It was skills, hard work, and sheer determination, but Oscar De La Hoya had one more thing that molded him into a boxer. The 1992 Olympics gold medalist and an 11-time world champion had “tough love” from the family, which pushed him to don boxing gloves. But he is not complaining, as the alternative path lay behind bars, not the squared circle.

The American boxer boasts a boxing heritage as he comes from a family of boxers. His grandfather was an amateur boxer in the 1940s, and his father walked the professional path during the 1960s. His parents drilled the same spirit inside him, but their method was unconventional. It was they who, according to the ‘Golden Boy’, had planned it out. He detailed the story when he sat down with Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman.

The 51-year-old believes that his parents ensured that he became a boxer. While he contemplated whether he was born to do it or not, he was sure his parents wanted him to become a “beast.” He said, “When I was growing up, I always thought, well, maybe they planned it out, you know. Maybe I was born to be a fighter, and they’re going to mold me into this beast, you know.”

“And so my father is gonna keep me in line and my mom’s just gonna terrorize me. So I can just be tough, you know. That’s how I grew up and luckily I did have boxing,” De La Hoya continued. The East Los Angeles native admitted that if his parents had not acted strictly, he would have ended up in jail.

How did boxing save Oscar De La Hoya?

De La Hoya, who ended his career with a record of 39-6, disclosed that he grew up in the “hood,” and all his friends across the street were gangsters. He added, “Because I would have probably been in jail, you know. You know how it goes. I mean, we’re in the hood, in the neighborhood. I mean, across the street I had all my friends were, all gangsters, crackheads, you know.”

The boxer-turned-promoter continued and shared that he would wake up at 6 am and run across the street to meet his friends at the age of 10. De La Hoya announced, “I would wake up in the morning, like at 10 years old, at 6:00 a.m. in the morning to go run and I would see them, you know. They would wave and everything, whatever. But I would probably end up like that if I didn’t have that tough love, you know.”

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However, his family’s strict regime and introduction to boxing inculcated discipline in him. De La Hoya would then become one of the most popular names in boxing circuits, amassing a record of 234-6 before transitioning to pro boxing. He is currently trying to give back to the sport and guide the next generation of boxers with his Golden Boy Promotion.

What do you make of this story shared by Oscar De La Hoya? What do you think of his career as a boxer? Let us know in the comments below.