Oscar De La Hoya names the most defensive fighter he ever faced and it's not Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins, or Manny Pacquiao

An Olympic gold medallist at Barcelona in 1992, De La Hoya quickly converted his amateur success into professional glory as he took on some of the biggest names boxing had to offer. 

Now in charge of Golden Boy Promotions and the man responsible for a number of boxing’s biggest fights in the modern era, De La Hoya can reflect on his career inside the ring honestly.  

After sharing the ring with the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins, and Manny Pacquiao, De La Hoya has been in with some crafty operators, but what fighter had the best defence? 

“It would have to be a coin flip between Pernell Whitaker and Mayweather,” said De La Hoya when speaking to The Ring in 2018. 

“Both had different styles. Whitaker used his waist more and stood in front of you and was very slippery. Mayweather was more of a boxer that moved just a little bit more. The most difficult to hit was probably Whitaker.” 

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