The Masked Singer Season 13: Fuzzy Peas' identity revealed

Olympic gold medalist and boxing icon Oscar De La Hoya was the face behind the mask in The Masked Singer Season 13, which solves the riddle of the Fuzzy Peas.

In the most recent show, which had as its subject "Shrek Night," the boxing champion sang Smashmouth's "I'm a Believer" before taking off his mask after exchanging his boxing gloves for a microphone.

The Masked Singer, FOX's hit competition show, features celebrities performing in elaborate costumes while a panel of judges—Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, Rita Ora, and Robin Thicke—attempts to guess their identities.

This season introduced new elements, including a mysterious "Detective Lucky Duck" character who helps panelists "quack" the case of who's behind each mask. The show's format allows celebrities to step out of their comfort zones, something De La Hoya embraced wholeheartedly in his green, three-headed costume.

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Oscar De La Hoya’s journey from the ring to The Masked Singer stage

For De La Hoya, performing on The Masked Singer felt surprisingly familiar. The former boxer added,

"Boxing prepared me for 'The Masked Singer. Going on stage or inside the ring, in front of thousands of people or millions watching at home... you get nervous, butterflies in your stomach. It's that same feeling when I used to go inside the ring."

The boxing champion's strategy for handling the nerves?

Maintaining a positive and lighthearted mindset, reminding himself to laugh, smile, and enjoy the experience. De La Hoya's enthusiasm for his character was evident in his post-reveal interview. He said, enthusiastically:

"The three faces on each pea had a different personality. And I was like, 'wow, that's me.' I'm the fuzzy pea!"

The costume's multiple personalities particularly resonated with him.

"One was mischievous, and the other was just happy and giddy... The other one was like, I don't know, confused. That is me. They hit it right on."

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The man behind the mask

The anonymity of performing in costume proved particularly appealing to De La Hoya. He reflected on how being in the spotlight throughout his career earned him a lot of scrutiny, with every move in the ring analyzed and critiqued throughout his career, especially since winning an Olympic gold medal in 1992.

"I was like, wait, I get to be behind the mask. I get to be myself. I can be silly. Nobody knows who I am. I'm in. Pick me, please."

The boxer even found inspiration in an unlikely source:

"You know who I was channeling when I was doing the Fuzzy Pea? I was channeling Puss in Boots!"

Maintaining the mystery proved challenging but manageable, admitting that every time the producers asked him not to tell anyone, he had the urge to tell everyone. He did share the secret with one special person, however:

"I did tell my little girl. She's eleven years old. And she kept the secret!"

The panel's guesses, which included Pitbull and Antonio Banderas, particularly amused him:

"It was hilarious. I was like, wait, Pitbull? What? I don't think I have his voice!"

While his journey on The Masked Singer may have been brief—he had planned to perform a Rat Pack song if he'd advanced—De La Hoya has no regrets. He claimed to enjoy transforming into a character while remaining completely anonymous, and he considered it one of the most fun moments of his career.

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New episodes of The Masked Singer air Wednesdays on Fox and stream the next day on Hulu.