THE WORLD AWAITS: DE LA HOYA vs. MAYWEATHER

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather
Junior Middleweight Championship
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Distributed by Canadastar Boxing Inc.
To Canadian Commercial Locations
On Closed Circuit-Pay Per View

OSCAR DE LA HOYA PROFILE

A superstar whose popularity transcends boxing, Oscar De La Hoya is considered to be one of the best fighters in the world at any weight – pound for pound. He is also the biggest non-heavyweight attraction and moneymaker at the gate. He has defeated 17 current of former world champions, one twice.

Most recently, in May 2006, De La Hoya returned to the ring after a 20-month absence, and won a six-round TKO against Ricardo Mayorga.

In September 2004, he lost in his quest for the undisputed world middleweight championship by a 9th round KO against WBC/WBA/IBF world middleweight champion, Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins seemed a little taken aback by his strategy during the first two rounds who was not afraid to trade blows with the Executioner. Hopkins began to slowly pick up the pace in the fourth round and by the ninth round, was leading on all the judges’ scorecards. He hit the canvass and was counted out when Hopkins threw a jab and left hook to his liver.

De La Hoya lost no prestige in defeat though, gaining the respect of Hopkins and the boxing community for his continued willingness to fight the best.

He moved up in weight to 160 pounds and won the WBO middleweight world title in June 2004 with a 12-round unanimous decision against defending champion Felix Sturm. The co-main event featured Bernard Hopkins vs Robert Allen and both he and Hopkins were required to win their respective bouts as a prelude to a mega pay per view fight against each other. The stage was set for the mega fight between them, when both fighters won their respective bouts.

At the post-fight press conference following his bout against Sturm, De La Hoya said, “What can I say? It was a tough fight. I underestimated Sturm, but we trained hard and I did my job. I have now captured six titles, and now I look forward to fighting Hopkins. I am really looking forward to that. I have no excuses. Sturm came to fight and he prepared himself very well. He was a very game fighter. I had to fight hard to win this fight, like a warrior. He took me off my game plan because he is a good fighter, but we changed things up and I pulled it out.”

De La Hoya’s previous fight was a controversial decision loss against Shane Mosley. The vast majority of people who watched the fight, some 75 per cent according to various internet polls, thought Oscar deserved to win.

Regarding that fight, Oscar said, “When I fought Mosley the first time around, I felt like I lost, that he got me that night. With this fight, I just don’t feel that way. I don’t want to blame anyone or point fingers, but that will be a mystery to me for the rest of my life. I put it in its proper place. I’m moving forward. After talking with my family and my wife, I feel wonderful. I feel like the champ. My body and my mind feel great. I feel fresh. I feel at ease.

“I will continue on in the sport, the sport that made me who I am today. Boxing is in my blood. This is the sport I love and will continue being in as long as my body and mind allow me to.”

He has been successful at the highest levels of competition, and has beaten current or former world champions, Felix Sturm, Fernando Vargas, Pernell Whitaker, Arturo Gatti, Ike Quartey, Julio Cesar Chavez twice, Hector Camacho, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, James Leija, Genaro Hernandez, Rafael Ruelas, John John Molina, Jorge Paez, Javier Francisco Castillejo, Yory Boy Campas, Jimmi Bredahl, and Troy Dorsey.

KEY FIGHTS

2004

September: Lost WBC/WBO/WBA/IBF Middleweight World Title by 9th round KO against Bernard Hopkins.

June: Won WBO Middleweight World Title in 12-round unanimous decision against previously undefeated defending champion, Felix Sturm. He started fast and worked the body effectively, but Sturm rallied in the middle rounds with sharp combinations.

2003

September: Lost WBC, WBA Super Welterweight World Titles in 12-round unanimous decision in rematch against Shane Mosley. He built a lead, but was cut next to his right eye by a clash of heads in the 4th round. Many observers thought he practically shut our Mosley through eight rounds but on all three scorecards, he led by much closer scores. Mosley rallied in the late rounds and landed several hard right hands to the body and won the last five rounds on two scorecards, and the last four on the other.

May: Won by TKO 2nd WBC World Title Defense, 1st WBA Unified Super Welterweight World Title Defense against former IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion, Yory Boy Campas. He wore down Campas whose corner stopped the fight in the 6th round.

