Roberto García Cortez, (born on January 29, 1975 in San Pedro, California), is a retired Mexican-American professional boxer in the Lightweight division and is currently considered one of the best trainers in boxing.^[1] He is also the former IBF Super Featherweight Champion^[2] and was trained by his father Eduardo Garcia at the popular La Colonia Youth Boxing Club.^[3][4] He's brother is considered one of the best Featherweight contenders, Miguel Ángel García.^[5]

Early life[link]

García grew up and still resides in Oxnard, California. He even trained world champions with his Father at La Colonia Boxing Club.

Amateur career[link]

Roberto had a very good amateur career and even fought future Olympic Gold Medalist Oscar De La Hoya.^[6]

Professional career[link]

Known as "Grandpa", García won his pro debut against Tsutomu Hitono at the International Center in Fukuoka, Japan.^[7] He accumulated a record of 20–0, which included a win against future champion Derrick Gainer, before challenging for his first regional title.

NABF Super Featherweight Championship[link]

In 1995 he took down the previously unbeaten American Julian Wheeler to win his first belt, the NABF Super Featherweight Championship.^[8] Roberto successfully defended his Championship just three months later against Francisco Segura.^[9]

NABF Featherweight Championship[link]

At the Miami Arena, Roberto would move down to Featherweight and beat Darryl Pinckney to win the NABF Featherweight Championship.^[10]

IBF Super Featherweight Championship[link]

On March 13, 1998 a then undefeated García (29–0) captured the vacant IBF Super Featherweight Championship with a unanimous decision win over Harold Warren.^[11] In his first title defense he knocked out Cuban Ramon Ledon at the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey.^[12]

Roberto's next fight was against two-time World Champion, Puerto Rico's John John Molina. García defeated Molina over twelve rounds, that fight card also featured Mike Tyson, Zab Judah, and Fres Oquendo.^[13]

He lost the belt in an upset to rising undefeated Mexican American phenom Diego Corrales. After a win over title contender Sandro Marcos he moved back up in the world rankings.

WBA Super Featherweight Championship[link]

In January 2001, he earned a shot at the undefeated WBA Super Featherweight champion Joel Casamayor. Casamayor won the fight and Garcia retired shortly after beating veteran John Trigg by knockout.

Training career[link]

Garcia formally worked as a trainer at La Colonia Gym in Oxnard, California. Notable fighters who have trained under Nonito Donaire. Most recently he opened his own boxing gym named Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, California.^[14][15]

Boxers Trained[link]

• Miguel Ángel García, the top rated contender in the Featherweight division.
• Fernando Vargas, a former two-time World Light Middleweight Champion.
• Brandon Ríos, the current WBA World Lightweight Champion.
• Steven Luevano, a former WBO World Featherweight Champion and made five successful defenses.
• Nonito Donaire, a three division World Champion and current Ring Magazine pound for pound fighter.
• Kelly Pavlik, a former Lineal Middleweight Champion.^[16]
• Antonio Margarito, a former two-time World Welterweight Champion.
• Joan Guzmán, a former two divisions WBO World Champion.
• Mia St. John, a former WIBA and WIBF Lightweight Champion.
• Brian Viloria, a former WBC and IBF Light Flyweight Champion.
• Alfonso Blanco, an undefeated Light Middleweight prospect.
• Javier García Calderón, a Lightweight prospect.
• David García, a Welterweight prospect.
• Felipe Campa, a former WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight Champion.
• Andrew Ruiz, an undefeated Light Welterweight prospect.
• Erik Ruiz, an undefeated Super Bantamweight prospect.
• Saul Rodriguez, an undefeated Super Featherweight prospect.
• Evgeny Gradovich, an undefeated Featherweight prospect.
• Herbert Acevedo, an undefeated Lightweight prospect.
• Victor Pasillas, an undefeated Featherweight prospect.
• Jesús Antonio Hernández, an undefeated Lightweight prospect.
• Alfonso Gómez, a competitor on The Contender.
• Mark Suárez, a former WBO NABO Welterweight Champion.
• Francisco Contreras, a Lightweight prospect.
• Victor Ortíz, a former WBC welterweight champion.

Reality Show[link]

García is the first boxing trainer in history to star in his own reality show, titled 'The Roberto García Reality Show'. The show is produced by award winning reporter Elie Seckbach.^[17]

See also[link]

• List of Mexican boxing world champions
• List of IBF world champions
• List of Super Featherweight boxing champions
• Notable boxing families

References[link]

External links[link]

• Roberto Garcia Cortez on Twitter
• Roberto García Boxing Academy on Facebook
• Professional boxing record for Roberto Garcia Cortez from BoxRec

Joel Casamayor
Statistics
Real name	Joel Casamayor Johnson
Nickname(s)	El Cepillo
Rated at	Lightweight
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Nationality	Cuban
Born	(1971-07-12) 12 July 1971 (age 40) Guantánamo, Cuba
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	45
Wins	38
Wins by KO	22
Losses	6
Draws	1
No contests	0

Medal record
Competitor for  Cuba
Men's Boxing
Olympic Games
Gold	1992 Barcelona	Bantamweight
World Amateur Championships
Silver	1993 Tampere	Bantamweight
Central American and Caribbean Games
Bronze	1990 Mexico City	Bantamweight

Joel "El Cepillo" Casamayor Johnson (born July 12, 1971 in Guantánamo, Cuba) is a Cuban boxer, who turned pro after defecting to the United States on the eve of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The nickname "El Cepillo", literally translated to "the brush", comes from his uppercut, which rakes his opponents across the face. Also, for his ability to "brush off" punches from his opponents.

