Oscar De La Hoya Highlights Boxing’s Top Talent

Golden Boy Promotions targets a Blockbuster Lightweight clash

Boxing icon Oscar De La Hoya talks on the possible clash between WBC Champion Shakur Stevenson and future star William Zepeda /

By Mohamed Bahaa

Oscar De La Hoya is among the most revered boxing stars in the sport because of his thorough understanding of both inside and outside of the ring. De La Hoya, a six-division world champion and former Olympic gold medalist, moved from an outstanding boxer career to a successful promoter guiding some of today's most famous boxing stars, including Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Ryan Garcia.

De La Hoya is now mostly focused on promoting William Zepeda, the number one contender among all four main sanctioning bodies, an undefeated Mexican lightweight. On the verge of what may be the most important bout of his career—a possible collision with WBC Champion Shakur Stevenson—Zepeda, 28 Both De La Hoya and Riyadh Season's Turki Al Sheikh show enthusiasm in seeing this match come to pass.

De La Hoya called Stevenson one of the most talented fighters in the world today in a recent interview with Fight Hype, not holding back in his compliments for him. “I don’t think anybody will get in the way of that fight,” De La Hoya stated. “I’m Zepeda’s promoter, and I actually want to make that fight. I think Shakur, right now, skill-wise, is probably the best fighter on the planet today. Tremendous skills. But he has to be able to sell tickets."

De La Hoya said that while Stevenson's technique—often referred to as a masterclass in defense and accuracy—may not always wow spectators hoping for knockouts. Although William Zepeda against Shakur Stevenson is a great bout, his boxing approach is not so friendly for ticket sales.

De La Hoya thinks the difference in approaches between Stevenson and Zepeda would create an exciting fight despite some criticism Stevenson has received for his defensive strategies and points-oriented successes. Zepeda's unrelenting pressure and endurance might inspire Stevenson to show the full range of his skills, therefore transforming the fight to a remarkable event.

De La Hoya's dedication to bring the fight to life means that the boxing scene could soon see an exciting clash between one of the best prospects in the sport against a champion generally praised for his extraordinary ability.