Boxers have many admirable qualities, but smarts, savvy and skills outside the ring are not usually considered among them. Then there's Oscar De La Hoya, the Mexican-American champion who seemingly can't make a bad move.

        In addition to his matinee-idol looks and a powerhouse left, De La Hoya earned a Grammy nomination for the recording of his debut CD last year.

        The fighter is changing perception of boxers and Hispanics in America.

        “I think he's redefined what a boxer is,” says award-winning filmmaker Ray Blanco. “Oscar crosses the lines of most sports figures. I compare him to Michael Jordan, who will have white fans, Hispanic fans and black fans. He's crossed that racial line.”

        Mr. Blanco's Cutting Edge Entertainment has produced an episode of A&E's Biography program called “Body and Soul.” The episode featuring Mr. De La Hoya (8 p.m. today) kicks off “Knockout Week” on Biography, which also features George Foreman on Tuesday, Sonny Liston on Wednesday, Muhammad Ali on Thursdayand Joe Louis on Friday.

        “What's interesting about Oscar is that there are so many sides to him that we haven't seen,” Mr. Blanco says. “You've got a guy here who . . . barely graduated from high school and comes from a working poor neighborhood . . . both his parents are immigrant Mexicans.

        “Where does he get the know-how to build the empire that he's built.”

        It's a modern American success story, replete with triumph and tragedy. The East Los Angeles-born boxer, now 28, entered the amateur ranks with his eye on the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. His mother died of cancer leading up to the Olympiad, yet the teen-ager continued to train and he defeated the favorite to win a gold medal. To celebrate, Mr. De La Hoya danced around the ring with the American flag in one hand and the Mexican flag in the other, a symbol for a new, empowered generation of Mexican-Americans.

        Mr. De La Hoya turned pro and went on to win five titles while compiling a 34-2 record and accumulating more than $100 million in purses and income. Along the way, the boxer delivered stay-in-school and anti-drug messages to kids and founded a youth center on the site of the gym where he trained for his gold medal. He also opened a cancer center in memory of his mother.

        Musically, Mr. De La Hoya's self-titled debut CD, featuring songs in both Spanish and English, was nominated for a Grammy in the Latin pop category. He cites his mom as inspiration for his songs, Mr. Blanco says.

        Too good to be true? Perhaps. Mr. De La Hoya has fathered two children out of wedlock, is known to like a good party and has been criticized by the boxing press for changing his managers too often.

        These are blemishes that Mr. Blanco presents.

        “I confronted him with this and that and the other thing,” Mr. Blanco says. “He said, "Look, I made mistakes.' Imagine if some of our politicians who have gone to Ivy League schools and risen to the rank of president says that? Richard Nixon and Monica Lewinsky would never had happened.”

        The Cuban-born Mr. Blanco interviewed Mr. De La Hoya previously for his “Viva!” series. The program, focusing on Hispanic issues and personalities, has won a New York Emmy for his Plainfield, N.J.-based company.

        Mr. Blanco, who also has produced Emmy-nominated features for PBS, teaches film in New York City. It was in a class that insight into Mr. de la Hoya's impact on the young Hispanic community became clear. A female student stated that Mr. De La Hoya's life was an inspiration to her as someone who looks to do better and works toward improving their life.

        “When she says that,” Mr. Blanco says, “I knew I was on the right track.”

KIESEWETTER: 'Emeril' needs seasoning before fall debut
Neighborhood Gardens program grows plants, neighbors
Gardens tour Tuesday
Get to It
Ask A Stupid Question
Devastation of lost job turns into a blessing
Stewart fans enjoy wastin' away in Maggie-May-ville
Young acts steal spotlight at jazz fest
Sand volleyball spiking in popularity From recreation tournaments to bar leagues,
Where to play sand volleyball
Fit Bits
If exercise is a priority, you will find time
Learn fast-food menus before driving through
'Jurassic' dinosaurs devour competitors
'Goonies' turns house into shrine
NBC might need some new friends
Adams' biographer acknowledges bad quote
De La Hoya transcends boxing ring