Amateur career[link]

• 1989 - Gold medal (Bantamweight) at the Junior World Championships
• 1992 - Gold medal (Bantamweight) at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain
  • Defeated Venkatesan Devarajan (India) points
  • Defeated Riadh Klaai (Tunisia) points
  • Defeated Roberto Jalnaiz (Philippines) KO 1
  • Defeated Mohammed Achik (Morocco) TKO 1
  • Defeated Wayne McCullough (Ireland) points
• 1993 - Silver medal (Bantamweight) at the 1993 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Tampere, Finland
  • Defeated Agathangelos Tsiripidis (Greece) TKO 3
  • Defeated Dirk Krueger (Germany) points
  • Defeated Arthur Mikaelian (Armenia) points
  • Defeated Vladislav Antonov (Russia) points
  • Lost to Alexander Hristov (Bulgaria) points
• 1994 - Bronze medal (Featherweight) at the World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand
  • Defeated Brian Carr (Scotland) points
  • Defeated Nourredine Medjihoud (Algeria) points
  • Defeated Cristian Rodriguez (Argentina) points
  • Lost to Falk Huste (Germany) points
• 1994 - Silver Medal (Featherweight) at the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia
  • Defeated Kai Kandelin (Finland) TKO 1
  • Defeated Claude Chinon (France) points
  • Lost to Ramaz Paliani (Russia) points
• 1995 - Competed (Featherweight) at the 1995 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Berlin, Germany
  • Lost to Raimkul Malachbekov (Russia) points

Professional career[link]

He won the NABF Super Featheweight title in 1999 by beating Jose Luis Noyola. Later that year, he won the WBA Super Featherweight title by stopping Jong-Kwon Baek in 5 rounds. In 2002, he lost that title in a controversial unification bout with WBO champion Acelino Freitas. At one point in the fight, Casamayor slipped and the referee ruled it a knockdown. Casamayor also had a point deducted for a late hit. Many believe Casamayor should have won the fight. In 2004, Diego Corrales, whom Casamayor stopped in 2003 for the Vacant IBA Super Featherweight Title, defeated him for the vacant WBO Super Featherweight title via a very close and controversial decision. Casamayor failed to take the WBC Lightweight title from José Luis Castillo later that year because the judges scored what seemed to be a clear win for Casamayor over Castillo. After the disputed loss to Castillo, Casamayor's career appeared to be in a downward spiral and he was set up with undefeated rising prospect Almazbek Raiymkulov in June 2005. In a close, spirited battle the bout ended in a draw, with many believing that Casamayor's best days were behind him.

After two victories against little known opposition, in October 2006, Casamayor yet again took on the popular Diego Corrales, and defeated him by split decision, winning the WBC Lightweight title and recognition as the world lightweight champion by Ring Magazine. He was stripped of the WBC title for signing to fight then WBO lightweight champion Freitas rather than defend against his mandatory challenger, WBC interim champion David Diaz. Although the fight with Freitas never took place, David Diaz was still named WBC champion and Freitas went on to fight WBA champion Juan Diaz, losing via a 9th round TKO.

After Casamayor threatened the WBC with legal action, he was named as their interim champ. He defended the interim championship as well as The Ring's title against Jose Armando Santa Cruz on November 11, 2007 and won a controversial split decision.

The WBC removed Casamayor's interim title when, instead of fighting a rematch with Santa Cruz, he signed to fight undefeated Michael Katsidis, the WBO interim lightweight titlist. On March 22, 2008, in a great battle, Casamayor became the first man to defeat the Australian Katsidis when he won the fight with a TKO in the 10th round. With the win, Casamayor retained his Ring Magazine world title and added the WBO interim championship to his collection.

Casamayor vs. Marquez[link]

Casamayor was defeated by Juan Manuel Márquez on September 13, 2008. Marquez (49-4-1, 36 KOs) by Knockout in the 11th round at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise. In the first four rounds of the bout, Marquez continually walked into counter lefts from Casamayor. It took Marquez until the fifth round to be able to find the range with his right hand. By the fifth round, a cut over Casamayor's right eye was opened from a clash of heads. Rounds five, six, seven and eight were rounds where Marquez landed straight punches from the outside, but he was also nailed by Casamayor whenever he lunged forward. Two minutes into the eleventh round, Casamayor was knocked down by a right hand as he pulled away from an intense exchange. Casamayor got up and immediately tried to smother Marquez, but Marquez let his hands go in furious combination. Casamayor swung back, but he went down again with about 7 seconds left in the round. Referee Tony Weeks stepped in and stopped the fight before Casamayor had a chance to stand up again. This caused some anger from fans, however, Casamayor was gracious in defeat and said, "Marquez was the best this night." The official judges had the fight scored 95-95, 95-95, and 97-93 for Marquez.^[1]

Casamayor is a unionized boxer, a member of the Joint Association of Boxers.

