Oscar De La Hoya shared the ring with a number of generational greats throughout the course of his professional career.
‘The Golden Boy’ entered the paid ranks back in 1992 after he walked away from the Olympic Games in Barcelona with a lightweight gold medal.
He would go on to win world titles in no less than six weight classes throughout the course of his 16-year tenure, ranging from super-featherweight up to middleweight.
De La Hoya racked up a number of career defining victories along the way, defeating the likes of Hector Camacho, Pernell Whitaker, Ike Quartey and Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr to name just a few.
In a round of ‘Best I Faced’ with The Ring Magazine, De La Hoya didn’t hesitate to name Chavez as the toughest opponent that he ever shared the ring with, paying homage to the durable chin of the hall-of-fame inductee who he claims is his ‘hero’.
“I hit him with some good shots and he still wouldn’t go down. He had one of the best chins in the world, ever. Very resilient. He still is my hero.”
‘The Golden Boy’ backed these claims up in a separate interview with Fight Hub TV, where he says the Mexican great was ‘known’ for having such a good chin.
“Wow, I have to say Julio Cesar Chavez had one of the best chins in boxing, he was known for that, he was known for his granite chin … His chin was by far, if not the best, one of the best.”
De La Hoya took on Chavez Sr in June 1996 during the latter stages of the Mexican’s career, with ‘The Golden Boy’ claiming the a fourth round stoppage victory to become the new WBC super-lightweight champion. They would rematch two years later, with Chavez retiring on his stool in the eighth due to sustained damage.
Chavez is widely considered to be one of the greatest fighters of all time by fans and analysts globally. He fought on 115 occasions during his 25-year professional career, winning world titles across three weight classes along the way.
