Oscar De La Hoya Blasts YouTubers, Conor McGregor For Making Boxing 'Circus Act'

Boxing Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya is not pleased with Conor McGregor and YouTubers trying to make big fights in boxing.

Despite the success of YouTube sensations Logan Paul and KSI’s pro boxing match a few months ago, Golden Boy Promotions boss De La Hoya is still not pleased with the idea of YouTubers entering the boxing ring.

In a recent interview with FightHub TV, the Olympic gold medallist expressed his disapproval with non-professional boxers trying to make a name in the sport he once dominated. According to De La Hoya, who admitted that he has really been critical about boxing nowadays, a lot of YouTubers think that boxing is a joke. But in reality, boxing could be dangerous and there are times when boxers put their lives at risk inside the ring.

“I’m from the old school breed and boxing is so dangerous and real that a lot of these YouTube guys are thinking that it’s a joke,” De La Hoya exclaimed.

“It’s not a joke. This is real stuff. I mean this is life or death inside that ring,” De La Hoya added.

Ever since McGregor expressed his constant desire to fight Manny Pacquiao, De La Hoya has been one of the boxing personalities who have been vocal about the issue. He already stated in a different interview that McGregor should “stay on his own lane” and avoid humiliating himself. However, the legendary boxer once again included McGregor in his rant about people who are making boxing “like a circus act,” something that he thinks is “not pretty cool” at all.

“To become world champion is not easy. People put their lives on the line sometimes and so to make it kind of like a circus act is not pretty cool at all. It’s entertainment but it’s serious,” De La Hoya explained.

When asked if he thinks that guys like McGregor and YouTubers like Paul and KSI in any way degrade boxing, De La Hoya replied “it really does.” The 46-year-old legend even mentioned that he has made his legacy in boxing by starting at a very young age and he really believes that a non-professional boxer being handed a pro boxing fight just because he wants to doesn’t make sense at all.

“Just a bit. It really does. I put all my life into this for somebody to (just) come because he want to fight, it just really makes sense to me,” De La Hoya said.