Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya told reporters in the lead up to his comeback fight against Vitor Belfort on Sept. 11 that he was raped by an older woman when he was 13.
De La Hoya, 48, said the incident took place at a boxing competition in Hawaii.
“I was raped at 13, from a woman, an older woman,” the Los Angeles Times quoted him as saying on Monday. “Thirteen, lost my virginity over being, you know, being raped, basically.”
He went on: “I was in Hawaii, I think, at some tournament. She was over 35.”
De La Hoya is coming to terms with childhood traumas, including the sexual abusee.
“You suppress everything,” he said. “You’re living this life, the Golden Boy, but, oh s—, wait, that’s still there. Like I never, like, thought about it, I never processed it, I never really thought how my feelings are … until one day it just comes out, and you don’t know how to deal with it.”
De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) hasn’t fought since he was knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in December 2008.
He and Belfort, a 44-year-old former UFC champion, will fight on pay-per-view at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The fighters agreed to a weight limit of 185 pounds. De La Hoya never weighed more than 160 for any fight.
Belfort (1-0, 1 KO) had a single boxing match in 2006. He stopped Josemario Neves in one round in his native Brazil.
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