Oscar: A Career Perfectly Managed or Perfectly Ruined

Oscar de la Hoya is without a doubt one the premier athletes in the sport throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Unfortunately Oscar in more recent years he has been half fighter half promoter. This has led to his professional demise between the ropes and it has helped confirm to his critics that he was simply a good fighter who was perfectly managed. I put it to you however that in, terms of money: Yes a perfectly managed career. In terms of success and legacy: Could have been better.

In his 12th professional fight ODH won the WBO super featherweight and defended it once before winning the vacant WBO lightweight title later in the same year. His first test came against John John Molina, an established super-feather champ with 10 plus defences. He then unified the belt by defeating Rafael Ruelas in two rounds (faster than Kosta Tyzu did several years later).

He then had his first “superfight” versus JCC. JCC had lost only one fight to this point, and had corrected this by beating Frankie Randall. Only two years prior he had won what many described as his best win against Meldrick Taylor. Although there were clear signs he was slowing down he was only 34, whilst De la Hoya was 23. ODH proceeded in outclassing the champ, before it was stopped on cuts. Many disregard this victory as meaning nothing, which is strange. ODH was only 23, stepping up in weight and fighting a world champion. This wasn’t a case of ODH being the champion and finding an old legend to pick on, JCC was the current champion. For me it was an important victory.

He then had one defence, before he stepped up in weight again and beat current WBC welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker. Whitaker was only 33, had not lost in 9 years and even that loss was hotly disputed. What took place was a great match which was extremely close. The problem with this fight is once Oscar won a very close match, it gave people a great reason to suggest that Pernell if he had been in his prime would have whooped Oscar. This wasn’t a “Joe Calzaghe vs RJJ” Whitaker was still very much near the top of his game and was edged out in a close fight. Hence ODH had his genuine victory over a HOF’er. Why is Rocky Marciano given credit for beating “way past” it ex-champions yet Oscar receives little to no credit for beating a legendary fighter like Pernell Whittaker.

I will fast forward the story to his fight with Felix Trinidad (bear in mind he had a great win over Ike Quartey in this time). He outclassed Trinidad in the fight but he made the fight close, because he decided to let his foot off the pedal. He lost by majority decision, but he won in the eyes of many. For me this further enhanced his legacy as it showed he was truly an elite fighter. Felix has three official losses, all against HOF’ers and all against bigger men. Felix is an all-time great welterweight (don’t let his losses at higher weight division take away from this) and ODH at the very least showed he was on the same level.

Instead of resting on his laurels 9 months later he decided to accept the challenge of Sugar Shane Mosely. Mosely back then was a beast- fast, strong, great chin. He was the ultimate lightweight and pound-for-pound one of the best fighters. In a classic LA battle both men “dared to be great” but once again ODH was on the wrong-end of a close decision.
People will criticise ODH for losing his two “superfights” but realistically how many welterweights in the history of boxing could be confident of securing two back-to-back wins against a “prime” Shane Mosely and Felix Trinidad. My guess would be very few, but Oscar tried and he got damn close.

He continued his move up the weights, having a great career win against Fernando Vargas. Followed up with a solid victory over Yori Boy Campas. He then had the rematch with Shane Mosely at the exactly wrong time. Shane Mosely had just come off two losses and Oscar was his quick ticket back to the top. The fight was no classic but Oscar did enough in this fight to win it. He executed his plan but once again for some reason the judges didn’t see it going for him.

He then proceeded in winning a version of the middleweight title, albeit by a slightly controversial decision (but no more than his losses vs. Mosely 2 and Trinidad). He then took part in a huge middleweight unification match. He fought valiantly; looking good for the first few rounds but ultimately was outsized by the better man on the night. But to make this fight it took balls! Shane Mosely is a great fighter; would he beat B-Hop? Probably not, did he have the balls to ever think of making this fight? No. Would Floyd Mayweather beat Pavlik? Probably Not, does he have the balls to make this fight? No. This is not to say SSM or FMJ are scared because that is simply unrealistic but it just shows how driven Oscar was to be great.

For me after this point in his career Oscar stopped being a fighter but was a hybrid between the former description and a promoter. Oscar realised what the fans were saying and in desperation (wrongly) started chasing fights with great fighters FMJ and Pacman. He lost because he was no longer 100% dedicated to boxing. In the past he probably thought about boxing 24/7. Now he was thinking as much about promoting as about fighting. He got beat easily for me in both fights, but they are no reflection of this legendary fighter.

To conclude I feel that Oscar’s willingness to make great fights and test himself has meant that many have discredited him harshly when he failed. Oscar could have made millions fighting average fighters, but he chose to fight the best. For me no-one has faced as many top-level fighters as Oscar except for a handful of fighters in the history of the game. Oscar faced for me 8 HOF’ers which constituted 10 fights - Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosely, Floyd Mayweather Jnr, Pernell Whitaker, Manny Pacquiao, Julio Cesar Chavez and Hector Camacho. Out of the 10 fights he has 4 wins and 6 losses. Out of the losses all of them were close except the B-Hop and Pacman fights.

For me his marketability and monetary success have led to him being discredited as the great fighter he is. Everyone wanted to fight Oscar because it was a huge pay check therefore everyone from 130-160 in the last 15 years has fought him, leaving him fighting the best where it is inevitable he would lose at some point. For some reasons his losses have been registered much more strongly than his wins. Oscar for me is one of the great fighters and ranks only behind Bernhard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather and Roy Jones Jnr in this era. He is a 10-time world champion in 6 weights and has beaten other HOF fighters. If all fighters had his attitude I guarantee hardly any boxers would be undefeated.

 

Like many, money is a motivator to keep fighting. And, obviously because they love the sport.

 

DLH was simply a victim of his own success. He lost the hunger for greatness along time ago.

 

His career was perfectly managed, he made tons of money.

 

yeah he was well managed but for all the **** he catches on here...he has done a lot for the sport

 

Perfectly manage career wasn't that great but bought into his own hype. Good fighter could compete with the elite but no beat them. He was the product of media hype and should be most remembered for the attention he brought to boxing than his actually in ring ability.

 

Boxing is going to miss De La Hoya's star power. No matter how many titles he wins, Pacquiao will never be as popular with casual boxing fans and hollywood stars as De La Hoya.

 

greatly managed he made so much money doing this

 

:goodyup,the man did his thing.leave him be.

 

nobody will

 

agreed he will be miss as a fighter not as a promotor

 

I have to agree he's a great fighter who was robbed of at least 2 victories (Mosley II, Trinidad). He gets underrated now a days.

 

Oscar is one of the best from the 90's and 00's, has one of the best resumes.

In the years to come he will be ranked alot higher than he gets now.

 

I don't understand why some people have isues with him. There have been more talented boxers than him. However he fought a who's who of boxing from the 90's and 00's. He might not have always won but he fought them.

 

Funny that after all these years you buy into your own hype. How do you fight all the best fighters of your era, win all, with 2 exceptions (talking prime here, Mosley and Hopkins, which he had no business fighting) and you are a hype job? Get a life dood.
Shitttteee, if Oscars a hype job, whats ****ing little bitchass floyd?
If Oscar wanted he couldve fought Tzysu, JLC, and little ***** Floyd when they were at lightweight kinda like floyd is doing! When Oscar was still at Welter, he went after all the top dogs at Welter, and never ducked no one! I cant count with my two hands all the fighters Floyd has ducked!