Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Oscar De La Hoya

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Oscar De La Hoya made an impact.

Oscar De La Hoya, an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer (1992-2008), earned the moniker "The Golden Boy of Boxing." Representing the United States, he won a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in the lightweight division. De La Hoya achieved significant success in his professional career, securing 11 world titles across six weight classes, including lineal championships in three. He's widely considered one of boxing's all-time greats, ranked 16th by BoxRec.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1989: National Golden Gloves Title

In 1989, Oscar De La Hoya won the National Golden Gloves title in the bantamweight division.

1990: U.S. National Championships win

In February 1990, Oscar De La Hoya won the U.S. National Championships at 57kg in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

1990: Goodwill Games Gold Medal

In July - August 1990, Oscar De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Goodwill Games in Seattle, Washington.

1990: United States Olympic Cup win

In June 1990, Oscar De La Hoya won the United States Olympic Cup at 57kg in Salt Lake City, Utah.

1991: U.S. National Championships win

In February - March 1991, Oscar De La Hoya won the U.S. National Championships at 60kg in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

1991: U.S. Olympic Festival win

In July 1991, Oscar De La Hoya won the U.S. Olympic Festival at 60kg in Los Angeles, California.

1991: World Championships Participation

In November 1991, Oscar De La Hoya participated in the World Championships at 60kg in Sydney, Australia.

November 23, 1992: Professional Debut

On November 23, 1992, Oscar De La Hoya made his professional debut, achieving a first-round KO victory over Lamar Williams in 1 minute 42 seconds.

1992: Olympic Gold Medal

In 1992, Oscar De La Hoya represented the United States at the Summer Olympics and won a gold medal in the lightweight division.

December 9, 1993: Pulled out of fight due to wrist injury

On December 9, 1993, Oscar De La Hoya pulled out of his scheduled fight against Jesús Vidal Concepción due to a wrist injury. Some speculated the injury was overdramatic. The fight was scheduled to be televised by ESPN's "Thursday Night Fights".

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July 29, 1994: Won WBO Lightweight Title

On July 29, 1994, Oscar De La Hoya won the vacant WBO Lightweight title by knocking out Jorge Páez in the second round.

February 1995: Defeated John-John Molina

In February 1995, De La Hoya defeated John-John Molina by unanimous decision. Molina had recently vacated his IBF Super Featherweight title.

May 6, 1995: Defeated Rafael Ruelas in Unification Bout

On May 6, 1995, De La Hoya defeated IBF lightweight champion Rafael Ruelas in a unification bout. The fight was stopped in the second round after De La Hoya knocked Ruelas down twice.

1995: Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year

In 1995, De La Hoya was named The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year.

June 7, 1996: Defeated Julio César Chávez

On June 7, 1996, Oscar De La Hoya defeated Julio César Chávez by a fourth-round TKO, winning the lineal and WBC light welterweight championship. The fight was stopped due to cuts suffered by Chavez.

June 14, 1997: Defeated David Kamau

On June 14, 1997, Oscar De La Hoya successfully defended his WBC welterweight title, defeating David Kamau by second-round KO.

September 13, 1997: Defeated Héctor Camacho

On September 13, 1997, Oscar De La Hoya defeated Héctor Camacho by unanimous decision.

December 6, 1997: Defeated Wilfredo Rivera

On December 6, 1997, Oscar De La Hoya defeated Wilfredo Rivera by eighth-round TKO.

1997: Top-Rated Fighter

In 1997, De La Hoya was The Ring magazine's top-rated fighter in the world, pound for pound.

1997: Defeated Pernell Whitaker

In 1997, Oscar De La Hoya moved up to the welterweight division and defeated Pernell Whitaker by unanimous decision to capture the lineal and WBC titles. He also became The Ring Magazine's number-one ranked pound-for-pound fighter.

June 13, 1998: Defeated Patrick Charpentier

On June 13, 1998, Oscar De La Hoya defeated mandatory challenger Patrick Charpentier by third round TKO.

September 18, 1998: Defeated Julio César Chávez in Rematch

On September 18, 1998, Oscar De La Hoya fought a rematch with Julio César Chávez and defeated him by eighth-round TKO.

1998: Top-Rated Fighter

In 1998, De La Hoya continued to be The Ring magazine's top-rated fighter in the world, pound for pound.

1998: Rematch with Julio César Chávez

In 1998, Oscar De La Hoya had a rematch with Julio César Chávez due to their first fight being stopped. Chávez claimed that De La Hoya did not defeat him since the fight was stopped in 1996.

September 18, 1999: Fought Félix Trinidad

On September 18, 1999, De La Hoya fought Félix Trinidad in one of the biggest pay-per-view events in history. Trinidad was awarded a majority decision, which was viewed as controversial.

1999: Wrist Injury Against Oba Carr

In 1999, Oscar De La Hoya incurred an old wrist injury during the first round of his fight against Oba Carr, which continued to bother him in later fights. The pain was aggravated on his first day of sparring for the Karmazin match.

February 26, 2000: Knocked out Derrell Coley

On February 26, 2000, Oscar De La Hoya knocked out Derrell Coley in a WBC eliminator.

