Oscar De La Hoya: Golden and talented

A little over 30 years ago, Oscar De La Hoya captured his first of eight world titles. De La Hoya stopped one Jimmi Bredahl, who entered the ring as the reigning WBO super featherweight champion. The fight was hardly competitive.

 

Both fighters were undefeated. Most had heard of De La Hoya, the 1992 Olympic gold medal winner nicknamed "The Golden Boy." Bredahl, hailing from Denmark, was a mere afterthought.

 

The fight occurred at the legendary Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, the site of many legendary fights and fighters. The venue was a perfect place to crown local boy De La Hoya.

 

De La Hoya didn’t disappoint, knocking Bredahl down twice and winning by stoppage in round 10. Four months later, De Hoya met wily veteran Jorge Paez at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

 

Paez did some shucking and jiving in the first round. He bobbed and weaved and threw overhand rights. One or two landed. All three ringside judges awarded Paez the first round. De La Hoya fired jabs and studied his awkward opponent.

 

Early in round two, an inside left hook made Paez sag. A follow-up shot knocked him. Thirteen fights into his professional career, De La Hoya had collected two world title belts.

 

De La Hoya was back in Vegas to fight IBF lightweight champion Rafael Ruelas, winner of 43 of 44 bouts in 1995. 

 

Ruelas had scouted De La Hoya at an earlier fight.

 

"It confirms what I’ve been saying," Ruelas told the Chicago Tribune Sports Page in 1995. "He lacks experience and doesn’t take the initiative. He lets guys fight their fight against him."

 

Ruelas came out swinging, believing his own words. He would make De La Hoya fight his fight. The problem was that it didn’t work. 

 

De La Hoya peppered Ruelas while using lateral movement. Ruelas was aggressive but not effective. De La Hoya wobbled him with a left hook. Ruelas kept pressing forward, but his legs didn’t look right. De La Hoya ended matters in the next heat. A left hook (what else) deposited Ruelas on his back. He got up but was dazed. He was down again seconds later from a right hand. The fight was allowed to continue until De La Hoya pummeled a resigned Ruelas on the ropes.

 

The victory was the biggest in De La Hoya’s young career. He was gunning for a fight with his boyhood idol, Julio Cesar Chavez.

 

De La Hoya stopped Genaro Hernández, Jesse James Leija, and Daryl Tyson.

 

As much as De La Hoya admired future Hall of Famer Chavez, his motivation for a fight was driven by a sparring session between the two that went down six years before.

 

De La Hoya was 15 when he sparred with Chavez, who was preparing for his fight with Meldrick Taylor. A body shot deposited De La Hoya on the seat of his pants. 

 

"He hit me with that right hand," said De La Hoya several years later. "I swear I’ve never been hit harder in my life."

 

On June 7, 1996, De La Hoya came out fast, strafing Chavez with slashing punches. A minute into the fight, Chavez had a gash over his left eye that leaked crimson.

 

By the fourth round, Chavez was a bloody mess, resembling a fighter who had taken a bath filled with blood. Referee Joe Cortez stopped the fight.

 

Seven months later, again in Las Vegas, De La Hoya met fellow gold medalist and reigning welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker.

 

De La Hoya struggled to land against the crafty Whitaker while eating jabs. De la Hoya suffered a flash knockdown in round nine, but his aggressiveness and edge in power (and uppercuts) convinced the judges. With the victory, the 24th of his career, De La Hoya picked up the WBC welterweight title.

 

Julio Cesar Chavez had demanded a rematch after his loss to De La Hoya. He was unimpressed and let everyone know it.

 

"De La Hoya was nothing," Chavez said. "His punches didn’t hurt me at all.”

 

Chavez did better in the rematch. He clipped the younger and faster De La Hoya with hooks. De La Hoya stayed in the trenches longer, connecting with sharp punches and eating blows to the head and body. The pride of the old champion was evident. De la Hoya bit down on his gumshield and fired wicked blows. In round eight, they went toe-to-toe for most of the heat. De La Hoya got the better of it, proving to Chavez, the ultimate tough guy, that pretty boys are tough. Chavez quit on his stool after the round.

 

De La Hoya next met former welterweight champion Ike Quartey. The fight was see-saw and gritty. Both fighters scored knockdowns. De La Hoya found the energy to knock Quartey down in the last round. He won the fight by split decision.

 

When De La Hoya fought Fernando Vargas in 2022, he was no longer undefeated. Felix Trinidad had taken his 0, while Shane Mosley had edged him a thriller. Vargas had held a grudge against De La Hoya for nine years over an incident in training. De La Hoya had no idea what Vargas was talking about. But the constant name-calling by Vargas got under De La Hoya’s skin.

 

The stronger Vargas backed De La Hoya into the ropes in the opening round. He was bleeding from his nose and behind on the scorecards early. De La Hoya eventually found his rhythm, tattooing jabs and right hand. His rocket left hook was locked and loaded. The blow staggered Vargas in round 10. Early in round 11, another powerful left hand deposited Vargas on his back. He beat the count, but after several more headshots, the referee halted the fight. 

 

The victory was one of the most satisfying of De La Hoya’s career.

 

"It’s got to rank up there,” said De La Hoya. “I mean, Fernando Vargas is no pushover. He’s a strong puncher, but I knew I was faster."

 

De La Hoya fought another loudmouth four years later. Cigarette smoking, former welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga mocked De La Hoya. The insults were personal, inferring that De La Hoya took a dive against Bernard Hopkins, grabbing his crotch and taunting, and insulting De La Hoya’s wife and child.

 

Motivation wasn’t an issue. De La Hoya cracked Mayorga with a right-hand-left hook a minute into the fight that sent Mayorga down on the seat of his pants. De La Hoya glared at Mayorga as he walked to the neutral corner. Mayorga hung around until round six - until another combination sent him to his knees. His face showed resignation. He apologized to De La Hoya after the fight.

 

Oscar De La Hoya lost some big fights in his career, but won some important ones as well.

 

De La Hoya’s out-of-the-ring scandals have hurt his reputation, but they shouldn’t touch his ability as a fighter.

 

The Golden Boy could fight.