Oscar De La Hoya, born on February 4, 1973, is a Mexican-American boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. De La Hoya was nicknamed "The Golden Boy of Boxing" by the media when he represented the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics where he won a gold medal in the lightweight division. In 2002, De La Hoya founded Golden Boy Promotions, a combat sport promotional firm.
Golden Boy Promotions is an American boxing promotional firm based in Los Angeles, California.
When Oscar De La Hoya formed Golden Boy, he said he wanted to change boxing, to bring honor to the sport.
Early Days of Oscar De La Hoya
Born in East Los Angeles, California, Oscar De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather, Vicente, was an amateur fighter during the 1940s, and his father, Joel Sr., had been a professional boxer during the 1960s. At age 15, De La Hoya won the national Junior Olympics 119-pound title. In 1989, he won the National Golden Gloves title in the bantamweight division.
Olympic Gold and Turning Pro
As the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona approached, 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 German boxer Marco Rudolph to win the gold medal.
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De La Hoya's accolades include winning 11 world titles in six weight classes, including lineal championships in three weight classes. He was named The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year in 1995 and was its top-rated fighter in the world, pound for pound, in 1997 and 1998. De La Hoya generated approximately $700 million in pay-per-view income, making him the top pay-per-view earner before being surpassed by Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Golden Boy promoted the May 5, 2007, "super fight" between De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather won the bout by a split decision.
Golden Boy Promotions and MMA
In recent years, Golden Boy Promotions has ventured into the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). One notable event was
Chuck Liddel vs Tito Ortiz 3 Full fight
Liddell vs. Ortiz 3
Former UFC stars Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz agreed to a third MMA fight, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.
Here's a summary of the reported salaries for the trilogy fight:
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| Fighter | Salary |
|---|---|
| Chuck Liddell | Six-figure payday |
| Tito Ortiz | Six-figure payday |
In October 2018, Canelo Álvarez signed an 11-fight deal with sports streaming site DAZN. The first fight under this new deal was on December 15 of that year, when Álvarez made his first appearance at the historic Madison Square Garden challenging Rocky Fielding for the WBA Super Middleweight World Championship.
Golden Boy also owns a 25% stake in the Houston Dynamo.