As fans eagerly await the latest installment of his “Thursday Clap-Back,” Oscar De La Hoya took a moment to reflect on one of his most iconic victories. On September 18, 1998—26 years ago—De La Hoya triumphed over Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez for the second time. While the anniversary sparked an outpouring of admiration from many fans, some couldn’t resist using the occasion to take a jab at “The Golden Boy.”

Despite the recent controversy surrounding the Ryan Garcia scandal, De La Hoya’s promotion company, Golden Boy Promotions, has been thriving, with rising stars like Vergil Ortiz Jr. and top-ranked contender William Zepeda capturing attention. Outside the ring, De La Hoya’s public feuds with Canelo Alvarez, Edgar Berlanga, and others have also kept fans engaged.

In a poolside post, De La Hoya revealed that he was wearing the same robe from his 1998 rematch with Chavez. “26 years ago, I beat Julio Cesar Chavez for the second time! Enjoy,” he said, sharing a clip of the fight’s closing moments.

Dubbed “Ultimate Revenge,” the fight took place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. De La Hoya and Chavez first squared off in 1996, when De La Hoya won via fourth-round technical knockout, becoming a three-division champion. One year later, he defeated Pernell Whitaker to claim the welterweight title. Their 1998 rematch came during De La Hoya’s fifth title defense.

In contrast to their first encounter, Chavez came out fighting aggressively, making the early rounds competitive. However, De La Hoya’s youth, speed, and energy ultimately overwhelmed the aging Chavez. By the eighth round, the beating Chavez had endured led his corner to stop the fight.

While it was a prime De La Hoya against a past-his-prime Chavez, the Mexican warrior had only suffered one career loss before his bouts with De La Hoya. Fans had a lot to say about the fight.

One fan acknowledged De La Hoya’s skill, despite not always approving of his words. “Oscar might talk a lot, but he was really that guy when he was young,” the fan wrote.

Echoing similar sentiments, another admirer praised De La Hoya’s tenacity and precision. “Man!! Prime-time Oscar could scrap like a mad lion! All hands going to the target and had a CHIN!” they said.

Quoting the famous words of Roberto Duran, one user commented, “Not just beat, beat him till he said NO MAS,” referencing the way De La Hoya forced Chavez to quit.

However, not all fans were complimentary. One critic suggested that De La Hoya didn’t face Chavez at his best, comparing it to Floyd Mayweather’s win over an older De La Hoya. “You say it like you beat a prime Chavez. Just like Mayweather beat an old Oscar,” the user said.

Another fan firmly believed De La Hoya couldn’t have defeated Chavez in his prime, drawing a comparison to De La Hoya’s loss to Manny Pacquiao a decade later. “@oscardelahoya, you would’ve NEVER in a million years beat @jcchavez115 in his prime. He would have swept the floor with you! Manny Pacquiao gave you the same treatment years later. Only difference, PAC doesn’t gloat,” they remarked.

September 18 holds a bittersweet significance for De La Hoya. One year after his second victory over Chavez, he suffered his first career defeat to Felix Trinidad. Five years later, on September 18, 2004, Bernard Hopkins ended De La Hoya’s dream of becoming the undisputed middleweight champion. After taking nearly two years off, De La Hoya returned to the ring but suffered further losses to Mayweather and Pacquiao, eventually retiring for good.

Though De La Hoya’s career had its share of ups and downs, his legacy as one of boxing’s greats remains secure, as do the debates about his greatest triumphs and defeats.