Comeback[link]

On November 6 2009, Casamayor beat Jason Davis by unanimous decision.^[2]

Casamayor fought Mexican American Robert Guerrero at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, on July 31, 2010. The 10 round bout was an undercard of the Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz II event.^[3] The 39 year old pugilist lost the match by unanimous decision: 98–89, 98–89, 97–90. Guerrero rocked Casamayor throughout the fight, sending him down in the second round. The Cuban got up and looked exhausted after two rounds. He recovered in the next rounds but Guerrero continued to put pressure, landing several combinations and outboxing him. In the last minute of the final round, the Cuban engaged on the offensive, with Guerrero being knocked down for the first time in his professional career.^[4]

Professional boxing record[link]

38 Wins (22 Knockouts), 6 Defeats (2 Knockouts), 1 Draw[5]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	38-6-1	Timothy Bradley	TKO	8 (12), 2:59	2011-11-12	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada	For WBO Light Welterweight title.
Win	38-5-1	Manuel Leyva	SD	10	2011-03-11	Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Loss	37-5-1	Robert Guerrero	UD	10	2010-07-31	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	37-4-1	Jason Davis	UD	8	2009-11-06	Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
Loss	36-4-1	Juan Manuel Marquez	TKO	11 (12), 2:55	2008-09-13	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost The Ring Lightweight title
Win	36-3-1	Michael Katsidis	TKO	10 (12), 0:30	2008-03-22	Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, Cabazon, California	Retained The Ring & won interim WBO Lightweight titles
Win	35-3-1	José Armando Santa Cruz	SD	12	2007-11-10	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York	Retained The Ring & interim WBC Lightweight titles
Win	34-3-1	Diego Corrales	SD	12	2006-10-07	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won The Ring & WBC Lightweight titles
Win	33-3-1	Lamont Pearson	TKO	9 (10), 0:44	2006-07-07	Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona
Win	32-3-1	Antonio Ramirez	KO	5 (10), 0:26	2006-02-24	Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida
Draw	31-3-1	Almazbek Raiymkulov	PTS	12	2005-06-11	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York	WBC Lightweight title eliminator
Loss	31-3	Jose Luis Castillo	SD	12	2004-12-04	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	For WBC Lightweight title
Win	31-3	Daniel Seda	UD	10	2004-07-03	American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Loss	30-2	Diego Corrales	SD	12	2004-03-06	Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut	For WBO & IBO Super Featherweight titles
Win	30-1	Diego Corrales	TKO	6 (12), 3:00	2003-10-04	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won vacant IBA Super Featherweight title
Win	29-1	Nate Campbell	UD	10	2003-01-25	Pechanga Resort and Casino, Temecula, California
Win	28-1	Yoni Vargas	TKO	5 (10), 2:28	2002-12-20	American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Win	27-1	Juan Jose Arias	TKO	8 (10), 1:44	2002-06-08	Pyramid Arena, Memphis, Tennessee
Loss	26-1	Acelino Freitas	UD	12	2002-01-12	Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada	For WBA & WBO Super Featherweight titles
Win	26-0	Joe Morales	TKO	8 (12), 2:04	2001-09-29	The Miccosukee Resort & Casino, Miami, Florida	Retained WBA Super Featherweight title
Win	25-0	Edwin Santana	UD	12	2001-05-05	Silver Star Casino, Philadelphia, Mississippi	Retained WBA Super Featherweight title
Win	24-0	Robert Garcia	TKO	9 (12), 1:14	2001-01-06	Texas Station, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBA Super Featherweight title
Win	23-0	Radford Beasley	TKO	5 (12), 0:52	2000-09-16	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBA Super Featherweight title
Win	22-0	Bernard Harris	UD	10	2000-09-16	American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Win	21-0	Jong-Kwon Baek	TKO	5 (12), 2:18	2000-05-21	Harrah's Casino, Kansas, Missouri	Won WBA Super Featherweight title
Win	20-0	David Santos	UD	12	1999-11-20	The Miccosukee Resort & Casino, Miami, Florida	Retained interim WBA Super Featherweight title
Win	19-0	Luis Enrique Valenzuela	TKO	2 (10)	1999-08-21	The Miccosukee Resort & Casino, Miami, Florida
Win	18-0	Antonio Hernandez	UD	12	1999-06-19	The Miccosukee Resort & Casino, Miami, Florida	Won interim WBA Super Featherweight title
Win	17-0	Jay Cantu	KO	6 (10), 1:02	1999-04-18	The Miccosukee Resort & Casino, Miami, Florida
Win	16-0	Russell Stoner Jones	UD	10	1999-03-14	Pueblo, Colorado
Win	15-0	Jose Luis Noyola	UD	12	1999-01-30	The Miccosukee Resort & Casino, Miami, Florida	Won NABF Super Featherweight title
Win	14-0	Raymond Flores	TKO	2 (6), 2:59	1998-11-13	The Miccosukee Resort & Casino, Miami, Florida
Win	13-0	Eugene Johnson	UD	6	1998-09-26	Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut
Win	12-0	Miguel Figueroa	TKO	2 (6)	1998-08-22	Atlantic City Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	11-0	Gary Triano	TKO	4	1998-07-21	Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	10-0	Javier Diaz	UD	8	1998-01-23	Sons Of Italy, Lake Worth, Florida
Win	9-0	Julio Gervacio	TKO	2 (10), 1:27	1997-10-04	Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	8-0	Pat Chavez	UD	6	1997-08-19	Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas
Win	7-0	Salvador Montes	TKO	2 (4), 2:15	1997-07-12	Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada
Win	6-0	Raul Munoz	TKO	1 (6), 1:49	1997-05-04	Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	5-0	Francisco Valdez	TKO	3 (6), 1:49	1997-04-18	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	4-0	Vidal Padilla	TKO	1 (4)	1997-01-18	Condado
Win	3-0	Roberto Sierra	KO	1 (4)	1996-12-14	Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	2-0	Oscar Junior Gonzalez	UD	4	1996-11-01	Coconut Grove, Florida
Win	1-0	David Chamendis	UD	4	1996-11-01	James L. Knight Center, Miami, Florida	Professional Debut

