ONE-TWO PUNCH

Oscar De La Hoya is in the battle of his life. Which career path to go down? Is he a singing lover or a fighter? At 28, he’s a super-welterweight champion, holds six boxing titles, an Olympic gold medal, and has a successful singing career. After showing his guns for so many years, the East Los Angeles-born “Golden Boy” showed us his pipes in 2000 with the release of his self-titled album. As De La Hoya gets set to enter the ring for the first time since winning the World Boxing Council super-welterweight title last June, defeating Javier Castillejo, he took time out to talk to us.

AW: What’s the most beautiful sound in the world?
ODLH: The most beautiful sound in the world is the sound of my two children’s voices.

AW: You’ve conquered the sports world and the music world. Any other territory you’d like to tackle?
ODLH: Someday I hope to champion the sport of golf — making it into the Senior PGA. Golf is one of my other passions.

AW: How difficult was it for you to leap into another profession — music?'
ODLH: Not difficult at all. I have always believed that if you set your mind to something, anything is possible.

AW: If you had to choose between boxing and music, which would it be?
ODLH: At this time, it is very difficult to say because I am truly interested in both boxing and music. For now, I am dedicated to boxing, but after I retire, I intend to follow through with my music career.

— J.E.M.