Dubbed the 'Golden Boy' welterweight Oscar De La Hoya is the undeniable superstar of the boxing world. Meeting some of the best contenders in the ring, Oscar has earned more than $75 million and won nearly all of his fights. That he would acheive sucha phenomenal record was not obvious, however, when he was a young boy growing up in the barrios of East Los Angeles. Shy, with a slender build, Oscar learned how to box only to protect himself in his tough neighborhood. By the time he was 19, he had won a boxing gold medal in the 1992 Olympics and turned professional. With his dancerlike footwork and lightning jabs and punches, Oscar's career seemed destined for greatness, but he faced stumbling blocks and disappointments along the way. Still, he has said he looks forward to a full, but brief, boxing career. Whether that career has been full enough for him at this point, only Oscar De La Hoya himself can tell.
