Oscar De La Hoya produced a statement display against an icon of the fight game.
Blessed with lightning hands and tremendous athleticism, the Mexican-American conquered six weight classes en route to carving out a truly exceptional legacy.
De La Hoya stopped Fernando Vargas in an epic fight, and claimed a victory over Felix Sturm.
But his win over ‘Thunder’ is arguably his best.
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Oscar De La Hoya finished Arturo Gatti
On March 24, 2001, Oscar De La Hoya and Arturo Gatti, who’d eventually given the world three amazing clashes with Micky Ward, went to war at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The fight got off to an exciting start, with ‘The Golden Boy’ putting his rival down with a blistering combination.
Exhibiting bravery in abundance, Gatti got back to his feet but continued to take brutal blows for his trouble.
Showcasing tremendous shot selection, De La Hoya landed thunderous shots to both body and head, eventually opening up a cut that nearly forced the doctor to stop the fight in the third round.
By the fifth, Thunder’s corner had seen enough, throwing in the towel to stop their fighter taking further punishment.
Georges St Pierre reveals he nearly signed to fight Oscar De La Hoya
De La Hoya went head-to-head with many stars of the boxing world.
However, he never shared the ring with the great Georges St-Pierre.
The former UFC champion was once in negotiations with the gifted practitioner of the sweet science.
Interestingly, St-Pierre wanted a modified-rules fight with De La Hoya.