While fans await the latest edition of his ‘Thursday Clap-Back’, Oscar De La Hoya, in the interim, decided to revisit one of his most celebrated triumphs. 26 years ago, on September 18, 1998, De La Hoya defeated the Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez for the second time. As he commemorated the anniversary, many followers also queued up—most poured their hearts out, but to a few, it was just another opportunity to take a dig at ‘The Golden Boy’.

Though barring the setback of the Ryan Garcia scandal, De La Hoya and his promotions, The Golden Boy Promotions are riding high on the success of Vergil Ortiz Jr.‘s repeated feats and rising prospects of number one ranked contender William Zepeda. Otherwise, outside of the ring, his spats with Canelo Alvarez, Edgar Berlanga, and a few others have also garnered considerable traction among the followers.

Oscar De La Hoya: Relieve the Night

Relaxing by the poolside, Oscar De La Hoya revealed that the robe he wore was incidentally from the Chavez rematch. “26 years ago, I beat Julio Cesar Chavez for the second time! Enjoy,” said De La Hoya. The attached clip features the final moments of the fight.

Billed ‘Ultimate Revenge’, the fight took place at the Thomas and Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. De La Hoya and Chavez Sr. had previously met in 1996. The former won the fight via a fourth-round technical knockout to become a three-division champion. A year later, ‘The Golden Boy’ defeated Pernell Whitaker for the welterweight title. The next roundup with Chavez Sr. happened during the fifth title defense.

Unlike the previous bout, Julio Cesar Chavez fought quite aggressively. The early rounds were closely contested. However, Oscar De La Hoya’s youthful energy and speed proved too much for the aging warrior. As the eighth round went by, the severe punishment that he had been receiving convinced Cesar Chavez’s corner to pull off the fight.

Impressive exploit amidst skepticism

Indeed, it was a prime Oscar De La Hoya against a not-so-prime Julio Cesar Chavez, who, in a hundred-match run, had suffered just one loss, his career-first, before Oscar De La Hoya inflicted the second. Let’s check what a few of the fans had to say.

This fan doesn’t seem to approve of some of the things Oscar De La Hoya might have said. However, they couldn’t help but express great admiration for his ring prowess, especially when he was in his prime. “Oscar might talk hella crap, but he was really that boy when he was young,” the fan said.

Echoing similar thoughts, the next fan too lauded De La Hoya’s grit and determination inside the ring. The sheer accuracy of his punches combined with a granite chin brought ‘The Golden Boy’ to an all-together new level. “Man!! Prime time Oscar could Scrap like a Mad Lion!! All hands going to the target and had a CHIN!” said this fan.

Quoting Roberto Duran‘s famous words, this user highlighted the way De La Hoya forced Julio Cesar Chavez into submission. They said, “Not just beat, beat him till he said NO MAS.” But then a few critics too found their mark. For instance, this follower felt that De La Hoya hadn’t fended off a young Julio Cesar Chavez’s challenge. It was similar to the subsequent matchup against a young Floyd Mayweather Jr. This is what the follower said: “You say it like you beat a prime Chavez. Just like Mayweather beat an old Oscar.”

Then this user seemed certain that Oscar De La Hoya would have never had a chance against a prime minister, Julio Cesar Chavez. Only history repeated itself when De la Hoya found himself at the opposite end, facing an in-form Manny Pacquaio ten years later. Nonetheless, unlike ‘The Golden Boy’, the ‘PacMan’ never bragged about scoring a win over an aging boxer. “@oscardelahoya, you would’ve NEVER in a million years beat @jcchavez115 in his prime. He would have swept the floor with you! Manny PAC gave you the same pleasantries years later. Only difference, PAC doesn’t gloat. 👏,” said this user.

It seems the day of September 18 is quite special for Oscar De La Hoya. A year after the Chavez Sr. rematch win, De La Hoya suffered his first defeat at the hands of Felix Trinidad.

Then five years later, on September 28, 204, Bernard Hopkins dashed Oscar De La Hoya’s dreams of an undisputed title. It took nearly two years for De La Hoya to make a comeback. However, following losses to Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, he finally decided to hang the glove for good.

Which is your favorite Oscar De La Hoya fight of all time?