“It’s signed, sealed and delivered,” said Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya. “It’s not complicated matchmaking, but it goes to show you that we at Golden Boy want to make the best fights. We want to go out with a bang to close the year. We’re hopefully going to do a tripleheader on HBO. We’re talking to [HBO Sports executive vice president] Peter Nelson about it, because we want to give the fans a special treat for the holidays.”
“All I can say is that boxing fans and subscribers to HBO are the absolute winners here,” said Sean Gibbons, Salido’s manager. “Orlando Salido has already delivered one fight of the year candidate this year, and he is looking to close the year by delivering another one. We want to thank Peter Nelson for seeing and understanding this is a fight the fans want. It’s a win-win for boxing and HBO.”
De La Hoya has special memories of The Forum because it is where he turned pro on Nov. 23, 1992, almost 24 years to the day when Salido-Miura will take place.
“I had my professional debut there, and I haven’t been there since [for boxing],” De La Hoya said. “It will be a special treat for me to promote a fight of this caliber in the arena where I initiated my professional career. To go back 24 years later is really exciting, especially when you have a fight like this.
“Their styles are made to create World War III. This is a can’t-miss fight. The fans are in for a special treat. I can’t wait.”
Gibbons said Salido also loves that the fight will take place at The Forum, site of many famous fights before it closed to the sport for more than a decade before reopening in 2014.
“A lot of his idols fought there,” Gibbons said. “There is so much beautiful history in that building, so for Salido to fight there, it will raise the level of his game.”
“I think Miura is the bigger guy and maybe the bigger puncher,” De La Hoya said. “So I guess he’s the slight favorite, but Salido looked sensational against Vargas, strong and durable.”
“Whatever we do we want to make sure we give the fans a great show to end the year with,” he said.
