Throughout his professional life, Oscar De La Hoya has always been in the limelight. His in-ring performances have always enticed the world of boxing. But his boxing ability is not the only thing that kept him in the public eye. Speaking with Mike Tyson during his appearance on the podcast ‘Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson’, De La Hoya shed light on his troubled experiences.
The boxing stalwart has led a very troubled personal life as well, which has drawn criticism towards the ‘Golden Boy’ throughout the years. Tyson, who himself has dealt with a lot of personal issues in the past, extended his support to the 47-year-old.
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‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ said, “Do you know that you are a special person? You do know that, right?. Don’t think you’re a f**ked up person. You are a very special person and we need you. That’s real talk. Don’t beat yourself up.”
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Oscar De La Hoya and his troubled past
Oscar De La Hoya was one of the biggest names in the world of boxing in the early 2000s. ‘Golden Boy’, which was how he was perceived in public at the time, has been open about his drug issues in the past. “There were drugs. My drug of choice was cocaine and alcohol. Cocaine was recent, the last two years, last two-and-a-half years, and I depended more on the alcohol than the cocaine,” De La Hoya told UnivisionNews 1 in a 2011 interview.
De La Hoya has gone on record saying that he contemplated suicide at one point because of his troubled personal life.
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Tyson feels that De La Hoya was meant for a special life. Both boxers are no strangers to infamy. The words of encouragement from Tyson were received with much enthusiasm by Oscar De La Hoya.
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In a few months from now, he is all set to take on Vitor Belfort in an eight-round exhibition bout set for September.