Oscar De La Hoya on Turki Alalshikh’s Potential Departure From Boxing: “Thank God!”
Oscar De La Hoya will not miss Turki Alalshikh if the Saudi Arabian power broker leaves boxing.
The Golden Boy Promotions head made that clear with one blunt response.
“Thank God because boxing is more fucked up than ever.”
De La Hoya delivered the remark while discussing Alalshikh’s potential departure from the sport. Alalshikh has said in recent days that health concerns could push him to step back.
His exit would mark a major shift for boxing.
Alalshikh entered the sport in a major way in 2023. Since then, he has used Saudi Arabia’s enormous financial resources to reshape the boxing landscape.
His influence has helped produce some of the sport’s biggest events. At the same time, his spending has sparked plenty of debate about boxing’s direction.
De La Hoya believes the current model has created another problem.
“It’s harder to make fights,” De La Hoya said. “The big names are idle.”
According to De La Hoya, money has become a major factor in that inactivity.
“They don’t want to fight each other,” he said. “Not because they’re scared but because they’re waiting for that big payday.”
Alalshikh’s impact extends beyond major fight cards.
He also purchased The Ring, the historic boxing publication. Ironically, the deal involved De La Hoya, who previously owned the magazine.
Now, De La Hoya has offered a brutal assessment of the Alalshikh era.
The Saudi Arabian benefactor arrived promising to shake up a sport often criticized for its slow-moving negotiations. His involvement brought huge events and unprecedented financial backing.
However, De La Hoya sees a different side of that transformation.
For him, boxing has become harder to navigate. The biggest names can afford to wait for enormous offers instead of taking difficult fights.
That dynamic can leave divisions stalled.
It can also make traditional matchmaking more difficult for promoters outside the Saudi-backed event model.
Alalshikh’s potential departure therefore raises a larger question for boxing. What happens when one of the sport’s biggest financial forces steps away?
For De La Hoya, the answer appears straightforward.
He would welcome it.
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