Pound for pound, Oscar De La Hoya is one of boxing’s greatest competitors. But the 11-time world champion announced Friday that he was sucker-punched.
De La Hoya, 48, who won his world titles across six weight classes, said on Twitter that he tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated.
“I mean, what are the chances of me getting COVID?” De La Hoya said in a video he posted on Twitter from his hospital bed. “I’ve been taking care of myself.”
Known as the “Golden Boy,” De La Hoya was returning to the ring for the first time in 13 years, Yahoo Sports reported. He was scheduled to fight former UFC light-heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort in the main event of a Triller Fight Club card on Sept. 11 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
De La Hoya last stepped into the boxing ring on Dec. 6, 2008, when he was stopped in eight rounds by Manny Pacquaio, Yahoo Sports reported. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014. He won a gold medal in the lightweight division at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. As a pro, De La Hoya compiled a 39-6 record with 30 knockouts.
Triller Fight Club spokesperson Ryan Kavanaugh confirmed that former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield will be De La Hoya’s replacement, according to Yahoo Sports.
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