The great Oscar De La Hoya - 50 years today

[DrDuke]

On Feb 4, 1973, the great Golden Boy was born. Let's remember his achievements. How far in the top 100 p4p list could he go?

[gilgamesh]

I don't think he's Top 100 all time personally. Though admittedly I've never put together a Top 100, but I did do a Top 50, and he was still a long way from coming onto my list.

That being said, he was one of the biggest stars of his era. Fought absolutely everyone that was anyone in his weight range, missing very few fights, and none of the biggest ones. To me a guy like De La Hoya is a testament to how deep Boxing's talent pool goes throughout history. Because when I say I don't believe he'd be Top 100 all time, this is not me saying that he sucked. Merely that this sport has had so many truly amazing fighters throughout it's existence.

I think any fighter that would be even within the Top 500 or Top 1000 of all time is still a badass motherf*cker, and would probably be if nothing else a formidable contender in any era.

[tiny_acres]

I don't think he's Top 100 all time personally. Though admittedly I've never put together a Top 100, but I did do a Top 50, and he was still a long way from coming onto my list.

That being said, he was one of the biggest stars of his era. Fought absolutely everyone that was anyone in his weight range, missing very few fights, and none of the biggest ones. To me a guy like De La Hoya is a testament to how deep Boxing's talent pool goes throughout history. Because when I say I don't believe he'd be Top 100 all time, this is not me saying that he sucked. Merely that this sport has had so many truly amazing fighters throughout it's existence.

I think any fighter that would be even within the Top 500 or Top 1000 of all time is still a badass motherf*cker, and would probably be if nothing else a formidable contender in any era.

I see it the same way. Oscar was a great fighter but not top 100.
Also just being top 1000 is an incredible feat

[DrDuke]

I haven't done the top 100 list either, yet I've surely done top 10s and 20s and I had Pernell Whitaker there. However, Oscar faced the declined version of Sweet Pea and lost on my card.

In any case, De La Hoya was a great champion, no doubt in it. On my cards he also won Trinidad and a rematch with Mosley.

[elmersalsa]

Oscar De La Hoya was a boxing superstar of the 90s and 2000s decade.

Undefeated in first 31 fights.

Won 4 world boxing championships in 4 different weight classes IBF World Lightweight Champion (1995), WBC World Jr Welterweight Champion (1996-97), WBC World Welterweight Champion (1997-99, 2000) and WBC World Super Welterweight Champion (2000-2003, 2006).

Won the Gold Medal at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games.

Beat 17 world champions.

But, in the biggest fights of his career, for all the marbles, he lost:
L12 Felix "Tito" Trinidad
L12 Sugar Shane Mosley
LKO10 Bernard Hopkins
L12 Floyd Mayweather, Jr
LTKO8 Manny Pacquiao

Defining Fight: WTKO4 Julio Cesar Chavez....June 7, 1996....."First man to stop aging legend"
Other defining fights: W12 Ike Quartey, WTKO2 Rafael Ruelas, L12 Felix "Tito" Trinidad, L12 Sugar Shane MosleyWTKO11 Fernando Vargas, and L12 Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Fought the best fighters of his era, but came short on the fights that really, really mattered.

Certainly a Hall of fame boxer.
Not a top 100 all-time pound per pound great.

[margaret thatcher]

got hosed vs tito and shane 2

mosley's face when getting the decision in the rematch was hilarious, dude couldn't believe it

[gilgamesh]

I haven't done the top 100 list either, yet I've surely done top 10s and 20s and I had Pernell Whitaker there. However, Oscar faced the declined version of Sweet Pea and lost on my card.

In any case, De La Hoya was a great champion, no doubt in it. On my cards he also won Trinidad and a rematch with Mosley.

Whitaker comes in at about 27 on my list. Obviously none of these numbers are necessarily set in stone. But that feels about right for Sweet Pea.

It's a shame he didn't get his rightful win over Chavez which would've boosted him slightly, but not a lot because I still honestly rank him as if he DID win that fight because I mean...come on...he did.

[gilgamesh]

got hosed vs tito and shane 2

mosley's face when getting the decision in the rematch was hilarious, dude couldn't believe it

I thought Mosley deserved it, but I think he was shocked that he'd get the decision in a close fight with Boxing's Cash Cow.

[margaret thatcher]

ya we went through that before, and some judges also thought pea didnt beat chavez, some sh!t cards happen

oscar didn't get gifts anymore than he got hosed

[elmersalsa]

Oscar De La Hoya was a boxing superstar of the 90s and 2000s decade.

Undefeated in first 31 fights.

Won 4 world boxing championships in 4 different weight classes IBF World Lightweight Champion (1995), WBC World Jr Welterweight Champion (1996-97), WBC World Welterweight Champion (1997-99, 2000) and WBC World Super Welterweight Champion (2000-2003, 2006).

Won the Gold Medal at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games.

Beat 17 world champions.