June 17, 2000: Lost to Shane Mosley

On June 17, 2000, Oscar De La Hoya lost his WBC welterweight title, which he was awarded after Trinidad vacated it, to Shane Mosley by split decision.

2000: Opening of the Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center

In 2000, Oscar De La Hoya and his siblings formally opened the Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center at the White Memorial Medical Center (WMMC), with a $350,000 donation in honor of their mother.

2000: Sued Bob Arum

In 2000, Oscar De La Hoya sued Bob Arum to break his contract with the promoter.

February 2001: Won Lawsuit Against Bob Arum

In February 2001, the courts ruled in favor of De La Hoya in his lawsuit against Bob Arum, allowing him to break his contract with the promoter.

March 24, 2001: Defeated Arturo Gatti

On March 24, 2001, Oscar De La Hoya defeated Arturo Gatti by fifth-round TKO.

October 8, 2001: Fight Against Roman Karmazin Announced

On October 8, 2001, it was announced that De La Hoya would defend his WBC light middleweight championship against Roman Karmazin at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, where he won his first title.

November 8, 2001: Fight Against Roman Karmazin Cancelled

On November 8, 2001, the fight between De La Hoya and Karmazin was cancelled due to De La Hoya suffering from a torn cartilage in his left wrist.

May 2002: Fight Withdrawal Due to Hand Injury

In May 2002, De La Hoya had to withdraw from a scheduled fight against Fernando Vargas due to a hand injury.

September 14, 2002: Unification Bout vs. Fernando Vargas

On September 14, 2002, Oscar De La Hoya fought Fernando Vargas in a unification bout dubbed "Bad Blood" at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. De La Hoya won by TKO in the eleventh round after knocking Vargas down. This victory is considered the biggest of De La Hoya's career. After the fight, Vargas tested positive for stanozolol.

2002: Founded Golden Boy Promotions

In 2002, De La Hoya founded Golden Boy Promotions, a combat sport promotional firm that also owns a 25% stake in the Houston Dynamo.

June 5, 2004: Won WBO Middleweight Title Against Felix Sturm

On June 5, 2004, Oscar De La Hoya challenged Felix Sturm for the WBO middleweight title. De La Hoya won by unanimous decision, becoming the first boxer to win world titles in six different weight divisions. The decision was controversial, with many believing Sturm won the fight.

September 18, 2004: Unification Match Against Bernard Hopkins

On September 18, 2004, Oscar De La Hoya fought Bernard Hopkins in a unification match in Las Vegas. Hopkins held the WBC, WBA, and IBF middleweight titles and was considered the number one pound for pound fighter. The fight was at a catchweight of 158 pounds, with Hopkins considered the favorite.

May 6, 2006: Defeated Ricardo Mayorga

On May 6, 2006, Oscar De La Hoya fought Ricardo Mayorga for the WBC light middleweight title. De La Hoya knocked Mayorga down in the first round and secured a knockout in the sixth, winning his tenth world title.

May 5, 2007: Fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

On May 5, 2007, Oscar De La Hoya fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mayweather won by split decision in a closely contested fight.

September 2007: Acquisition of The Ring Magazine

In September 2007, Sports and Entertainment Publications, a subsidiary of Golden Boy Enterprises, acquired The Ring, KO Magazine, and World Boxing Magazine from Kappa Publishing Group.

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May 3, 2008: Fight Against Steve Forbes

On May 3, 2008, Oscar De La Hoya fought Steve Forbes at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. De La Hoya won by unanimous decision in 12 rounds. It was considered a tune-up for a potential rematch with Mayweather.

June 6, 2008: Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced retirement

On June 6, 2008, Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced his first retirement from boxing, effectively ending talks of a rematch between him and Oscar De La Hoya.

December 6, 2008: Fight Against Manny Pacquiao

On December 6, 2008, Oscar De La Hoya faced Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a non-title welterweight fight. Pacquiao defeated De La Hoya, who was favored to win due to his size advantage.

2008: United States Olympic Hall of Fame Inductee

In 2008, Oscar De La Hoya was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

2008: End of Boxing Career

Oscar De La Hoya competed as a professional boxer from 1992 to 2008, winning 11 world titles in six weight classes.

April 14, 2009: Retirement Announcement

On April 14, 2009, Oscar De La Hoya announced his retirement from boxing, ending speculation about a potential fight with Julio César Chávez Jr.

2009: Retirement

In 2009, Oscar De La Hoya announced his retirement as a fighter, concluding a professional career spanning 16 years.

November 24, 2018: Inaugural Golden Boy MMA event

On November 24, 2018, the inaugural Golden Boy MMA event took place, featuring a trilogy bout between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

November 25, 2020: Hinted at Boxing Comeback

On November 25, 2020, Oscar De La Hoya told DAZN that he was "90 percent positive" about returning to boxing in the first quarter of the following year.

June 17, 2021: Return to Boxing Announced

On June 17, 2021, it was announced that Oscar De La Hoya would return to the ring in an exhibition bout against Vitor Belfort on September 11, 2021, under the Triller Fight Club banner.

September 11, 2021: Postponed Return to Ring

On September 3, 2021, Oscar De La Hoya announced that he would not be fighting Belfort on September 11, 2021, due to contracting COVID-19, despite being fully vaccinated. He was receiving hospital treatment.