Oscar De La Hoya admits himself to rehab, will miss Alvarez-Mayweather fight

Oscar De La Hoya has admitted himself to a treatment facility as he continues to fight his substance abuse.

The former boxer issued a statement Tuesday saying he voluntarily admitted himself to an unnamed facility. The move comes on the eve of the biggest fight of the year for his promotion company Saturday night when Floyd Mayweather Jr. takes on Canelo Alvarez.

"Canelo Alvarez and I have big fights coming up this weekend. His is the ring and mine in treatment," De La Hoya said in a statement. "I will not be at the fight to cheer Canelo to victory since I have voluntarily admitted myself into a treatment facility.

"I explained this to Canelo and he understood that my health and longterm recovery from my disease must come first."

De La Hoya first admitted two years ago that he was an alcoholic and drug user and had been in treatment. He told the Los Angeles Times last month that he sometimes attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings six days a week, but had slipped at times in his treatment.

"The fight life, that was easy," he told the paper. "This is a battle I have every day."

De La Hoya is a partner in Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Alvarez and is promoting the fight against Mayweather. He appeared several times on Showtime's "All Access" show cheering on Alvarez in what is expected to be one of the richest fights in boxing history.

De La Hoya won world titles in six classes and an Olympic gold medal in 1992. He retired in December 2008 after being stopped by Manny Pacquiao in his last fight.

In a 2011 interview with Spanish-language network Univision, De La Hoya said he had contemplated suicide while he battled his substance abuse.

"Rock bottom was recently," De La Hoya said at the time. "Within a couple of years, just thinking if my life was even worth it. I don't have the strength, I don't have the courage to take my own life but I was thinking about it."

Watch the interview here: