Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya reveals what's at stake for Portsmouth's Mikey McKinson in Stateside bow

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya has told Mikey McKinson a Stateside return is up for grabs this weekend.
Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The hall of famer and Golden Boy Promotions boss has the Pompey Problem lined up to return to America down the line, as he prepares to make his bow over the pond.

De La Hoya believes McKinson could take on either Blair 'The Flair' Cobbs or Alexis Rocha - who face off in Los Angeles this weekend.

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The pair are the new main event on the DAZN-televised bill after the Portsmouth fighter's anticipated meeting with Vergil Ortiz Jr was cancelled this week, with the Texan forced to pull out through illness.

McKinson now meets Chicago’s Alex Martin at the Galen Centre in the early hours of Sunday morning, after his first replacement Mexican Jesus Antonio Perez arrived in the country nearly two stone overweight.

The 27-year-old knows he needs to make a big impression in his first fight in front of an American audience at the Galen Centre.

After securing by far the biggest pay day of his career, another lucrative windfall could be in line for McKinson.

This article is brought to you in association with PMC Construction & DevelopmentThis article is brought to you in association with PMC Construction & Development
This article is brought to you in association with PMC Construction & Development
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But there's also the greater appeal of his career sky-rocketing if he goes down well with a US audience.

Speaking at the fight's press conference at Golden Boy HQ, De La Hoya said: 'I'm thankful to Cobbs and Rocha for stepping up (to main event). It's a great, great fight.

'But it's amazing how the door opens and things just happen.

'McKinson is ranked number three in the world.

'The winner of this can fight McKinson down the line.

'It's a great opportunity. It's a great way of showing the world what you are made of on Saturday night.

'There's a lot of opportunity there.'

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It's McKinson's lofty world ranking which will make him a target for fighters, as he sits third with the WBO at welterweight.

That's certainly the case with the eccentric Cobbs, who had a fractious exchange with Rocha before their contest.

It was expected the unbeaten Philadelphia man would target McKinson with his antics at the press conference.

Instead he spoke of his appreciation for the former Moneyfields amateur, as he hoped to line up a future meeting.

Cobbs said: ‘I want bigger and better fights - bigger and better money.

'McKinson, I have nothing but respect for him because we’re cut from the same cloth - we’re underdogs.’

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