ESPN Deportes on Sept. 14 premiered ‘El Bar,’ a 10-episode, half-hour original “talk show” designed to imitate an intimate barroom conversation between top sports figures.
In the first episode, boxing legends Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. came together for an in-depth conversation, their first meeting since their last fight in 1998.
The wide-ranging conversation covered their humble beginnings and how they made it to the top. They also discussed a common thread in their boxing years: their problems with alcohol and drug abuse.
At one point De La Hoya — the 1992 Olympic gold medalist whose nickname is “the Golden Boy” — told host Andres Agulla that he drank before at least two bouts, a match against Manny Pacquaio and a second against a fighter he wouldn’t identify. Chavez, who retired in 2005, said he drank before several fights, but declined to be specific.
The hourlong series premiere was taped in Los Angeles and aired on the eve of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s fight against Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez.
According to ESPN, El Bar will be shot in various locations with different sports personalities. The show is sponsored by Coors Light.
