Not many fighters can say that they have shared the ring with their boxing hero. The same cannot be said about Oscar De La Hoya however, who took on many generational greats throughout the course of his decorated 16-year professional career.
After he closed the curtain on his stellar amateur tenure, De La Hoya entered the paid ranks where he established himself as a serious contender within a matter of months.
De La Hoya would go on to win world titles in six weight divisions along the way, earning himself a spot in the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s class of 2014.
One of the legendary fighters that De La Hoya faced during his tenure was Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest fighters to have ever graced the sport.
Speaking to Fight Hub, De La Hoya claimed that Chavez had one of the best chins in boxing when reflecting on his two showdowns with the Mexican great.
“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. Not only was he to me one of the best fighters to come out of Mexico, or from anywhere all over the world, but his chin was by far if not the best, one of the best.”
De La Hoya faced Chavez for the first time back in June of 1996. ‘The Golden Boy’ stopped the three-weight world champion in the 4th round of their clash in Las Vegas to capture the WBC super-lightweight title.
They locked horns for the second time two years later and it was De La Hoya who prevailed once again as he forced Chavez to quit on his stool in the eighth round to retain his WBC welterweight title for the fifth time.
