Oscar De La Hoya faced some of the very best throughout his incredible career, allowing him to become a multi-division champion.
Facing the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, and Julio Cesar Chavez in his 16-year career, few fighters have faced the caliber of opponents as De La Hoya.
De La Hoya is the fastest fighter to ever become a world champion in six different weight classes, showing his incredible quality.
However, the former champion did reveal that there was one opponent that he was warned about before facing.
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Oscar De La Hoya was questioned as to why he was fighting Manny Pacquiao
In an interview with Youth Inc. De La Hoya was asked to reflect on the final bouts of his career.
The final outing of the American’s career came in 2008 when the former champion took on Pacquiao. In what was described by interviewer Dan Patrick as De La Hoya getting ‘badly beaten’, he asked the former champion about his thought process before the fight.
De La Hoya said, “I loved fighting the very best, he was coming up as the champion.”
The fighter was then asked if anyone had tried to talk De La Hoya out of the fight, given the fact he was past his prime as Pacquiao was hitting his. “Everybody did,” De La Hoya responded.
“Why are you going to fight Pacquiao? First of all, he’s younger than you, he’s faster, he’s strong.”
De La Hoya also revealed he felt ‘drained’ having to lose weight for the fight with Pacquiao at welterweight. “I was literally like a walking zombie when I walked into the ring.”
“My pride got the best of me,” De La Hoya added. During the fight, he revealed after the first round he thought to himself, “I have to take 12 rounds of this?”
However, Pacquiao would name De La Hoya as his inspiration years after the fight, despite the one-sided showcase.
Manny Pacquiao stopped Oscar De La Hoya in round eight in 2008
When the pair fought in the MGM Grand, Las Vegas in December 2008, it was not to be for De La Hoya.
In what was a dominant display, Pacquiao was clearly the fighter who was furthest ahead throughout the fight.
The bout would come to an end after the eighth round, as De La Hoya suffered significant damage to his eye, and was taking countless stinging shots from Pacquiao.
De La Hoya would retire after the fight, spelling the end of a 16-year career. However, De La Hoya’s achievements are still one of the most impressive in boxing history.