Oscar De La Hoya: Chávez, Trinidad, Mayweather and the Golden Boy | Ultimate Boxing Reunion

Why fans still care

OSCAR DE LA HOYA came out of the 1992 Olympics as the face of American boxing and stayed one of its biggest draws for 16 years. He beat Julio César Chávez and Pernell Whitaker, and his fights with Félix Trinidad, Who’s Who number 6 and Floyd Mayweather Jr, Who’s Who number 14 set pay per view records.

Then he became a promoter. Golden Boy Promotions, which he founded in 2002, is still in business, and he is still its public face.

Early life

He was born on 4 February 1973 in the Los Angeles area to Mexican immigrant parents. Boxing ran in the family. His father, Joel Sr., had a short professional career, and his grandfather Vicente boxed as an amateur featherweight in Durango, Mexico. According to the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum, he first wore gloves at four. He had his first bout at six and trained at the Resurrection Boys’ Club gym in East Los Angeles.

As an amateur he won a Junior Olympic title at 15 and the 1989 National Golden Gloves, and in 1990 he won gold at the Goodwill Games as the youngest boxer on the US team. His mother, Cecilia, died of breast cancer in 1990, and he had promised her he would win an Olympic gold medal. In the 1991 world championship final he lost to Marco Rudolph of Germany. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics he met Rudolph again in the lightweight final and won 7 to 2. He was the only American boxer to win gold at those Games. He finished his amateur career with 223 wins and 5 losses.

The early fights

He turned professional on 23 November 1992 and knocked out Lamar Williams in round 1 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood. In his 12th professional fight, in March 1994, he won the WBO super featherweight title. Later that year he won the WBO lightweight title, and in 1995 he added the IBF lightweight title.

Career chapters

1. 1992Wins Olympic gold in Barcelona, then turns professional
2. 1994Wins his first world title, the WBO super featherweight title
3. 1995Adds the IBF lightweight title
4. 1996Stops Julio César Chávez for the WBC super lightweight title
5. 1997Beats Pernell Whitaker for the WBC welterweight title
6. 1998Beats Chávez again
7. 1999Loses for the first time, to Félix Trinidad, Who’s Who number 6
8. 2000Loses a split decision to Shane Mosley
9. 2001Wins the WBC light middleweight title against Javier Castillejo
10. 2002Founds Golden Boy Promotions and stops Fernando Vargas
11. 2003Loses to Mosley again
12. 2004Wins the WBO middleweight title against Felix Sturm, then is knocked out by Bernard Hopkins, Who’s Who number 9
13. 2006Stops Ricardo Mayorga for the WBC light middleweight title
14. 2007Loses a split decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr, Who’s Who number 14
15. 2008Loses his last fight, to Manny Pacquiao, Who’s Who number 1
16. 2014Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame

Julio César Chávez 7 June 1996

On 7 June 1996, in the outdoor arena at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, before 15,283, he challenged the Mexican great Julio César Chávez for the WBC super lightweight title. De La Hoya was unbeaten. A jab opened a cut over Chávez’s left eye in round 1, and in round 4 two left hooks broke his nose. The ring doctor, Flip Homansky, stopped it at 2:37 of the round, according to the Baltimore Sun. It was Chávez’s first stoppage loss in 100 fights. “Man, this is an easy fight, easiest fight I’ve had,” he said later, according to ESPN Classic.

He beat Chávez again in 1998, stopping him after round 8.

Pernell Whitaker 12 April 1997

On 12 April 1997 at the Thomas & Mack Center he moved up to welterweight to challenge Pernell Whitaker for the WBC title. In round 9 two short lefts from Whitaker put his glove and knee on the canvas, and referee Mills Lane ruled it a knockdown. De La Hoya won on a unanimous decision, 115 to 111, 116 to 110 and 116 to 110, though a Las Vegas Review-Journal poll of 26 writers had 14 scoring it for Whitaker.

