention that boxing hasn’t seen in a long time.”
Critics continue to criticize Paul for challenging people who have little to no experience in boxing. But if there is one who will face an actual boxer soon, it would be his older brother Logan. The 25-year-old is set to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in February in a rare clash between a neophyte fighter and someone who has accomplished almost everything, including staying undefeated in the ring.
Aside from Paul, De La Hoya also lauded Mike Tyson for making a successful ring return after so many years. Though it was deemed only an exhibition, the former heavyweight champion proved that age is just a number.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that, for the first time in a long time, fans and people were congregating to watch an event. Mike Tyson is such an inspiration, he got in good shape and looked good,” De La Hoya said.
And on that note, the Golden Boy CEO has been flirting with the idea of possibly making a ring return as well. However, he may want to choose his opponent wisely and limit his choices to the ones who are not active.
De La Hoya was previously quoted of saying he could take on Gennady Golovkin, someone who remains active and deadly. Facing the Kazakhstan fighter would be risky on the part of De La Hoya, someone who could seriously injure him or place his life in danger.
As of this writing, the former boxer has yet to announce when and if he will make a ring return. But this early, the best thing he can do is choose wisely on who intends to brawl with.
