Oscar De La Hoya voluntarily checks into rehab facility five days before the weekend's big fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez, which he is currently promoting, New York Daily News reported Tuesday.
After predicting a knockout for his fighter Saul (Canelo Alvarez) in a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar De La Hoya entered a rehab facility on Saturday, and announced Tuesday that he will not be on the ringside to witness his forecast's realization.
"Canelo Alvarez and I have big fights coming up this weekend. His is in the ring and mine in treatment. I will not be at the fight to cheer Canelo to victory since I have voluntarily admitted myself to a treatment facility," the boxer turned promoter said.
Reports claimed that the former boxing champion turned himself into an unnamed rehabilitation facility to presumably deal with his addiction to drugs and alcohol, which he referred to as "my disease" in a statement he issued Tuesday, but he didn't actually state the reason behind his treatment.
"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 during this difficult time and for me and my family," he said in a statement.
USA Today reported De La Hoya handpicked Alvarez to knock out Mayweather in a boxing battle to be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"I feel like Oscar couldn't beat the king so he wants to see someone else beat the king," Mayweather recently told the Los Angeles Times. "Oscar ... likes to run around with this Golden Boy image, which we know really is [false]. He's always been jealous of me. I'm the total package."
It can be noted that Mayweather had defeated De La Hoya in the biggest pay-per-view seller of all time in 2007. The close fight obtained 2.4 million buys.
Meanwhile, De La Hoya told the Los Angeles Times that he is currently attending recovery meetings at least six days a week, and sometimes even twice in a day.
Mayweather, who does not drink or smoke, said the "Golden Boy" is embarrassing himself at public appearances, adding, "I wouldn't even show up to the fights if I were him."
De La Hoya's addiction issues are not at all new; the 10-time champ acknowledged that he had visited a rehab facility in 2011 after excessively using cocaine and drinking alcohol to appease his depression during that time.
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