Guess who ‘The Golden Boy’ Oscar De La Hoya chose to ‘unleash the facts’ this time around? Canelo? Nope. It’s another familiar target of his: Dana White. It’s no secret that the UFC president and the former world champion-turned-promoter were once friends, only to fall out in dramatic fashion. And with White’s new foray into boxing, it would be naive to expect any sort of reconciliation. De La Hoya made his stance crystal clear in the latest episode of ‘Thursday Clap-Back,’ where he launched another round of pointed swipes.

After months of talks, Turki Alalshikh and Dana White’s TKO group officially launched a new boxing promotion. Touted as a mission to ‘fix a broken sport,’ the venture has drawn both curiosity and concern. Unsurprisingly, the old guard, including traditional promoters and sanctioning bodies, views it with suspicion. And De La Hoya, who has never shied away from criticizing White, used the moment to spotlight a long-standing issue: fighter pay. Even when it came to UFC fighters, it’s an issue he called out repeatedly.

Why Dana White’s boxing plans have Oscar De La Hoya fuming

De La Hoya kicked off his segment by referencing a bombshell lawsuit against Top Rank president Todd DuBoef. He used the opportunity to criticize the promotion. Nevertheless, he still expressed affection for Bob Arum, calling him a ‘legendary’ figure in the sport. Then came his takedown of White and TKO Boxing. “Speaking of scumbags, everyone has been asking me for my opinion and thoughts on Dana White attempting to enter the boxing space again. And after collecting as much information as possible, I’m finally ready to answer.”

According to De La Hoya, TKO doesn’t actually have any signed boxers. It’s a glaring issue for anyone trying to run a boxing promotion. His take? They’re probably playing the long game, waiting for current boxer contracts to expire before making moves.

He didn’t hold back while addressing leaked figures tied to TKO’s proposed fighter pay. “TKO’s supposed fighter pays/salaries were leaked a few weeks ago, and if these are real, holy sh*t. Come on, man, Dana is going to have several problems. Number one, no fighter is going to fight for these pennies. The majority of their prospects will fight one or two times a year and be forced to survive on minimum pay,” De La Hoya said.

TKO Boxing: Ambitious launch?

De La Hoya warned that top-tier fighters like Canelo Alvarez or Ryan Garcia would never accept a $750,000 purse per PPV fight. Even new prospects, he argued, wouldn’t be motivated to fight once or twice a year for ‘crumbs,’ especially if they’re expected to face elite opponents early in their careers.

Worse still, if these numbers are accurate and TKO boxers end up earning more than UFC fighters, that could cause internal problems. After all, UFC athletes have already voiced frustration over their compensation. Pointing to the failed Zuffa Boxing project, De La Hoya reminded viewers that this isn’t White’s first attempt at breaking into boxing. He suggested that White only finds success when he has powerhouse partners like the Fertitta brothers or Turki Alalshikh backing him.

Still, in a half-sarcastic closing, De La Hoya said he’d be open to working with Dana. But only because he already deals with ‘scumbags’ in the boxing business.

For reference, per the story shared by Boxing Scene, here’s the rumored TKO fighter pay structure:

• $20,000 for a 10-round bout by an unranked fighter.
• $50,000 when ranked by ‘the company’ at No. 5 to No. 10.
• $125,000 when ranked by the company at No. 3 or No. 4.
• $375,000 when challenging for the ‘company’ championship.
• $750,000 when defending the ‘company’ championship

Turki Alalshikh later dismissed the leaked figures, calling them ‘not factually accurate.’ So for now, fans will have to wait for a clearer picture before deciding whether De La Hoya’s latest ‘Clap-Back’ hit the mark.

What’s your take? If the leaked purse structure holds true, can this new promotion attract top talent or even survive?