Olympic Champion De La Hoya to Make Pro Debut at the Forum

Olympic champion Oscar De La Hoya of East Los Angeles will fight Lamar Williams of Erie, Pa., in his professional boxing debut Nov. 23 at the Forum.

The bout, a six-round lightweight contest, is pending approval by the California Athletic Commission.

De La Hoya, 19, was the only American to win a gold medal, taking the 132-pound title in July at Barcelona.

Williams has a 7-2-1 record and has never been knocked out.

“It’s important for (De La Hoya) to have a competitive fight and we all think that he’ll get that with Williams,” Forum Vice President John Jackson said.

De La Hoya is expected to make at least $100,000, his earnings coming from a guaranteed payment and a percentage of the gate.

“I wanted to fight here in Los Angeles for my fans who supported me through my amateur career and the Olympics,” De La Hoya said. “I was going to have (my pro debut) in a place like Las Vegas where the tickets would have been as high as $1,000. Then, not even my family would have been able to go, so it was important for me to fight at home.”