Oscar De La Hoya, a retired American pro boxer, has unveiled "very serious" plans to run for US president. "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?" he said in an interview with TMZ Sports.
He cited "many reasons" for pursuing the presidency, adding that he is in the process of gathering a team to see if such a campaign would "make sense.
"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."
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The 45-year-old boxing and MMA promoter confirmed that if this team came back with good numbers, he'd launch his campaign.
The statement has sparked a discussion in the internet, with many users voicing doubts over whether a former athlete and celebrity should run for such a high post. Earlier this year, hip-hop artist Kanye West said he would consider running for president in 2024, joining other potential celebrity candidates such as Alec Baldwin, Chris Rock, and Marc Cuban.
Some fired a barrage of sarcastic comments, referring to the boxer's leaked photos, in which he was seen wearing fishnet stockings and high heels.
Others recalled his cocaine addiction, which he revealed several years ago.
Oscar De La Hoya is a former Mexican-American boxing great, best known for having won ten titles in six different divisions during his career. He rose to nationwide fame and was nicknamed The Golden Boy after the 1992 Olympics, where he clinched the lightweight gold medal at the age of 19. In 2002, he founded Golden Boy Promotions, becoming the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company.
The Golden Boy fell from grace in 2007 amid a photo scandal, in which pictures were leaked revealing the boxing champ's cross-dressing antics. He initially denied the legitimacy of the photos, but several years after he admitted to dressing up in fishnets as well as battling with alcohol and cocaine.