Six-weight world champion, Oscar De La Hoya, has applauded the magnitude of mega fights that have taken place thus far in 2023, but named one match-up the public still need to see.
Boxing fans have been treated to one of the most entertaining calendar years since the millennium, with bouts like Terence Crawford-Errol Spence, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis-Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney- Vasily Lomachenko captivating public interest and causing a chain-reaction which seems like it could lead to even more super-fights taking place around the corner.
De La Hoya is delighted with the new precedent, but he told Fight Hub TV that there is still one key ingredient missing from 2023’s host of blockbuster events – the heavyweights.
“Boxing, right now, is on the verge of breaking through hard and I am talking about the days of the ‘four horseman’, [Roberto] Duran, [Sugar Ray] Leonard, [Marvin] Hagler and [Tommy] Hearns, because fighters are finally fighting each other.”
“The one fight that I would love to see, if it can happen, is Tyson Fury versus [Oleksandr] Usyk. Come on guys, there is enough money in the pot, don’t be greedy. That’s the bottom line, do not be greedy, because these fights are going to pass you up.”
For now, Tyson Fury will instead face former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Should he win as expected, fans are hoping that ‘The Gypsy King’ will meet Oleksandr Usyk in early 2024 to crown a first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000.
The timing may be off though, with Usyk now served a second mandatory defence order in the form of Filip Hrgovic.