© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
De La Hoya 2020? Boxer says he's 'very, very serious' about running for president
Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya said on Monday that he's launched a team to explore his changes at a presidential run. (Brad Barket/Getty Images)

De La Hoya 2020? Boxer says he's 'very, very serious' about running for president

Former boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya announced Monday that he's currently exploring his odds for a presidential run.

What did he say?

Speaking with TMZ Sports, De La Hoya said, "I am actually very, very serious and I strongly feel that if a Kanye West can do it and announce and maybe tease the world that he would maybe one day wanna run for president, why not me?"

De La Hoya, 45, explained, "I've had literally, over the years, ever since I became a professional in boxing, I've had millions of people tell me, 'Look, why don't you represent? Why don't you stand up and have a bigger voice?' And obviously, the biggest voice you can have is being president."

De La Hoya, who retired from professional boxing in 2009, added that he already launched an exploratory team, and that he'll make his candidacy official if the numbers look good for him. He retweeted TMZ's story about him Monday on Twitter.

Fox News reported that the boxer-turned-promoter's "comments should be taken with a grain of salt," signaling the announcement could be part of a publicity stunt as De La Hoya's seeking to build attention for an upcoming middleweight championship being hyped by his company, Golden Boy Promotions.

Anything else?

Details of De La Hoya's political positions are unclear, but in recent days he's weighed in on Nike's controversial decision to feature former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in on ongoing ad campaign.

TMZ reported that De La Hoya "believes strongly in standing for the national anthem," but last week he told Yahoo Finance: "I strongly believe in freedom of speech. ... I live in America for a reason. ... Nike is doing the right thing."

De La Hoya said of Nike, "They're trendsetters — and obviously they know what they're doing, and their business is selling shoes."

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?