Is DelaHoya a natural 140 pounder?

[THE THIRD MAN]

I actually think he is the perfect build for a Welterweight, if he thinks he is a natural 140lb fighter then why did he high tail it out of that division at the end of 1996 and not fight Kostya Tszyu? I'm not sure De La Hoya knows what to think anymore, still he gets his easy final fight win i suppose.

[XaduBoxer]

BoxRec listed:

Rocky Juarez at 5' 5"
Jesus Chavez at 5' 5"
Juan Diaz at 5' 6"
Michael Katsidis at 5' 7"

Manny Pacquiao at 5' 6 1/2"
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[Violent Demise]

I actually think he is the perfect build for a Welterweight, if he thinks he is a natural 140lb fighter then why did he high tail it out of that division at the end of 1996 and not fight Kostya Tszyu? I'm not sure De La Hoya knows what to think anymore, still he gets his easy final fight win i suppose.

What was the point? There was no money in a Tszyu fight after Vince Phillips knocked him out.

[SweetPea]

De La Hoya was a natural full-sized welterweight. That's where he spent his peak, and he was the right size for that weight.

[XaduBoxer]

"I've fought at 154 pounds, I've fought at 160 pounds, but that's not my natural weight," De La Hoya told FightNews. "My natural weight is welterweight at 144 pounds or 140. I can make that weight easily. I know Manny Pacquiao says that if I don't make the weight, there will be a $3 million fine for every pound. I can sleep good at night [knowing] that that's not going to happen."


It seems Oscar is dead serious in making the 147 limit for the Pacquiao fight... He also looks small nowadays, not bloated... hmmnn...
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[THE THIRD MAN]

I actually think he is the perfect build for a Welterweight, if he thinks he is a natural 140lb fighter then why did he high tail it out of that division at the end of 1996 and not fight Kostya Tszyu? I'm not sure De La Hoya knows what to think anymore, still he gets his easy final fight win i suppose.

What was the point? There was no money in a Tszyu fight after Vince Phillips knocked him out.

VD, the Phillips fight was in May 97', Oscar got out of the 140lb division to fight Whitaker ( a lighter puncher) in April of 97'. In 1996 both DLH and Tszyu were at 140lb. The fight should have happened.

[Thread Stealer]

I actually think he is the perfect build for a Welterweight, if he thinks he is a natural 140lb fighter then why did he high tail it out of that division at the end of 1996 and not fight Kostya Tszyu? I'm not sure De La Hoya knows what to think anymore, still he gets his easy final fight win i suppose.

I think Arum wanted to hype a potential fight for DLH-Tszyu in 1997, as Tszyu-Mas was on the undercard of DLH-MAGO. Tszyu-Mas didn't help hype the fight as it ended in a one-round no contest, and then Tszyu lost to Phillips shortly after DLH fought Whitaker.

Tszyu-DLH probably would've been at 147 anyway though. The bigger name usually calls the shots.

[Bomp]

He was 147 at his peak.
Picture means jack shit, you'd be surprised how little the gap can look between a natural welter and a natural middle even when they're actually together. Hagler looked no bigger than Leonard, and people would be seriously surprised at the similarity in size betwenn Margarito and Pavlik.

[TitoFan]

The prospect of facing Margarito or even Cotto would make De La Hoya go down to 130, if he had to.

[Puerto Rican Punch]

A good couple of years ago, yes... now, no... He can not make 140.