Oscar De La Hoya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oscar De La Hoya
De La Hoya in 2014
Born	(1973-02-04) February 4, 1973 (age 53) East Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	The Golden Boy
Spouse(s)	Millie Corretjer ​ ​ (m. 2001; sep. 2016)​
Partner(s)	Shanna Moakler (1997–2000)
Children	6, including Atiana
Oscar De La Hoya Statistics Rated at Super featherweight Lightweight Light welterweight Welterweight Light middleweight Middleweight Height 5' 11" in Reach 73 in Nationality American Mexican Stance Orthodox Boxing record Total fights 45 Wins 39 Wins by KO 30 Losses 6 Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona Lightweight Goodwill Games Gold 1990 Seattle Featherweight

Oscar De La Hoya (born February 4, 1973) is a famous American-Mexican boxing promoter and a former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1992 to 2008. Oscar De La Hoya achieved great success, winning 11 world titles in six different weight classes. He also held important championships in three weight classes.

The media gave De La Hoya the nickname "The Golden Boy of Boxing." This happened when he represented the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Shortly after finishing high school, he won a gold medal in the lightweight division. Many people consider him one of the greatest boxers of all time.

De La Hoya was named The Ring magazine's Fighter of the Year in 1995. He was also ranked as the top boxer in the world, pound for pound, in 1997 and 1998. His fights generated a lot of money, making him one of the highest-earning boxers in pay-per-view history. He announced his retirement from fighting in 2009 after a 16-year career.

In 2002, De La Hoya started Golden Boy Promotions. This company promotes combat sports and also owns part of the Houston Dynamo soccer team. He was the first American of Mexican descent to own a national boxing promotion company. He also promoted fights while still an active boxer. Since 2002, Oscar De La Hoya has held dual American and Mexican citizenship, honoring his family's background.

Oscar De La Hoya's Early Life

Oscar De La Hoya was born in East Los Angeles, California. He came from a family deeply involved in boxing. His grandfather, Vicente, was an amateur boxer in the 1940s. His father, Joel Sr., was a professional boxer in the 1960s. Oscar's brother, Joel Jr., also became a boxer. Oscar graduated from Garfield High School in East Los Angeles in 1991.

Becoming an Amateur Boxing Star

De La Hoya started his amateur boxing career early. At age 15, he won the national Junior Olympics 119-pound title. The next year, he won the 125-pound title. His amateur record was impressive, with 234 wins, 163 of them by knockout.

In 1989, he won the National Golden Gloves title in the bantamweight division. The following year, at 17, he won the U.S. National Championship at featherweight. He was the youngest U.S. boxer at the 1990 Goodwill Games, where he won a gold medal.

Olympic Gold Medal Dream

A sad event happened when Oscar's mother, Cecilia, became very ill. She passed away in October 1990. Her last wish was for her son to become an Olympic gold medalist. This dream became a strong focus for Oscar's training as the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona approached.

At the Olympics, De La Hoya had a big victory in the first round against Cuban boxer Julio Gonzalez. He then went on to defeat German boxer Marco Rudolph to win the gold medal. Rudolph had been the only fighter to beat him in the years before the Olympics, making the victory even more special. The U.S. media highlighted his journey to fulfill his mother's wish, giving him the nickname "The Golden Boy." This name stayed with him throughout his career. In 2000, a cancer center was opened in his mother's honor at the White Memorial Medical Center, with a donation from De La Hoya and his siblings.

Oscar De La Hoya's Professional Boxing Career

Oscar De La Hoya began his professional boxing career on November 23, 1992. He won his first fight by knockout in the very first round.

Rising Through Weight Classes

In his twelfth professional fight, at just 20 years old, he won his first world title. He defeated Jimmy Bredahl to become the WBO junior lightweight champion. He successfully defended this title once.

De La Hoya then moved up to the Lightweight division. In July 1994, he won the vacant WBO Lightweight title by knocking out Jorge Páez. He defended this title several times, showing his skill and power. In May 1995, he unified the WBO and IBF lightweight titles by defeating Rafael Ruelas. He continued to defend his WBO lightweight title against tough opponents like Genaro Hernández and Jesse James Leija.

Welterweight Champion

In June 1996, Oscar De La Hoya faced Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez for the WBC light welterweight championship. De La Hoya won the fight in the fourth round. He then defended this title against Miguel Ángel González.

In 1997, De La Hoya moved up to the welterweight division. He fought Pernell Whitaker and won a tough twelve-round decision to capture the WBC welterweight title. This made him the top-ranked boxer in the world. He defended his welterweight title against several notable fighters, including Héctor Camacho and Julio César Chávez in a rematch.

