On February 13, 1999, De La Hoya was awarded
a 12-round split decision against former WBA champ Ike Quartey. He dropped
Quartey in round six, but the Ghanian dropped De La Hoya later in the
round. However, De La Hoya controlled the second half of the fight and
sealed the win with a spectacular last-round rally.In a boxing match held on May 22, 1999, De La Hoya stopped Oba Carr in
the eleventh round to retain his title. Although Oscar De La Hoya scored
another resounding victory, there were several uneasy moments during his
defense of the WBC welterweight crown against challenger Oba Carr. The No.
4 ranked challenger gave the champion fits before falling in Round 11.
In May 1999, De La Hoya and International Boxing Federation champion
Felix Trinidad agreed to battle each other in a welterweight unification
fight. Though the deal between the two champions became bogged down by a
money dispute between Trinidad's father-manager and promoter Don King, the
much-anticipated contest was held on September 18, 1999. De La Hoya lost
to Trinidad.