See also[link]

Cuba portal

• List of Cuban Americans

References[link]

External links[link]

• Joel Casamayor Official Site
• Professional boxing record for Joel Casamayor from BoxRec
• Olympic profile
• Article about the Joel Casamayor-Diego Corrales rivalry

Oscar De La Hoya
Statistics
Real name	Oscar De La Hoya
Nickname(s)	The Golden Boy
Rated at	Super Featherweight Lightweight Light Welterweight Welterweight Light Middleweight Middleweight
Height	5 ft 10 1⁄2 in (1.79 m)
Reach	73 in (185 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1973-02-04) February 4, 1973 (age 39) East Los Angeles, California, USA
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	45
Wins	39
Wins by KO	30
Losses	6
Draws	0
No contests	0

Oscar De La Hoya (born February 4, 1973 in East Los Angeles, California)^[1][2] is a retired American professional boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy," De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from James A. Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr. and brother Joel Jr. were all boxers. De La Hoya was The Ring's "Fighter of the Year" in 1995 and Ring Magazine's top-rated Pound for Pound fighter in the world in 1997 & 1998. De La Hoya officially announced his retirement from the sport at a press conference held in Los Angeles on April 14, 2009.

De La Hoya has defeated 17 world champions and has won ten world titles in six different weight classes.^[3][4] He has also generated more money than any other boxer in the history of the sport,^[5] an estimated $696 million pay-per-view income.^[6]

De La Hoya founded Golden Boy Promotions, a combat sport promotional firm. He is the first American of Hispanic descent to own a national boxing promotional firm and one of the few boxers to take on promotional responsibilities while still active.^[7]

Amateur career[link]

De La Hoya's amateur career included 234 wins, 163 by knockout, with only six losses. Of those six losses, one came at the hands of Shane Mosley.^[8] In 1989, he won the National Golden Gloves title in the bantamweight division. In 1990, at the age of 17, he won the U.S. National Championship at featherweight and was the youngest U.S. boxer at that year’s Goodwill Games, winning a gold medal. The joy of victory was tempered by the news that his mother, Cecilia, was terminally ill with breast cancer. She died in October 1990, expressing the hope that her son would one day become an Olympic gold medalist.

With the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, approaching, De La Hoya turned his mother’s dream into a strong focus for his training. After an upset victory in the first round over the Cuban boxer Julio Gonzalez, De La Hoya defeated Marco Rudolph of Germany to win gold. The U.S. media publicized his quest to fulfill his mother's dying wish and dubbed him with the nickname "The Golden Boy," which has remained with him throughout his career.^[9][10][11]

Professional career[link]

Super Featherweight title[link]

On November 23, 1992, De La Hoya made his professional debut by scoring a first round TKO victory. In his twelfth professional fight, he won his first world title at age 20, stopping Jimmy Bredahl (16–0) in the tenth round to win the WBO Super Featherweight title.^[12] He defended the title once, stopping Giorgio Campanella (20–0) in three rounds.

Lightweight title[link]

De La Hoya vs. Paez[link]

On July 29, 1994, he knocked out Jorge Páez (53–6–4) in the second round to win the vacant WBO Lightweight title. In his first title defense, he defeated John-John Molina (36–3), who had recently vacated his IBF Super Featherweight title, by unanimous decision. On May 6, 1995, De La Hoya defeated IBF Lightweight Champion Rafael Ruelas (43–1–0) in a unification bout. De La Hoya knocked Ruelas down twice before the fight was stopped in the second round. The IBF then ordered De La Hoya to defend against Miguel Julio.

De La Hoya vs. Hernandez[link]

He relinquished the IBF title and defended the WBO title against undefeated Genaro Hernandez (32–0–1), who relinquished the WBA Super Featherweight title to fight De La Hoya.^[13] Hernandez quit after six rounds because of a broken nose. In his sixth and final defense of the WBO lightweight title, he knocked out Jesse James Leija (30–1–2) in two rounds.

Light Welterweight title[link]

De La Hoya vs. Chávez[link]

On June 7, 1996, Oscar De La Hoya fought Mexican legend Julio César Chávez (96–1–1) for the Lineal & WBC Light Welterweight Championships. De la Hoya, with a record of 21–0 with 19 K.Os, defeated Chavez by a fourth round TKO. The fight was stopped due to a bad cut suffered by Chavez. Until their rematch in 1998, Chávez stated that De La Hoya did not defeat him since the fight was stopped. De La Hoya successfully defended his titles with a twelve round unanimous decision against undefeated former WBC Lightweight Champion and number one light welterweight contender Miguel Ángel González (41–0–0).

