MAIN Sports Sports Stars Oscar de la Hoya

Born on February 4, 1973 in East Los Angeles, California, Oscar de la Hoya first rose to national prominence as the American welterweight boxer who won the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

With the looks and charisma of a major rock star, de la Hoya went on to sign a $1 million dollar deal with promoter Bob Arum - winning 5 world titles and beating world champions at a clip - including Pernell Whitaker, Hector 'Macho' Camacho and Fernando Vargas in fights that became increasingly populated by screaming female fans.

Outside the ring, de la Hoya's interests have been chronicled in countless media interviews with focus on his interests outside the ring — including a foray into architecture, having designed his own house in Big Bear Lake, California.

In 2003, he became the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional firm, Golden Boy Promotions, and one of only a handful of boxers in history who have taken on promotional responsibilities while still active.

In 2004, de la Hoya made headlines when he reneged on an NBC television network deal to cover the Athens Olympics, opting instead to fight Bernard Hopkins for the world Middleweight championship. De la Hoya ultimately lost the fight to Hopkins in the ninth round.

In 2006, de la Hoya added the title of new dad to his resume after announcing the news of the birth of his son, Oscar, Jr. in January. In May, the boxer traveled to Las Vegas for his showdown with WBC junior middleweight champion Ricardo Mayorga. The boxer ultimately won the much anticipated comeback defeating Mayorga in the 6th round by TKO.

A year later, de la Hoya was defeated by split decision in a much-heralded fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Las Vegas on May 5, 2007. In a lead-up to the bout, a related television special, De La Hoya Mayweather 24/7, went behind the scenes in a four-episode HBO series.

In September 2007, Internet buzz surrounding photos of De La Hoya dressed in women's clothing were denounced by fans as clever photo manipulation, with the boxer himself cleaiming the photos as "phony". Milana Dravnel, who reportedly took the pictures, met De La Hoya at a strip club where she worked, and later claimed she was coerced into an agreement with De la Hoya to recant her knowledge of the scandalous photos, and later filed a lawsuit against him for "a damaged public reputation."

Back in the ring in May 2008, the boxer went on to defeat Steve Forbes in an easy 12-round decision. De la Hoya next faced WBC lightweight champ Manny Pacquiao on December 6, 2008 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. However, in a stunning upset Pacquiao dominated nearly every second of the fight resulting in an 8th round TKO.

Following the fight, De la Hoya hinted at his departure from in the ring and officially announced his retirement on April 14, 2009, leaving a standing record of 39 wins and 6 defeats.

More about Ocar de la Hoya around the Web:

Oscar De La Hoya's Biography - An illustrated biography from Latino Sports Legends.

Ask Men - Oscar de la Hoya - Biography & pictures, with commentary on his "coolness factor", personality and talent.

HBO Boxing: Oscar de la Hoya - A profile of the boxer with professional career stats, personal and amateur background info.

Beyond the Glory - Oscar de la Hoya - Archived 2003 interview with the fighter including career highlights, from The Fox Network's series.

also see in Sports -> Evander Holyfield

Mike Tyson | Boxing | Olympic Boxing