What do you think of Oscar De La Hoya?

[All in]

It is interesting hearing other people's opinions on Oscar De La Hoya, as a boxer and as a person. What do you guys think?

I'm going to let my opinion marinate.

[TBear]

I watched him since the Olympics. Seen each and every step of his career. Interesting but I have talked with several women that would order every ppv he was featured. Women that never followed boxing before. He had that type of drawing power. Sure he had skills and plenty of big fights but his charisma sold. Perhaps the only fighter with similar charisma that attracted viewers outside the boxing realm that was close to this was Sugar Ray Leonard.(since Ali of course)

[ShoulderRoll]

It's rather amazing what he made of himself given his humble origins. As a fighter he faced every one there was to face and more often than not came out on top or should have (i.e. Trinidad and Mosley 2.) He was the biggest name in the sport for a long time and helped carry it during a low point in heavyweight star power.

He also built one of the two most successful promotional companies in the US if not the world. In a profession where retired athletes stereotypically end up taken advantage of and broke he really flipped the script and blazed a new trail, showing that a different way is possible for boxers if they invest their winnings wisely.

That is a great story and pretty much exemplifies the American Dream.

[billeau2]

It's rather amazing what he made of himself given his humble origins. As a fighter he faced every one there was to face and more often than not came out on top or should have (i.e. Trinidad and Mosley 2.) He was the biggest name in the sport for a long time and helped carry it during a low point in heavyweight star power.

He also built one of the two most successful promotional companies in the US if not the world.

That a great story which pretty much exemplifies the American Dream.

One does have to say that in his heyday the division was at one of its strongest points. Went that way for a while... Even guys coming in from the periphery, Ike Quartey, Vernon Forrest, Mayorga. Great fights back then. Oscar was in the middle of it.

[yngwie]

The guy that got me in boxing.
Elite talent and people overlook his early great wins against the likes of Molina (close fight against an underrated fighter), Leija, Ruelas and others.
He fought the best available and sometimes lost and sometimes won, he had many controversial decisions on his side (Whitaker, Molina, Sturm, Quartey) and against him (Trinidad, Mosley 2).
As an amateur he was a star, i have never seen a fighter that young with that type of following and of course he was an elite talent that reached the maximum amateur goal.
His talent was impressive, but he always lacked that extra in dedication and a good corner.
Right now he build himself in the boxing scene with one of the biggest promotional companies in the world and he is making hundreds of millions without even throwing a punch.
A guy with a great story, that faces his demons even to this day, but he's always polite to people.
The GGG-Canelo thing hurt him a little bit in my book, but he remains as my hero, the guy that got me in boxing and one of the most talented fighters the world has seen.

[The Old LefHook]

Anyone knows that Golden Boy's $15 million offer to GGG was a game of lowball despite it being a career high offer to GGG. Hoya knew it was low enough to stall a signing. Mission accomplished.

The danger is that the fight happens but not in a timely manner, which boxing fans are all too familiar with. Waiting for obvious signs of deterioration in GGG borders on the unethical for a hardcore boxing fan. We do not want to be put through the Mayweather/Pacquiao experience agains so soon. The bad tase still lingers strongly in our mouths.

Hoya the man of the press release was a giant critic of the stalling tactics preceding MW/Pac. For him to now use any form of obvious stalling as his template is disgusting. Despite any of his protestations that he is merely protecting his fighter by maneuvering into a position for the largest purse, his motivations are transparent to boxing fans, who always resent excuses anyway.

I have no clue as to how much money Hoya is currently making. Doesn't he have a bunch of minor fighters and champs from the smaller divisions with Canelo as his only big draw? I don't know, I do not foillow him closely and have grown to the point where I almost always ignore articles citing a quote of his on this site, just as I grew to ignore most of the press releases of Arum because he was dishonest and unreliable.

[HandsofIron]

I think he could of been the greatest ever but he ruined himself in his biggest, most important fight against Felix Trinidad, choosing to flight rather than fight in the second half.

[ShoulderRoll]

As far as being a businessman goes I can't fault him for his stance regarding Canelo vs Golovkin. He got robbed of most of his fighters by Haymon and Schaefer, until he rebuilds he's got to protect the only star he has.

And it's a fact that Golovkin is not a PPV draw. The $15 million offer was more than fair given GGG's actual track record. Oscar should actually offer him less now based on the numbers for the Jacobs fight. This is a business not a charity.

His talent was impressive, but he always lacked that extra in dedication and a good corner.

Maybe when he was younger his corner was questionable but he did work with a lot of top flight trainers throughout his career.

Cornermen don't get much better than Jesus "The Professor" Rivero, Emmanuel Steward, Gil Clancy, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and Nacho Beristain.

[yngwie]

As far as being a businessman goes I can't fault him for his stance regarding Canelo vs Golovkin. He got robbed of most of his fighters by Haymon and Schaefer, until he rebuilds he's got to protect the only star he has.

And it's a fact that Golovkin is not a PPV draw. The $15 million offer was more than fair given GGG's actual track record. Oscar should actually offer him less now based on the numbers for the Jacobs fight. This is a business not a charity.




Maybe when he was younger his corner was questionable but he did work with a lot of top flight trainers throughout his career.

Cornermen don't get much better than Jesus "The Professor" Rivero, Emmanuel Steward, Gil Clancy, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and Nacho Beristain.

It's not about the quality of the trainers but the fact that he never made a great bond with any of them.

[ShoulderRoll]

He did seem to bond with Floyd Sr. Always calls him the best trainer he ever had.

That did come in the later stages of his career though.