But, in the biggest fights of his career, for all the marbles, he lost:
L12 Felix "Tito" Trinidad
L12 Sugar Shane Mosley
LKO10 Bernard Hopkins
L12 Floyd Mayweather, Jr
LTKO8 Manny Pacquiao

Defining Fight: WTKO4 Julio Cesar Chavez....June 7, 1996....."First man to stop aging legend"
Other defining fights: W12 Ike Quartey, WTKO2 Rafael Ruelas, L12 Felix "Tito" Trinidad, , L12 Sugar Shane Mosley, WTKO11 Fernando Vargas, and L12 Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Fought the best fighters of his era, but came short on the fights that really, really mattered.

Certainly a Hall of fame boxer.
Not a top 100 all-time pound per pound great.

Thanks.

[margaret thatcher]

oscar already been robbed vs tito, shane had already got a W over oscar in a close first fight..............he shouldnt have been shocked he got the decision if he'd truly deserved it

[elmersalsa]

I haven't done the top 100 list either, yet I've surely done top 10s and 20s and I had Pernell Whitaker there. However, Oscar faced the declined version of Sweet Pea and lost on my card.

In any case, De La Hoya was a great champion, no doubt in it. On my cards he also won Trinidad and a rematch with Mosley.

Whitaker comes in at about 27 on my list. Obviously none of these numbers are necessarily set in stone. But that feels about right for Sweet Pea.

It's a shame he didn't get his rightful win over Chavez which would've boosted him slightly, but not a lot because I still honestly rank him as if he DID win that fight because I mean...come on...he did.

I rate the great Pernell Whitaker at #20 all-time pound per pound and 4th all-time great lightweight.

[gilgamesh]

I haven't done the top 100 list either, yet I've surely done top 10s and 20s and I had Pernell Whitaker there. However, Oscar faced the declined version of Sweet Pea and lost on my card.

In any case, De La Hoya was a great champion, no doubt in it. On my cards he also won Trinidad and a rematch with Mosley.

Whitaker comes in at about 27 on my list. Obviously none of these numbers are necessarily set in stone. But that feels about right for Sweet Pea.

It's a shame he didn't get his rightful win over Chavez which would've boosted him slightly, but not a lot because I still honestly rank him as if he DID win that fight because I mean...come on...he did.

I rate the great Pernell Whitaker at #20 all-time pound per pound and 4th all-time great lightweight.

I could see a case for him that high. I do consider him one of the Top 3 all time Defensive Wizards in the sports history.

[gilgamesh]

oscar already been robbed vs tito, shane had already got a W over oscar in a close first fight..............he shouldnt have been shocked he got the decision if he'd truly deserved it

Just a personal preference in what you're looking for I guess. I had the Mosley-DLH rematch scored 115-113 for Mosley. I've watched 2 or 3 times. Watched it once with the commentary, watched it with the sound off. Kept having Mosley ekeing it out.

I had DLH beating Tito 115-113 I think, and remembered thinking a Draw wouldn't really have been outlandish. Tito winning was really inconceivable though.

I do feel like DLH gets off to a bit of a slow start there, and has a slow finish for sure, but he dominates the middle portion of the bout with Tito.

[gilgamesh]

I don't know. Oscar may well be Top 100, because looking closely at my list a good deal of his contemporaries and peers do place pretty prominently on the list, and I do think guys like Canelo have done enough that like when Canelo retires he'll be Top 50 all time for sure, and that would be the case if he retired tomorrow.

And I don't consider De La Hoya a million miles away from him, but there's a lot of other names that would still come into the list, but yeah he may well come in somewhere around 80 or thereabouts now that I'm thinking on it a little harder because I can't really think of 50 more guys I'd put ahead of him really.

[elmersalsa]

I don't know. Oscar may well be Top 100, because looking closely at my list a good deal of his contemporaries and peers do place pretty prominently on the list, and I do think guys like Canelo have done enough that like when Canelo retires he'll be Top 50 all time for sure, and that would be the case if he retired tomorrow.

And I don't consider De La Hoya a million miles away from him, but there's a lot of other names that would still come into the list, but yeah he may well come in somewhere around 80 or thereabouts now that I'm thinking on it a little harder because I can't really think of 50 more guys I'd put ahead of him really.

Believe me, there are about 150 fighters that were better than Oscar, gilgamesh. Too many great fighters in the history of boxing.

As for Canelo? I gotta wait when his career is over. I don't think right now he makes the top 100 pound per pound. You gotta be special.

[gilgamesh]

I don't know. Oscar may well be Top 100, because looking closely at my list a good deal of his contemporaries and peers do place pretty prominently on the list, and I do think guys like Canelo have done enough that like when Canelo retires he'll be Top 50 all time for sure, and that would be the case if he retired tomorrow.

And I don't consider De La Hoya a million miles away from him, but there's a lot of other names that would still come into the list, but yeah he may well come in somewhere around 80 or thereabouts now that I'm thinking on it a little harder because I can't really think of 50 more guys I'd put ahead of him really.

Believe me, there are about 150 fighters that were better than Oscar, gilgamesh. Too many great fighters in the history of boxing.

As for Canelo? I gotta wait when his career is over. I don't think right now he makes the top 100 pound per pound. You gotta be special.

He undoubtedly makes it right now. Top 75 for sure.

I just expanded my list to about 76 beyond the Top 50 I already had. I guess I'll post it on the P4P thread.