Oscar De La Hoya: Boxing Great Checks Into Rehab For The Second Time

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya has checked himself into rehab, TMZ reports. De La Hoya was scheduled to appear ringside at the highly-anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez this Saturday, which is being put on by De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.

"Canelo Alvarez and I have big fights coming up this weekend,” De La Hoya said. “His is in the ring and mine in treatment. I will not be at the fight this Saturday 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," De La Hoya said. "Thank you for your understanding. I ask for your support and privacy during this difficult time for me and my family."

De La Hoya -- who retired from boxing in 2009 after winning 10 world titles in six different divisions -- has a history of substance abuse. In 2011, he entered a rehab facility to battle his addictions.

“It’s the biggest fight of my life,” De La Hoya, told Univision in 2011. “I can put Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Vargas -- I can put all of my opponents in one ring and battle all of them but this monster is going to be toughest fight of my life.”

During that same interview, De La Hoya admitted he liked to drink alcohol and use cocaine. “There were drugs, my drug of choice was cocaine and alcohol,” De La Hoya said. “Cocaine was recent. The last two years, last two and a half years I depended more on the alcohol than the cocaine.”

“It took me to a place where I felt safe, it took me to a place where I felt as if nobody can say anything to me,” De La Hoya said.