Oscar De La Hoya Cites Devastating Loss to Obscure Opponent as Career Low, Omitting Mayweather & Pacquiao
LOS ANGELES, CA – Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya recently identified a knockout defeat to Steve Forbes in 2003 as the “worst moment” of his professional career, a surprising revelation given his high-profile losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. The omission of those more celebrated rivals has sparked debate among fans and analysts, questioning the criteria behind De La Hoya’s selection.
De La Hoya’s career, spanning from 1993 to 2008, was marked by both impressive victories and painful defeats. While his bouts against Mayweather and Pacquiao were widely publicized and analyzed, the fight against Forbes – a relatively unknown fighter at the time – occurred during a period when De La Hoya was transitioning between weight classes. this choice underscores the deeply personal nature of athletic trauma, where impact isn’t always measured by fame or fortune.
The Forbes fight, held December 13, 2003, ended in a ninth-round technical knockout for De la Hoya, marking only the second loss of his career. In a recent interview, De La Hoya explained the emotional toll of the defeat, stating, “It was very hard… I felt humiliated.” He elaborated on his struggles during the fight, describing a frustrating inability to capitalize on openings. “Manny Pacquiao would be right in front of me. He would jab me 15 times, and then I would be ready to hit him, and he would be wide open, and I couldn’t pull the trigger.”
However, De La Hoya’s later encounters with Mayweather (2007) and Pacquiao (2008) were arguably more meaningful in terms of career trajectory and public perception. His loss to Mayweather was a unanimous decision, while the Pacquiao fight ended with De La Hoya retiring on his stool after eight rounds, admitting Pacquiao had “beat the hell” out of him. De La Hoya later told Larry King that Pacquiao’s beating was “a tough beating to get me out of the sport,” and that he felt like “a shell of myself.”
Despite the clear impact of those losses, De La Hoya maintains that the Forbes fight remains his most difficult memory. The decision highlights the subjective experience of defeat and the lasting psychological effects of even seemingly lesser-known setbacks in a fighter’s career. It remains to be seen if this perspective will reshape the narrative surrounding De La Hoya’s legacy.