Welterweight title[link]

De La Hoya vs. Whitaker[link]

On March 12, 1997, De La Hoya moved up to the welterweight division and fought Pernell Whitaker (40–1–1).^[14] The fight proved to be a difficult one. De La Hoya won a disputed twelve round unanimous decision to capture the Lineal and WBC titles. He also became the Ring Magazine's number one ranked pound-for-pound fighter.^[15]

On September 13, 1997, he defeated Héctor Camacho (63–3–1) by unanimous decision. On September 8, 1998, he fought a rematch with Julio César Chávez (100–2–2) and defeated him by eighth round TKO. In his next bout, he faced undefeated former WBA Welterweight Champion Ike Quartey (34–0–1) and won by split decision. He then defeated Oba Carr (48–2–1) by eleventh round TKO.

De La Hoya vs. Trinidad[link]

After seven defenses of his Lineal and WBC Welterweight titles, De La Hoya fought rival and IBF Champion Félix Trinidad (35–0) on September 18, 1999, in one of the biggest pay-per-view events in history, setting a record for a non-heavyweight fight. Oscar handily won the early rounds but faded down the stretch and especially in the championship rounds. De La Hoya virtually gave away the last four rounds of the fight attempting to avoid a late Trinidad rush. Trinidad was ultimately awarded a majority decision. The judges scorecards came under question after the decision. Fans and boxing analysts called for a rematch, which never happened.

De La Hoya vs. Mosley I[link]

On February 26, 2000, De La Hoya knocked out Derrell Coley (34–1–2) to win the vacant IBA Welterweight title. The WBC awarded De La Hoya their welterweight title, which he lost, along with the IBA title, to Shane Mosley (34–0) by a split decision on 17 June 2000, given De La Hoya ther first sound defeat of his pro career. The fight was a disputed decision, with one judge scoring the fight 115–113 for De La Hoya, and the other two scoring it 116–112 and 115–113 for Mosley.

De La Hoya took promoter Bob Arum to court in the fall of 2000, trying to break his contract with the promoter. The courts ruled in favor of the Golden Boy in February 2001. Tempers flared during the battle and reached a low in March 2001, when De La Hoya called Arum racist in a newspaper interview and then apologized for the remarks.

“I don't have blue eyes and I am not white, but a Mexican arriving on the cusp of fame, and that is what they do not support,” De La Hoya told La Opinion in 2001. “Bob Arum's people hope I lose because they can't see a Mexican above them, and also that he defeated one of the biggest Jews to come out of Harvard.”^[16]

De La Hoya vs. Gatti[link]

De La Hoya defeated Arturo Gatti (33–4) by fifth round TKO on March 24, 2001. He then moved up to light middleweight, challenging the Spanish WBC Light Middleweight Champion Javier Castillejo. De La Hoya dominated the fight, winning almost every round and knocking Castillejo (51–4) down with ten seconds to go to win the title by a unanimous decision.

Rivalry with Vargas[link]

De La Hoya did fight for the 15 months and in this time the rivalry between him and WBA and IBA Light Middleweight Champion "Ferocious" Fernando Vargas (22–1) grew. They knew each other as amateurs and it is said the rivalry began when Vargas was angered by De La Hoya laughing at him after he fell into a snowbank. De La Hoya said he would never fight him. Eventually, however, De La Hoya accepted a match. The fight was scheduled for early 2002, but De La Hoya had to withdraw because of a hand injury.

De La Hoya vs. Vargas[link]

The unification bout, labeled "Bad Blood," finally took place on September 14, 2002, at the Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas Strip. The fight was even for the first six rounds, with Vargas landing punches on the ropes in the odd rounds, while De La Hoya outboxed him in the even rounds. De La Hoya took over the fight in the seventh round and hurt Vargas with a left hook in the tenth. In the next round, De La Hoya knocked Vargas down with a left hook and stopped him moments later. The win is widely considered to be the biggest of De La Hoya's career. Vargas tested positive for stanozolol after the fight.

De La Hoya vs. Mosley II[link]

De La Hoya defended his unified title against Yori Boy Campas (80–5) with a sixth round knockout and then faced Shane Mosley (38–2) in a rematch. The fight, billed as "Retribution" and staged at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, was more of a boxing match than their first encounter, and many rounds were close. The fight was close and in keeping with past De La Hoya big fights, Oscar would fade late into the fight and Mosley was able to edge out a points win. Mosley was later connected to the BALCO Labs steroid scandal. Jeff Novitzky, a lead investigator on the BALCO case, reported that documents seized from the lab show that Mosley received "the clear" and "the cream," both designer steroids. Mosley reportedly began his doping regimen prior to his rematch with Oscar De La Hoya.^[17] Mosley would later admit to using performance-enhancing drugs from BALCO for this bout, saying he thought they were legal supplements.^[18]

Moving up to Middleweight[link]

De La Hoya vs. Sturm[link]

De la Hoya next challenged Felix Sturm (20–0) for the WBO Middleweight title on June 5, 2004. De La Hoya was awarded a unanimous decision, becoming the first boxer in history to win world titles in six different weight divisions. All three judges scored the bout 115–113 in favor of De La Hoya. The decision was controversial. Compubox counted Sturm as landing 234 of 541 punches, while counting De La Hoya as landing 188 of 792.^[19]

De La Hoya vs. Hopkins[link]

De La Hoya fought Bernard Hopkins (44–2–1) in a unification match on September 18, 2004 in Las Vegas. Hopkins held the WBC, WBA, and IBF Middleweight titles and was considered by many to be the number one pound for pound fighter in the world. Although the fight was at a catchweight of 158 pounds (72 kg), many thought De La Hoya was too small for the weight class and Hopkins was considered a heavy favorite.

Several days before the fight, De la Hoya's hand was cut when his hand wraps were being cut off after training. The cut required eleven stitches.

