April 12, 1997. Pernell Whitaker vs. Oscar De La Hoya Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas. Whitaker entered as the WBC welterweight champion, making his ninth title defense against the unbeaten De La Hoya. Both men were Olympic gold medalists, but they were at different stages of their careers. Whitaker, 33, had already spent years among boxing’s leading pound-for-pound fighters, while De La Hoya, 24, was moving up to challenge for another world title. Whitaker’s defense made him difficult to hit cleanly, and he finished the fight having landed more total punches than De La Hoya, 232 to 191, according to CompuBox. He also scored a ninth-round knockdown. Despite that, De La Hoya won a unanimous decision, ending Whitaker’s welterweight reign. The verdict divided ringside observers, with many believing Whitaker had done enough to retain his title. #Boxing #Boxinghistory