Oscar De La Hoya faced an abundance of generational greats throughout his outstanding career, including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
‘The Golden Boy’ entered the paid ranks back in 1992, just a few months after he walked away from the Olympic Games in Barcelona with a Gold Medal in the lightweight division.
Throughout the course of his tenure, De La Hoya won titles across six weight classes, defeating the likes of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, Ike Quartey and Arturo Gatti amongst a number of others.
He did suffer his share of defeats however, and was beaten twice in the space of eighteen months by former pound-for-pound stars Mayweather and Pacquiao, before announcing his retirement from the sport a short while after.
Speaking to the Ring Magazine, ‘The Golden Boy’ revealed Pernell Whitaker as the one fighter he faced that had more natural skill than both.
“Pernell Whitaker had to be one of the most skillful fighters in any generation – the fact he could stay right in front of you and could still slip the punches. Whitaker wasn’t a runner; he was just someone who stood right in front of you and knew how to slip. Pernell Whitaker knew how to knock you out, too. Punching power, skill, I.Q. – Whitaker had it all. He’s probably one of the all-around best boxers I faced.”
De La Hoya defeated Whitaker by controversial unanimous decision in a closely contested 1997 bout where De La Hoya was the aggressor, but Whitaker’s slick defense and ring generalship led many to believe he deserved the win
He is often regarded as being one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter in the history of boxer. ‘Sweet Pea’ won world titles in four divisions throughout his career, including the undisputed lightweight championship which he captured in 1990 when he defeated Juan Nazario.
He tragically passed away in 2019 aged just 55-years-old, although his outstanding legacy lives on and is discussed by boxing fans around the world to this very day.
