Canelo vs GGG 2: Team Golovkin demand Oscar De La Hoya apology ahead of rematch
GENNADY GOLOVKIN’s promoter Tom Loeffler has demanded Oscar De La Hoya apologise for comments he made about his client ahead of his eagerly-anticipated middleweight title rematch with Canelo Alvarez.
In a recent interview with Villainfy Media, De La Hoya brought Golovkin’s patriotism into question by claiming he didn’t want the Kazakhstani national anthem to be played ahead of his first bout with Canelo.
“Look, I mean, they have to stop all this nonsense. I can tell you one thing for instance,” De La Hoya said. “Talk about not supporting your own country.
“The Golovkin people didn’t want to sing the national anthems before the fight. That’s a ritual. Having a national anthem before a championship fight is what you’re supposed to do.
"It makes it feel like a bigger event. Golovkin’s people didn’t want the Kazakhstan national anthem to be sung, the Mexican national anthem to be sung, the American national anthem to be sung. I mean what else are they going to demand?
“Jesus, are they going to cancel the fight? It's ridiculous Just go out there and fight!”
Loeffler didn’t take De La Hoya’s comments too kindly and has urged ‘The Golden Boy’ to apologise for a statement he’s adamant is false.
"I have no idea what Oscar is talking about but it is not true," Loeffler said.
"The truth is Team Golovkin had requested that the national anthems of Kazakhstan, Mexico and the United States be sung before the pay-per-view telecast began so that we could proceed with the fights seamlessly and uninterrupted.
Oscar and Canelo owe Gennady yet another apology
“HBO supported this position and has always preferred that the anthems take place before the HBO Pay-Per-View telecast begins.
"To suggest that Gennady is unpatriotic and has no respect for the anthems of his Kazakhstan, Mexico or the US, where Gennady resides in southern California, is patently false. Oscar and Canelo owe Gennady yet another apology.
“This is just another example of why Gennady never believes anything from Canelo's side."
Golovkin and Canelo will rematch one another a week on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The pair’s first encounter ended in a controversial split draw, though the general consensus in the boxing world is that Golovkin did more than enough to win the fight.
‘GGG’ - the reigning the WBA, WBC, and IBO middleweight champion - doesn’t plan on leaving the bout in the judges’ hands this time around and is hellbent on finishing his Mexican opponent in the early rounds.
"We have two different styles of boxing," said Golovkin. "I have a completely different style of boxing.
"What I believe and hope that in this upcoming fight, we'll come to this style of boxing which allows us to finish this fight early."
Canelo vs GGG 2 card - Saturday, September 15
Canelo vs Gennady Golovkin - WBA (Super), WBC, and IBO middleweight title fight
Jaime Munguia vs Brandon Cook - WBA Jr middleweight title fight
David Lemieux vs Gary O’Sullivan - Middleweight bout
Roman Gonzalez vs Moises Fuentes - Super Flyweight bout