A major fight for De La Hoya was against Félix Trinidad in September 1999. It was one of the biggest pay-per-view events in history for a non-heavyweight fight. De La Hoya lost this close fight by a majority decision. He later won the WBC welterweight title again but lost it to Shane Mosley in June 2000.

Light Middleweight Success

De La Hoya then moved up to the light middleweight division. In June 2001, he challenged and defeated Javier Castillejo to win the WBC light middleweight title.

A big rivalry developed between De La Hoya and WBA champion Fernando Vargas. Their unification fight, called "Bad Blood," happened in September 2002. De La Hoya won by knockout in the eleventh round. This victory is often seen as one of the most important in his career. He defended his unified title against Yori Boy Campas before facing Shane Mosley in a rematch in September 2003, which he lost by a unanimous decision.

Middleweight Challenge

In June 2004, De La Hoya challenged Felix Sturm for the WBO middleweight title. He won by a unanimous decision, becoming the first boxer in history to win world titles in six different weight divisions.

He then fought Bernard Hopkins in a unification match in September 2004. Hopkins held several middleweight titles and was considered a top fighter. De La Hoya fought well, but Hopkins won by knockout in the ninth round. This was the first time De La Hoya had been knocked out in his career.

Memorable Fights and Retirement

After a break, De La Hoya returned to fight WBC light middleweight champion Ricardo Mayorga in May 2006. De La Hoya won by knockout in the sixth round, earning his tenth world title.

In May 2007, he defended his title against Floyd Mayweather Jr.. It was a highly anticipated fight. Mayweather won by a split decision in a very close contest. De La Hoya then fought Steve Forbes in May 2008, winning by unanimous decision.

His final professional fight was against Manny Pacquiao in December 2008. Pacquiao, known as a leading pound-for-pound boxer, won the fight when De La Hoya's corner stopped the match after the eighth round. De La Hoya announced his retirement from boxing on April 14, 2009. He later had an exhibition boxing match against basketball player Shaquille O'Neal for a TV show. In 2021, he planned a comeback fight but had to cancel due to illness.

Life After Boxing

Oscar De La Hoya has been very active in business and community work since retiring from boxing.

Golden Boy Promotions

In 2002, De La Hoya founded Golden Boy Promotions, a successful company that promotes boxing and other combat sports. It is one of the leading promotional firms in the sport. The company also owns a share in the Houston Dynamo soccer club.

Other Ventures and Community Work

De La Hoya has also explored other business ventures. In 2000, he released a self-titled Latin pop music album, which was nominated for a Grammy Award. He launched a line of casual clothing and hosted a boxing reality TV show called The Next Great Champ.

In 2005, he started Golden Boy Partners, a company focused on urban development in Latino communities. He also authorized a children's picture book called Super Oscar in 2006, which tells a story about a young Oscar preparing a picnic for his neighborhood. The book was well-received and won an award. His company also acquired several boxing magazines, including The Ring.

In 2008, a 7-foot (2.1 m) bronze statue of Oscar De La Hoya was unveiled at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, honoring his contributions to sports. He also started a charitable foundation to help educate young people and donated to the De La Hoya Animo Charter High School. His autobiography, American Son: My Story, was released in 2008.

Public Appearances and Future Considerations

De La Hoya has appeared on television shows. In 2021, he competed as "Zebra" on The Masked Dancer, finishing in fourth place. In 2025, he appeared as "Fuzzy Peas" on The Masked Singer.

In 2018, there was talk that De La Hoya was thinking about running for president of the United States. He mentioned he was looking into the possibility.

Personal Life

Oscar De La Hoya married Millie Corretjer in October 2001. They have three children together. He also has two sons and a daughter from previous relationships. De La Hoya and Corretjer separated in 2016.

In December 2002, Oscar De La Hoya was granted Mexican citizenship. He said he always felt a strong connection to his Mexican heritage.

Titles in boxing

Major world titles

• WBO super featherweight champion (130 lbs)
• IBF lightweight champion (135 lbs)
• WBO lightweight champion (135 lbs)
• WBC light welterweight champion (140 lbs)
• WBC welterweight champion (147 lbs) (2×)
• WBC light middleweight champion (154 lbs) (2×)
• WBA (Unified) light middleweight champion (154 lbs)
• WBO middleweight champion (160 lbs)

The Ring magazine titles

• The Ring light middleweight champion (154 lbs)

Minor world titles

• IBA welterweight champion (147 lbs)
• IBA light middleweight champion (154 lbs)

Honorary titles

• WBO Super Champion

Images for kids

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  De La Hoya in 2010

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  De La Hoya in 2008

See also

In Spanish: Óscar de la Hoya para niños