'American Son: My Story' by Oscar De La Hoya with Steve Springer
BOOK REVIEW
Boxing's Golden Boy recounts his rise to the top.
FOR decades, the health of boxing depended on the presence of a crossover star -- the pugilist who could compel non-boxing fans to hit the pay-per-view button. In the late '80s and '90s, Mike Tyson was the magnet, but by the time his antics ended, boxing was badly bloodied and had been shooed off network television. Enter the Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, a virtuoso of violence who had never been in a street fight and looks like a choirboy.
A Mexican American from the south side of middle-class, De La Hoya did more than anyone to keep the sweet science from slipping into the dark ages. In the process, he earned hundreds of millions of dollars. The East L.A. native is also the first fighter to succeed on the Don King side of the sport. In only a few years, his Golden Boy Promotions Inc. has become a dominant force in the boxing business. As if that weren't enough, his Latin pop CD, released in 2000, was nominated for a Grammy.
With the adept aid of Times sportswriter and boxing scribe Steve Springer, De La Hoya recounts his rise from ragtag local gym rat to the Tiger Woods of boxing. Like many people in the game that is no game, De La Hoya is the progeny of generations of fighters. Among such folks, pickup boxing is as common as pickup basketball. At 4, he was prodded into a sparring session with a cousin at his Uncle Lalo's house. The future prince of pugilism got whacked and quit in tears. A year later, however, he was shadowing his older brother to a local gym, and the train of his future started to roll.
Self-restriction is at the root of great art, and soon the young De La Hoya showed a monk's devotion to his martial art. He was a natural lefty, but a coach converted him to an orthodox style. He thus led with his power hand, and developed a left hook that turned out the lights for scores of opponents.
By 14, De La Hoya was a local boxing star and had begun sparring with pros. Tall and lean, he fought as often as twice a week, compiling a mind-boggling amateur record of 223 wins and 5 losses. The entire family was determined that he win an Olympic gold medal. His mother, Cecilia, a fervent supporter of his efforts, succumbed to breast cancer at 39, two years before the 1992 Olympics, but had made it known that she wanted her boy to win the gold in Barcelona. And win it he did. "American Son" describes the swirl of money and offers that followed. It also captures the challenges De La Hoya faced in integrating his identity as an American with his intimate links to Mexico.
