Oscar De La Hoya Names Defeated Opponent as Toughest, Despite Devastating Losses to Manny Pacquiao & Floyd Mayweather

Oscar De La Hoya, in a recent interview with ESNEWS, branded Pernell Whitaker as his toughest opponent. De La Hoya certainly had his fair share of tough opponents in his time, he wasn’t fighting any nobodies as such. So, it means a big deal when a fighter of his caliber comes in and crowns Whitaker as his strongest opponent, even though he won that fight against him via split decision. He even further said how he struggled against Sweet Pea, as he kept himself low during the fights.

Oscar De La Hoya is a retired professional boxer from East Los Angeles, California. He is considered one of the greatest boxers of his generation and also the most popular boxer of all time. De La Hoya competed as a professional from 1992 to 2008. During his career, he won 10 world titles in six different weight classes. He won titles at super featherweight, lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, light middleweight, and middleweight. He was known for his technical skills and his ability to adapt to different styles of opponents. 

De La Hoya was a highly successful pay-per-view draw during his career. And he’s generated over $700 million in just pay-per-view income. He’s the founder of Golden Boy Promotions, one of the most successful boxing promotion companies in the world. But Oscar De La Hoya might be thinking about selling Golden Boy Promotions.

The Time When Oscar De La Hoya Shared the Ring with Pernell Whitaker

Oscar De La Hoya vs Pernell Whitaker took place on April 12, 1997, and it was for the WBC Welterweight Title. The fight was held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The fight was highly anticipated as both fighters were considered among the best in the world at the time.

Whitaker was considered one of the best defensive fighters in the sport. He was known for his elusive style, and outstanding footwork. He had won world titles in four different weight divisions. On the other hand, De La Hoya was a more aggressive fighter with good power. He was known for his ability to adapt to different styles of opponents, and his strong chin

The fight was a closely contested and technical bout, with both fighters showing their skills and abilities. After 12 rounds, the judges’ scorecards were 115-113, 115-113, and 114-114, which resulted in a split decision in favor of De La Hoya. Many observers felt that Whitaker had done enough to win the fight, but the judges’ decision was a controversial one.

Read More: ‘We Don’t Need That’ – Oscar De La Hoya’s Scandalous Birthday Plan Causes a Stir

The fight was a great showcase of both fighters’ skills. It was considered one of the best fights of the year. Despite the controversial decision, both fighters put on a great show, and it was a memorable fight for both fighters and for the fans.

Some Other De La Hoya’s Worthy Opponents

‘The Golden Boy’ had a very successful career as a professional boxer. But like all fighters, he did suffer some losses. During his career, he fought in several high-profile and notable fights. One of them was his fight against Julio César Chávez in 1996. This fight is considered one of the biggest fights in Mexican boxing history. De La Hoya lost the fight to a controversial decision. The next platform on the ride of the nostalgic train would be his fight against Fernando Vargas in 2002, where he won the IBF light middleweight title by TKO in the 11th round.

His fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007, where he lost by split decision, was one of the highest-grossing fights in the history of the sport. Then the final bout of his career was against Manny Pacquiao in 2008. He again lost that match by TKO in the 8th round. De La Hoya had a total of 45 fights, he won 39 and lost 6, with 30 of his wins coming by way of knockout.

So now when all is written and recalled, we can definitely take the word of De La Hoya when he says that Whitaker was the opponent, he had the hardest time with. Which one do you think was Oscar De La Hoya’s toughest fight of his career? Let us know in the comment section.

Watch This Story: Oscar De La Hoya, Claressa Shields, and Other Boxers Who Reacted to Dana White’s Recent Controversy With Wife Anne