De La Hoya fought a tactical fight. After eight rounds, De La Hoya was ahead 77–75 on one scorecard. He was behind 78–74 and 79–73 on the other two scorecards. In the ninth round, Hopkins knocked out De La Hoya with a left hook to the body. It was the first time in De La Hoya's career that he was knocked out.

De la Hoya later said he couldn't get up because the pain of a well placed livershot is unbearable. Despite losing, De La Hoya made over $30 million from the fight.

Bob Arum claimed De La Hoya took a dive. It may not have mattered as it appeared Hopkins was going to win this bout one way or another. Like Mosley, Hopkins would get a job with Golden Boy Promotions.^[20]

De La Hoya responded, "So now he's going to attack me left and right. He's going to keep saying that I took a dive against Hopkins and that I'm in this only for the money. I can't stop him from saying those things. I think he's hurt. He's hurt because I chose not to stay with him until the end of my career.^[21]

Comeback[link]

De La Hoya vs. Mayorga[link]

De La Hoya took a layoff of 20 months before signing to fight WBC Light Middleweight Champion Ricardo Mayorga (27–5–1). In the buildup to the fight, Mayorga insulted everything from De La Hoya's sexuality to his wife and child,^[22] but when they fought on May 6, 2006, De La Hoya knocked Mayorga down in the first minute of the fight with a left hook. He knocked him out in the sixth round to take his tenth world title.^[22]

The World Awaits[link]

De La Hoya vs. Mayweather[link]

In early 2007, De La Hoya signed to defend his title against WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (37–0–0). De La Hoya was a two to one underdog in the fight.

The fight took place on May 5, 2007. De La Hoya pressed throughout all the rounds, doing his best when he used his left jab. Mayweather controlled the later rounds and was ultimately rewarded with a split decision victory in front of a sold-out arena at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Chuck Giampi saw the fight 116–112 for Mayweather, while Jerry Roth also scored it for Mayweather at 115–113. Tom Kaczmarcek ruled for De La Hoya 115–113. The Associated Press had Mayweather winning 116–112.

Mayweather dominated the stats, connecting on 207 of his 481 total punches thrown. De La Hoya threw more punches—587—but landed only 122.^[23]

On May 3, 2008, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, De La Hoya fought Steve Forbes (33–5) in a tuneup for a possible rematch with Mayweather. De La Hoya showed a more relaxed style, throwing a constant jab and always staying on his toes.^[24] He opened a cut near Forbes' eye in the sixth round.^[25]

On June 6, 2008, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. announced his retirement from boxing, effectively ending talk of a rematch.

The Dream Match[link]

De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao[link]

De La Hoya at MGM Grand, Las Vegas in 2008

De La Hoya faced Manny Pacquiao (47–3–2) on December 6, 2008 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, Inc., the bout was a twelve round non-title fight at the 147-pound (67 kg) welterweight limit. Although Manny Pacquiao went into the fight recognized as the leading pound for pound boxer in the world, some pundits speculated that 147 pounds could have been too far above his natural weight against the larger De La Hoya.^[26] However, Pacquiao's trainer Roach was confident of a victory as he stated that De La Hoya could no longer "pull the trigger" at that stage of his career.^[27] De La Hoya, who was favored to win the bout due to his size advantage, was expected to be the heavier of the two on fight night. However, though Pacquiao weighed 142 pounds (64 kg) and De La Hoya 145 pounds (66 kg) at the official weigh-in on Friday,^[28] De La Hoya entered the ring at 147 pounds to Pacquiao's 148.5 pounds (67.4 kg).^[29]

De La Hoya took a beating and his corner stopped the fight after the eighth round. Pacquiao was ahead on all three judges' scorecards before the stoppage, with two judges scoring the fight 80–71 and the other judge scoring it at 79–72.^[30] After the bout, Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach stated, "We knew we had him after the first round. He had no legs, he was hesitant and he was shot."^[31] Confirming Roach's pre-fight predictions that he'd grown too old, De La Hoya crossed the ring to Pacquiao's corner after the bout was stopped and told Roach, "You're right, Freddie. I don't have it anymore."^[28] When asked by reporters whether he would continue fighting, De La Hoya responded, "My heart still wants to fight, that's for sure," De La Hoya said. "But when your physical doesn't respond, what can you do? I have to be smart and make sure I think about my future plans." During the first episode of the HBO 24/7 Pacquiao–Hatton series, Roach had said he saw IV marks on De La Hoya's arm, pointing out that he needed to be rehydrated surgically as a last resort.

Retirement[link]

De La Hoya announced his retirement on April 14, 2009, ending any speculation about a potential fight with undefeated light middleweight Julio César Chávez Jr.

Life outside the ring[link]

De La Hoya was accused in a lawsuit of rape in 1998. The lawsuit, filed in San Bernardino (Calif.) County Superior Court, alleged that De La Hoya raped a woman, who was 15 at the time, in a hotel room in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in June 1996.^[32] The case was settled out of court in 2001.^[33]

In 2000, he released a Grammy-nominated CD, entitled Oscar De La Hoya. Released through EMI International. The self-titled CD is a Latin pop album with 13 tracks in both English and Spanish written by Diane Warren and the Bee Gees.

On October 5, 2001, De La Hoya married Millie Corretjer. They have two children together. He also has a daughter, Atiana Cecilia, with Shanna Moakler.