Félix Trinidad 18 September 1999

On 18 September 1999 at Mandalay Bay he met the unbeaten IBF champion Félix Trinidad, Who’s Who number 6. ESPN reports about 1.4 million pay per view buys, a record for a fight outside the heavyweights. De La Hoya controlled the early rounds with his jab and movement, and by CompuBox’s count landed 263 punches to Trinidad’s 166. Before round 11 his trainer Gil Clancy told him to box the last rounds, and he later said he thought the fight was already won. The judges disagreed: one scored it level and two had Trinidad ahead by a point and by two. It was his first loss as a professional.

Mosley, Vargas and Mosley again 2000 to 2003

On 17 June 2000 at Staples Center, before 20,744, he lost his WBC welterweight title to the unbeaten Shane Mosley on a split decision.

Moving up to light middleweight, he beat Arturo Gatti in 2001 and Javier Castillejo for the WBC title. On 14 September 2002 in Las Vegas he met Fernando Vargas to unify the WBA and WBC titles. He was behind on one card after 10 rounds. A left hook wobbled Vargas late in round 10, another dropped him in round 11, and the referee stopped it at 1:48.

On 13 September 2003 he lost the titles to Mosley in their rematch, 115 to 113 on all three cards, even though he landed 221 punches to Mosley’s 127.

Bernard Hopkins 18 September 2004

On 5 June 2004 he won the WBO middleweight title against Felix Sturm, a close decision after which he admitted, “I underestimated him.” Three months later, on 18 September 2004 at the MGM Grand, he defended it against the undisputed champion Bernard Hopkins, Who’s Who number 9. In round 9 two left hooks just under the ribs put him down, and he was counted out at 1:38. It was the first knockout loss of his career.

Floyd Mayweather Jr 5 May 2007

On 6 May 2006 he stopped Ricardo Mayorga in round 6 to win back the WBC light middleweight title. On 5 May 2007 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena he defended it against Floyd Mayweather Jr, Who’s Who number 14, whose father had been De La Hoya’s trainer. He was the aggressor early and threw more punches, 587 to 481, but Mayweather landed more, 207 to 122. Two judges had Mayweather ahead and one had De La Hoya. The fight drew a record live gate of US$19 million, and HBO reported 2.15 million pay per view buys, a record at the time.

Manny Pacquiao 6 December 2008

On 6 December 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena he fought Manny Pacquiao, Who’s Who number 1 at 147 lb. Pacquiao landed 45 power punches in round 7, the most CompuBox had counted against De La Hoya in 31 fights, and after round 8 his trainer, Nacho Beristain, stopped the fight. It was his last professional fight. He announced his retirement on 14 April 2009.

Style, technique and the corner

How he fought

He was a boxer puncher who built everything off the jab. ESPN Classic counted about 30 jabs a round against Chávez, and against Mayorga in 2006 he landed 48 of 108 jabs while Mayorga landed 6 of 136. His finishing punch was the left hook. It broke Chávez’s nose, dropped Vargas and put Mayorga down inside the first minute.

He changed his approach from fight to fight. He used new defensive movement against Genaro Hernández in 1995.

The corner

His early trainers were Al Stankie, at the Resurrection Boys’ Club, and then Robert Alcazar, a friend of his father. Gil Clancy was in his corner for Trinidad. Floyd Mayweather Sr. trained him from 2000 or 2001 (sources differ), though not for the fight with his son. Freddie Roach took the camp in Puerto Rico for that fight, and Nacho Beristain trained him for Pacquiao.

Stories people still tell

1. “The Golden Boy”.

   According to Encyclopedia.com, the nickname came after the 1992 Olympic final. Ten years later it became the name of his promotions company.

2. Boxing the last rounds.

   Against Trinidad he believed the fight was won after nine rounds and boxed carefully to the finish. The cards went the other way, and the rematch never happened.

3. Respect in the ring.

   After their 2008 fight Pacquiao told him he was still his idol, and De La Hoya answered, “Now, you’re my idol.”

Legacy

He finished with 39 wins, 30 by knockout, and 6 losses from 45 professional fights, with 10 world titles in six divisions. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on 8 June 2014, in the same class as Félix Trinidad, Who’s Who number 6. Golden Boy Promotions, which DAZN describes as the first Latino owned boxing promotions company, has promoted fighters including Canelo Álvarez, Who’s Who number 8 and Ryan Garcia, Who’s Who number 28, and in October 2026 it is still promoting world title fights.