Oscar De La Hoya has decided to check himself into rehab as he continues to battle substance abuse. The news comes in the wake of one of the biggest boxing matches his company, Golden Boy Promotions, has ever promoted: Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Canelo Alvarez.
“I will not be at the fight this Saturday to cheer Canelo to victory since I have voluntarily admitted myself into a treatment facility,” De La Hoya said in a statement released on Tuesday. “I explained this to Canelo and he understood that my health and long term recovery from my disease must come first.”
This is not the first time De La Hoya has received treatment for substance abuse. In 2011, he checked himself in rehab for undisclosed reasons, but later admitted his drug of choice was cocaine and alcohol.
“He really sounded very bad,” Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer admitted about De La Hoya’s condition this past week. “It wasn’t one of the things when you can wait until next week. I was surprised. But at the same time I was very supportive. I didn’t try to convince him that he had to be here. It wouldn’t have been the advice of a friend. I was hoping it wouldn’t happen but it did happen. I’m very proud of him. It’s not perfect timing, but what is? They say the show must go on. Oscar has a fight where he is and we have a big fight here.”
Floyd Mayweather Jr will fight Canelo Alvarez live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, September 14 at 8pm (CST).