In 2004, he debuted a clothing line of casual, and active-inspired apparel through Mervyns department stores. In the summer of 2004, De La Hoya starred in and hosted a boxing reality television series on Fox and Fox Sports Net titled The Next Great Champ.^[34]

In 2005, Golden Boy Enterprises announced the formation of Golden Boy Partners, a company focused on urban development in Latino communities.^[35]

In 2006, De La Hoya authorized a children's picture book titled Super Oscar^[36] published by Simon and Schuster and released in his name. The book was written by noted children's author Mark Shulman and illustrated by children's illustrator Lisa Kopelke. The book tells the story of young Oscar as a daydreamer, who uses his great physical ability to prepare an elaborate picnic for his entire neighborhood in just fifteen minutes. Written in English and Spanish, the book received unanimously positive reviews from the publishing review journals. Super Oscar was selected as the winner of the 2007 Latino Book Awards Best Bilingual Children's Picture Book of the year.^[37]

In September, 2007, De La Hoya's company Golden Boy Enterprises acquired The Ring, KO Magazine, World Boxing Magazine and Pro Wrestling Illustrated from Kappa Publishing Group.^[38]

In late 2007, photographs featuring De La Hoya cross-dressed in company of a woman not his wife were posted on a tabloid website and received extensive publicity across the internet. De la Hoya has denied the authenticity of the photos. His lawyer stated, "The photographs depicting Mr. De La Hoya's image that were posted online today by an obscure paparazzi Web site are fake. Many of the Web site's viewers (as reflected in postings on the site) identified the photos as 'a really bad photoshop job.' Unfortunately, with today's technology, anyone can make any photo seem like something other than it is."^[39] In September 2007, Mila Dravnel, the woman who sold the photographs, recanted her allegations against De La Hoya and denied the authenticity of the photographs.^[40] However, in May 2008, Dravnel sued De La Hoya for slander, but she dropped the lawsuit after experts determined the photographs had been digitally doctored.^[41] However, in De La Hoya's August 2011 interview with Univision, he confirmed that it was indeed him in the leaked 2007 photos.^[42] In a related event, model Angelica Marie Cecora also announced she would sue De La Hoya after an alleged drug-fueled romp at the Ritz-Carlton in Midtown, on March 15, 2011, where she says he went wild with drugs, booze, sex toys and cross-dressing antics.^[43]

On May 1, 2007, the Staples Center sports arena announced that a 7-foot (2.1 m) bronze statue of Oscar De La Hoya would join similar tributes to Los Angeles sports stars Magic Johnson and Wayne Gretzky at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.^[44] The statue was unveiled on December 2, 2008.^[45]

In February, 2008, Golden Boy acquired a 25% stake of Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo, along with Brener International Group.^[46]

De La Hoya started a charitable foundation to help underprivileged youth to education. In 2008, he donated $3.5 million to the De La Hoya Animo Charter High School.^[47]

In June 2008, De La Hoya published his autobiography entitled "American Son".^[48]

He is a member of the 2008 United States Olympic Hall of Fame.^[49]

Oscar De La Hoya is on the front covers of the PS3, Xbox 360 and PSP versions of EASports' Fight Night Round 3.^[50]

In 2008, De La Hoya starred in a commercial alongside several Mexican boxing champions for Pronosticos lottery in Mexico. The 300 film inspired commercial featured the Mexican champions battling giants and other large creatures.^[51]

In early 2011, De La Hoya visited U.S. military personnel in Kuwait and Iraq under the auspices of the USO, holding boxing clinics and greeting the troops.

In May 2011, De La Hoya acknowledged he has a problem, but the nature of the issue was not revealed. "After doing an honest evaluation of myself, I recognize that there are certain issues that I need to work on. Like everyone, I have my flaws, and I do not want to be one of those people that is afraid to admit and address those flaws." He underwent treatment at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California for his alcoholism.^[52]

Amateur highlights[link]

• 1989 Gold Medalist National Golden Gloves
• 1990 Gold Medalist US National Championships
• 1990 Gold Medalist Goodwill Games
• 1991 Gold Medalist US National Championships
• 1991 Gold Medalist US Olympic Festival
• 1992 Gold Medalist World Championships Challenge
• 1992 Gold Medalist Olympic Games^[53]

Amateur record: 224–5

Professional boxing record[link]

