Oscar De La Hoya will not be facing Vitor Belfort on Sept. 11 as initially planned.
“The Golden Boy” was set for a return to boxing this month but he has tested positive for COVID-19. Replacing De La Hoya will be fellow boxing Hall of Famer Evander Holyfield.
In a statement posted on Twitter, De La Hoya revealed that the positive test came despite being fully vaccinated.
“Wanted you to hear directly from me that despite being fully vaccinated, I have contracted Covid and am not going to be able to fight next weekend. Preparing for this comeback has been everything to me over the last months, & I want to thank everyone for their tremendous support.
“I am currently in the hospital getting treatment and am confident I will be back in the ring before the year is up. God bless everyone and stay safe.”
It’s a tough break for De La Hoya. Obviously, “The Golden Boy” has to deal with the virus and get treatment to stay healthy, but this also would’ve been his first boxing match since Dec. 2008. Oscar had been adamant about wanting to return to the ring and doing it for himself and his family.
Holyfield was going to meet Kevin McBride in the co-main event of a bout headlined by Teofimo Lopez vs. George Kambosos. Lopez, himself, tested positive for COVID-19 and the event was scrapped. This left Holyfield and McBride without a fight date and both camps were reportedly getting restless with Triller.
