Good boxer, good technical skills back in the day. Killer left hook though he lack a right sometimes.
Very good boxer, fast hands and feet, blazing combinations, good power, good chin and was pretty tough also. I was never a fan, found his style unappealing, but respected him because he fought pretty much everyone. His biggest failing as a fighter was he wasn't very smart or adaptable. He had the talent and the tools but in crucial fights fought with the wrong strategy.
Amazing fighter with a wicked Jab. Great heart and chin, never ducked anyone. In his prime at the right weight he would be a match for anyone. People seem to forget he was a fighter long before a faded version of himself drained right down to become cannon fodder for Manny Pacman. ODLH was the face pf Boxing in the 90's, was ranked pound for pound number 1 and won gold at the olympics. Looks great in stockings too..........
I remember reading about De La Hoya in Boxing News ( a weekly boxing magazine in the UK) and just hearing about this amazing Olympic gold medallist destroying lightweights on his way up the pro ranks. He was awesome and I have always thought that if I could pick any boxer's career as the golden standard I would perhaps pick his. There are things about him that I didn't like and I often watched rooting for his opponents. When he beat Julio Cesar Chavez I was disgusted and went off him completely. Not very rational on my part but it really affected me. He is definitely a legend. Retired with his looks and faculties intact and has a lucrative career outside of boxing, not too many other boxers have done that. :bbb
I cannot argue with any of that. I wonder however whether the way he transcended the sport for so long makes him a legend.
Considering the consistent level of opposition he faced and his time at or near the very top of the sport throughout the 90's and early 2000's, I'd say he's a definite ATG. DLH had a great textbook boxer-puncher style and could box very well behind a jab. One of his best outings is probably Mosley 2, which I think he won clearly, and that should be counted as one of the better wins of the decade, all things considered. He was very well-rounded and I find it a pleasure to watch him box behind a jab or beast out with pin-point aggression. He isn't one of the greatest pure boxers ever and didn't have the absolute highest Ring IQ, but he was till a very good boxer with many skills.