Oscar De La Hoya labeled The Ring magazine a “dead asset” on Thursday, raising questions about its credibility under Turki Alalshikh’s leadership following reports that DAZN has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in the publication.
The former champion called on the new owner to restore the magazine’s integrity, rankings, and rules. He also criticized Saudi Arabia’s boxing investments for keeping top fighters idle while waiting for larger paychecks rather than facing each other.
“It’s a dead asset,” De La Hoya said in his Thursday Clapback video. “They stripped it [The Ring] of its credibility and made it purely biased and propaganda. … It’s harder to make fights. The big names are idle. They don’t want to fight each other. Not because they’re scared, but because they’re waiting for that big payday.”
According to Tris Dixon’s Total Boxing, a deal for DAZN to take control has been reached, though the broadcaster has not confirmed or denied the transaction.
De La Hoya’s critique also raises questions about his own past involvement, having sold The Ring to Alalshikh, meaning ties to a financially interested party existed before the current dispute.
Across these ownership changes, the central issue remains whether editorial staff and ranking panels can make impartial decisions that conflict with the owner’s business interests.
DAZN ownership would introduce a similar challenge. Fighters competing on rival networks would need equal consideration in rankings and title decisions. While ownership alone does not prove bias, readers would rightly question how those decisions are shielded from commercial influence.
The belts and rankings complicate De La Hoya’s “dead asset” label. They grant The Ring influence beyond its reporting, provided fans continue to trust its judgments.
His concern about paydays touches on what happens when unusually large offers set fighter expectations. If external funding slows, promoters must negotiate purses based on what tickets and broadcasting can support.
That could mean smaller checks or longer layoffs. De La Hoya believes the waiting has already begun. However, a reported magazine sale does not prove his additional claim that Alalshikh is exiting boxing.