2002

September: Won by TKO 1st WBC Super Welterweight World Title Defense, Won WBA World Title against WBA champion, Fernando Vargas. He displayed not only his tangible qualities of skills, speed, power and durability, but also intangible qualities of desire, determination, experience and heart. The momentum shifted throughout the fight and both fighters were rocked and bloodied. He outboxed Vargas in the seventh and eight rounds, but Vargas came back strongly in the 9th. He staggered Vargas late in the 10th and knocked him down, flat on his back in the 11th. When Vargas got up, he followed with an unanswered series of punches and the referee stopped the fight.

2001

June: Won WBC Super Welterweight World Title in 12-round unanimous decision against defending champion, Francisco Castillejo. He bloodied Castillejo’s nose in the 8th round, rocked him with several sharp punches in the 9th, and scored a knockdown in the 12th.

March: Won by TKO against former IBF Junior Lightweight Champion, Arturo Gatti. He scored a knockdown in the 1st round, rocked Gatti again in the 3rd, and both fighters landed hard punches late in the round. He rocked Gatti several times in the 5th and Gatti’s corner stopped the fight at 1:16.

2000

June: Lost WBC Welterweight World title by 12-round split decision against Shane Mosley (34-0). In one of the best fights of the year, he started fast and was leading after six rounds. Mosley came on strong in the second half to win the fight.

February: Won WBC Welterweight World Title Elimination Bout by KO against No. 2 ranked Derrell Coley (34-1-2). He rocked Coley several times and knocked him down for the count with two body punches in the 7th round. He regained the WBC Welterweight title in March 2000 based on this title eliminator win when champion, Felix Trinidad relinquished the title to move up in weight.

1999

September: Lost WBC Welterweight World Title by a 12-round majority decision against IBF champion Felix Trinidad (35-0). Her led after eight rounds but Trinidad constantly pressured him in the late rounds and the Golden Boy boxed cautiously.

May: Won 7th WBC Welterweight World title Defense by TKO against Oba Carr (48-2-1). Carr was unable to continue in the 11th round.

February: Won 6th WBC Welterweight World Title Defense by 12-round split decision against former WBA champion, Ike Quartey. He scored a knockdown in the 6th, but was knocked down himself later in the round. Quartey rallied in the next three rounds, but was knocked down early in the final round by a furious series of punches.

1998

September: Won 5th WBC Welterweight World title Defense by TKO against former three-time world champion, Julio Cesar Chavez (100-2-2). Chavez was unable to answer the bell for the ninth round.

June: Won 4th WBC Welterweight World Title Defense by TKO against Patrick Charpentier (27-4-1) in the 3rd round.

1997

December: Won 3rd WBC Welterweight World Title Defense by TKO against Wilfredo Rivera (27-2-1) in the 8th round.

September: Won 2nd WBC Welterweight World Title Defense by a 12-round unanimous decision against former two-time world champion, Hector Camacho (64-3-1).

June: Won 1st WBC Welterweight World Title Defense by KO against David Kamaui in the 2nd round.

April: Won WBC Welterweight World Title by 12-round unanimous dedision against defending champion, Pernell Whitaker (40-1-1).

January: Won 1st WBC Super Lightweight World Title by a 12-round unanimous decision against previously undefeated former lightweight champion, Miguel Angel Gonzalez (41-0).

1996

June: Won WBC Super Lightweight World Title by TKO against defending champion Julio Cesar Chavez in the 4th round.

1995

December: Won 6th WBO Lightweight World title Defense by TKO against former WBC Junior Lightweight Champion, Jesse james Leija. Leija could not continue after the 2nd round.

September: Won 5th WBO Lightweight World title Defense by TKO against former WBA Junior Lightweight Champion, Genaro Hernandez (32-0-1) in the 6th round.

May: Won 4th WBO Lightweight World Title Defense by TKO against former IBF Lightweight Champion, Rafael Ruelas (43-1) in the 2nd round.

February: Won 3rd WBO Lightweight World title Defense by 12-round unanimous decision against former three-time Junior Lightweight World Champion, John John Molina.

1994

December: Won 2nd WBO Lightweight World Title Defense by TKO against John Avila in the 9th round.

November: Won 1st WBO Lightweight World Title Defense by TKO against Carl Griffith in the 3rd round.

July: Won Vacant WBO Lightweight World Title by KO against former IBF Featherweight Champion, Jorge Paez in the 2nd round.

May: Won 1st WBO Junior Lightweight World Title Defense by KO against previously undefeated Giorgio Campanella in the 3rd round.

March: Won WBO Junior Lightweight World Title by KO against previously undefeated defending champion, Jimmi Bredahl whose corner stopped the fight after the 10th round.