39 Wins (30 knockouts, 9 decisions), 6 Losses (2 knockouts, 4 decisions), 0 Draws[54]
Res.	Record	Opponnent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	39–6	Manny Pacquiao	TKO	8 (12)	2008-12-06	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Non-title welterweight fight.
Win	39–5	Stevie Forbes	UD	12	2008-05-03	Home Depot Center, Carson, California	Non-title fight at 150-pound catch weight.
Loss	38–5	Floyd Mayweather Jr.	SD	12	2007-05-05	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost WBC Light Middleweight title.
Win	38–4	Ricardo Mayorga	TKO	6 (12)	2006-05-06	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won WBC Light Middleweight title.
Loss	37–4	Bernard Hopkins	KO	9 (12)	2004-09-18	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost WBO Middleweight title. For WBC, WBA (Super), IBF & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	37–3	Felix Sturm	UD	12	2004-06-05	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won WBO Middleweight title.
Loss	36–3	Shane Mosley	UD	12	2003-09-13	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost WBC, WBA (Super), IBA & The Ring Light Middleweight titles.
Win	36–2	Luis Ramon Campas	TKO	7 (12)	2003-05-03	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC, WBA (Super) & The Ring Light Middleweight titles.
Win	35–2	Fernando Vargas	TKO	11 (12)	2002-09-14	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC & won WBA (Super), IBA & vacant The Ring Light Middleweight titles.
Win	34–2	Javier Castillejo	UD	12	2001-06-23	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won WBC Light Middleweight title.
Win	33–2	Arturo Gatti	TKO	5 (10)	2001-03-24	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Loss	32–2	Shane Mosley	SD	12	2000-06-17	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California	Lost WBC & IBA Welterweight titles.
De La Hoya was awarded vacant WBC Welterweight title on March 4, 2000.
Win	32–1	Derrell Coley	KO	7 (12)	2000-02-26	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York	Won vacant IBA Welterweight title.
Loss	31–1	Felix Trinidad	MD	12	1999-09-18	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost WBC & Lineal Welterweight titles. For IBF Welterweight title.
Win	31–0	Oba Carr	TKO	11 (12)	1999-05-22	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC & Lineal Welterweight titles.
Win	30–0	Ike Quartey	SD	12	1999-02-13	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC & Lineal Welterweight titles.
Win	29–0	Julio César Chávez	RTD	8 (12)	1998-09-18	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC & Lineal Welterweight titles.
Win	28–0	Patrick Charpentier	TKO	3 (12)	1998-06-13	Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas	Retained WBC & Lineal Welterweight titles.
Win	27–0	Wilfredo Rivera	TKO	8 (12)	1997-12-06	Caesar's Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey	Retained WBC & Lineal Welterweight titles.
Win	26–0	Héctor Camacho	UD	12	1997-09-13	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC & Lineal Welterweight titles.
Win	25–0	David Kamau	KO	2 (12)	1997-06-14	Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas	Retained WBC & Lineal Welterweight titles.
Win	24–0	Pernell Whitaker	UD	12	1997-04-12	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won WBC & Lineal Welterweight titles.
Win	23–0	Miguel Ángel González	UD	12	1997-01-18	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC & Lineal Light Welterweight titles.
Win	22–0	Julio César Chávez	TKO	4 (12)	1996-06-07	Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won WBC & Lineal Light Welterweight titles.
Win	21–0	Darryl Tyson	KO	2 (10)	1996-02-09	Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	20–0	Jesse James Leija	TKO	2 (12)	1995-12-15	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York	Retained WBO Lightweight title.
Win	19–0	Genaro Hernandez	RTD	6 (12)	1995-09-09	Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBO Lightweight title.
Win	18–0	Rafael Ruelas	TKO	2 (12)	1995-05-06	Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBO & won IBF Lightweight titles.
Win	17–0	John John Molina	UD	12	1995-02-18	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBO Lightweight title.
Win	16–0	John Avila	TKO	9 (12)	1994-12-10	Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California	Retained WBO Lightweight title.
Win	15–0	Carl Griffith	TKO	3 (12)	1994-11-18	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBO Lightweight title.
Win	14–0	Jorge Páez	KO	2 (12)	1994-07-29	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won vacant WBO Lightweight title.
Win	13–0	Giorgio Campanella	TKO	3 (12)	1994-05-27	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBO Super Featherweight title.
Win	12–0	Jimmy Bredahl	RTD	10 (12)	1994-03-05	Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California	Won WBO Super Featherweight title.
Win	11–0	Narciso Valenzuela	KO	1 (10)	1993-10-30	America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Win	10–0	Angelo Nunez	RTD	4 (10)	1993-08-27	Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, California
Win	9–0	Renaldo Carter	TKO	6 (10)	1993-08-14	Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis, Hancock, Mississippi
Win	8–0	Troy Dorsey	RTD	1 (10)	1993-06-07	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	7–0	Frank Avelar	TKO	4 (10)	1993-05-08	Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada
Win	6–0	Mike Grable	UD	8	1993-04-06	Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, New York
Win	5–0	Jeff Mayweather	TKO	4 (8)	1993-03-13	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	4–0	Curtis Strong	TKO	4 (6)	1993-02-06	San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California
Win	3–0	Paris Alexander	TKO	2 (6)	1993-01-03	Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, California
Win	2–0	Clifford Hicks	KO	1 (6)	1992-12-12	America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Win	1–0	Lamar Williams	KO	1 (6)	1992-11-23	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California	Oscar's professional debut.

Titles in boxing[link]

Major World Titles:

• WBO Super Featherweight Champion (130 lbs)
• WBO Lightweight Champion (135 lbs)
• IBF Lightweight Champion (135 lbs)
• WBC Light Welterweight Champion (140 lbs)
• WBC Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• WBC Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)
• WBA (Super) Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)
• WBO Middleweight Champion (160 lbs)
• (2) WBC Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)

Minor World Titles:

• IBA Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• IBA Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)

The Ring/Lineal Championship Titles:

• Lineal Light Welterweight Champion (140 lbs)
• Lineal Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• The Ring Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)

See also[link]

	Greater Los Angeles portal
	Sports portal
	Biography portal
32x28px	Hispanic and Latino Americans portal

• List of Olympic medalists in boxing
• List of lightweight boxing champions
• List of WBC world champions
• List of boxing triple champions
• List of boxing quadruple champions
• List of boxing quintuple champions
• List of boxing sextuple champions
• List of left-handed boxers
• Ring Magazine pound for pound
• Millie Corretjer

References[link]