De La Hoya fought Bernard Hopkins (44–2–1) in a unification match on September 18, 2004, in Las Vegas. Hopkins held the WBC, WBA, and IBF middleweight titles, was recognized as lineal and The Ring champion, and was considered by many to be the number one pound for pound fighter in the world. Although the fight was at a catchweight of , many thought De La Hoya was too small for the weight class and Hopkins was considered a heavy favorite.
De La Hoya fought Bernard Hopkins (44–2–1) in a unification match on September 18 2004, in Las Vegas. Hopkins held the WBC, WBA, and IBF middleweight titles was recognized as lineal and The Ring champion, and was considered by many to be the number one pound for pound fighter in the world. Although the fight was at a catchweight of , many thought De La Hoya was too small for the weight class and Hopkins was considered a heavy favorite