By Michele Emrick
Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy president, and former 10-time world title winner, has once again checked himself back into rehab to address an ongoing substance abuse issue.
It was revealed in a statement released on Tuesday, where he also said that he would not be attending the mega fight Golden Boy is promoting this weekend between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez, which will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“Canelo Alvarez and I have big fights coming up this weekend,” De La Hoya said in the statement. “His is the ring and mine in treatment. I will not be at the fight to cheer Canelo to victory since I have voluntarily admitted myself into a treatment facility.
“I explained this to Canelo, and he understood that my health and long-term recovery from my disease must come first. Thank you for your understanding. I ask for your support and privacy during this difficult time for me and my family.”
It was not said which substance he has been abusing, but previously he has had issues with both alcohol and cocaine.
This is not the first time that De La Hoya has missed a fight that Golden Boy was involved in. Back in May 2011, he also entered a rehab facility, forcing him to miss Bernard Hopkins’ win against Jean Pascal, which made Hopkins the oldest fighter in history to capture a world title.
De La Hoya rose to fame as a boxer when he won the 1992 Olympic gold medal. In an extremely successful professional career, he won multiple titles before deciding to retire following a loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2008.
