How do you rate Oscar De La Hoya?

People say he lost his biggest fights, that's a common criticism. I would argue it's BECAUSE he lost those fights that they are now considered his big fights, the reason being, by losing he made a star out of his opponent but it wasn't so before the fight. For instance, DLH/Mosley 1 was not considered an important fight at the time but it is now simply because he lost. Had he lost to Vargas that too would be considered one of his biggest fights because Vargas would have reached world star status but he won that one and so it sinks into the MAJORITY of his wins. And yes, Vargas/DLH was a very big fight at the time.

 

:verysad:bart:blood

 

World Number 1 as a Celebrated Amateur and Olympic Gold

6 Weight World Champion

Chavez, Whitaker, Quartey, Carr, Trinidad, Mosley, Vargas, Mayorga, Hopkins, Sturm, Mayweather and Pacquiao on his resume.

Only ever KO'd by an ATG middleweight and only ever dominated when he was weight drained in his final fight.

Enormous PPV attraction and transcender of the sport.

ATG by a landslide. Regardless of what decisions went his way, he was jobbed enough times to even things out. The man was fabulous in the ring and gave us legitimate superfights for a decade. His detractors are what they are but personally I'll make my own mind up.

 

I don't care what anyone says, Oscar in his prime was an absolute badass, the speed, the prowess, the power. ****, I would be soooo happy if anyone today entered my favorite division WW with this guy's style and skills. That left hook/uppercut is one of the most beautiful things to ever grace this earth. The size of Hopkins at 2:04 is so ****ed up
What sums up DLH's career is George Foreman screaming so often during his fights, "DLH is a brave man. He's brave! A brave man!"

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Above Mayweather.

 

Oscar has pissed me off numerous times and made some very, very stupid mistakes. But he could lose a hundred times and the strength of what he achieved cannot be erased. People who say he came up short in his biggest fights fail to realize how close some of those losses were, that one of them was a blatant robbery against another future ATG and that one was against an elite all-time middleweight he was taking a huge risk to fight. It's just the sour grapes of his up and down last few years that have turned people in my opinion. After he's gone for a while, history will look upon him differently.

He was a great fighter easily right up through welterweight and a very good light middleweight past his prime. He had no real identity as a middleweight, just a bloated, very good light middleweight taking a chance there. When you look at the context of everything and the achievements, there's no way he's not an ATG. None. I lost tremendous personal respect for him when he wanted to fight Pacquiao by the way, but my personal feelings about ODLH, my disappointments, any of his losses, none of it erases what he did do. ATG. Just as Duran's losses, Leonard's losses, Joe Louis's losses and so on did not define them, same goes for Oscar's legacy. Although I don't put him up with the previous men I mentioned.

 

For the 1 **** house voter who voted Oscar as a good fighter but not a HOF'er !!!!!!

I suggest you go and actually look at the HOF before making a rat ******* comment like that !!!! :twisted::twisted::twisted: :fire:fire:fire

 

Just an idiot that doesn't like the guy! I wouldn't get wound up about someone so stupid!

 

Oscar was a very good fighter, he was great, but not an ATG. for one simple reason, h2h there isn't many ATG's i'd favour him against

 

Name me some at 147lbs. Just curious!

 

mosleys, forrest, mayweather, Sweet Pea, Judah, Leonard, Hearns

i put him on the level of Spinks, Duran, Mayorga, Trinidad etc.

definately A-Level, maybe even Elite level, just not ATG level. IMO.

 

I'll buy into the top list with the exception of Judah who I think De La Hoya would have destroyed! Oscar has too much heart and balls for a start! The Forrest fight would have been interesting.

Oscar is superior to Mayorga 8 days a week. Ironically I think the guy who gives him the most problems in your second list is Spinks but I would still pick Oscar to break him down.

Thanks for getting back to me bro.

 

the judah who showed up in the rematch with spinks would've beaten dlh imo, but there is every likelyhood oscar would break him down.

it depends which mayorga shows up, the one who destroyed lewis and forrest could've given oscar problems an it aint clear cut who'd win.

ye i'd expect spinks to outbox him for about 7 rouds, then oscars pressure to wear spinks down

no problems mate

 

Mayorga's style always seemed easy to solve. He needed time to rush in and throw wild punches. If you gave him angles he ran past you which allowed you to close the gap and hit him at will.

I agree he would have been a more live opponent than the 2006 version that Oscar slapped around.

 

on paper it's easy to say, but in the ring it's a different matter. look how he destroyed forrest in the first fight, and even in the second forrest couldn't solve him. he arguably did enough to beat spinks. ye the version de la hoya sparked would lose to most boxers out there