OSCAR McCRACKEN is the country’s first solicitor by day and fighter by night – and the owner of arguably boxing’s greatest nickname.
The 25-year-old’s uncle Rob used to train Anthony Joshua and still works as Team GB’s head amateur coach.
His father Spencer was also a welterweight fighter – so it was only a matter of time till his son, Oscar, entered the family business.
But Oscar tells us: “My dad never wanted me to box.”
So instead he played football, captaining his county and even having trials with Birmingham City – his boyhood club.
But Oscar was always in the boxing gym – from as far back as he can remember – sparring pro fighters by his teenage years.
By his 18th birthday, Oscar decided he too wanted to be a boxer, like his uncle, dad and brother Spencer Jr before him.
But his old man – who had 19 wins, four losses and one draw – had just one rule – study for another career at the same time.
So Oscar enrolled into the University of Worcester and achieved a First Class LLB Law with Honours degree in 2022.
He was also gearing up for his pro debut when his dad came up with quite possibly boxing’s most ingenious moniker
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It all started when Oscar travelled to the Cayman Islands to help corner Matt Windle – a former Commonwealth champion.
An argument broke out with a promoter when a cocksure lawyer – who thought he could talk his way out of the dispute – chimed in.
But he was not the only man of the law in the building that day.
Oscar said: “An issue cropped up between the promoter and a couple of others.
“Then a lawyer came in and thought he was going to just start telling everybody what was what.
“But obviously he didn’t know that I’ve got a legal background as well, so we ended up in a bit of an argument – well, discussion.
“And after it was fully rectified after quite an intense hour or so. My dad just said, ‘See, I told you Oscar de la Lawyer would sort it.’
“The whole room just went up, all the fighters, all the managers, promoters everything, and I thought, ‘Oh, you’ve just thought of the name.’ It’s perfect.”
Oscar was actually named after American great De La Hoya too – such was his dad’s love for the Golden Boy.
He said: “My dad was a big fan of him back in the day, so that’s what I’m named after.
‘I didn’t expect any of this’
“So it’s just mad how it’s come around now that it just fits perfectly off Oscar de la Hoya, but I can’t believe how much it’s picked.
“I didn’t expect any of this.”
His dad revealed the amazing nickname to millions on social media – and it also received an extra push thanks to the People’s Paper.
Oscar revealed: “The Sun actually did an article! My phone was going, I was playing football because I still play football – I play Saturdays.
“I got off the pitch and my phone was going insane. I was like, what’s going on there? ‘Have you seen in this? You’re in The Sun!
“I didn’t know anything about this. And from then on it’s just been all about the name, yeah, people love it.”
Oscar is a year away from becoming a fully-qualified solicitor and is currently working in the corporate and commercial sector.
But Oscar wants to one day mix his two passions to protect young up-and-coming fighters from boxing’s shady, fame-hungry characters.
He said: “Would you want to go and get a manager who’s sticking his face on TV every five seconds, never boxed a day in his life?
“But you know, he gets on with the big promoters because he’s got a big mouth, but he can’t guide you.
“He’d put you in the wrong fights. That’s why so many prospects are getting beat now.
“Or would you want to go with a manager who one had the balls to fight?
“I don’t need to fight, but I’ve done it myself because I’ve got respect for fighters and I know how hard it is, and you can see that I’ve done that as well.”
Oscar – who welcomed baby son Arthur into the world in November – lives next door to dad and coach Spencer.
He is up by 6am for his runs, in the office by 9am, then back into the gym by the evening for more exhausting training.
Oscar said: “Sometimes I get in there, my dad’s got like two lads from a different gym waiting to spar me. I didn’t even know I’d be sparring.
I’ve had a couple of like little marks and black eyes and that and gone in the office and everyone’s had a look, but what do you expect it’s boxing?
“I’m walking into a gym, I could be absolutely knackered and then I’ve got two people waiting. They’re thinking, ‘I don’t care about the law thing.’
“They’re thinking, ‘I’ve got a McCracken here I can smash up and I can go and tell everybody I’ve battered one.’
“So then it’s about you’ve got to find the dog in you then of getting through, getting through the session and seeing how much you want it.
“If I didn’t want it, there’s no way I would have gotten to my third fight because of how hard it is.”
Oscar only just begins winding down by 8.30pm when he eats dinner and puts his son to bed – but it’s now baby Arthur who inspires his long hard days.
He said: “Before I had my son, it was all about history but now, I want to lead by example.
“I want him to grow up and think, ‘Bloody hell, my dad became a lawyer, which was hard enough from being from a proper working class background anyway, and then being a pro boxer at the same time.’’
Like any boxer, Oscar wears his battle scars as a badge of honour – and his clients are big fans.
He said: “The firm that I’m with now are fully behind me and clients love it as well.
“It’s a talking point, isn’t it? ‘Do you know your solicitor’s also a pro boxer? Then, they’re Googling you and you’re coming up and everything – they love it.
“Obviously, I’ve had a couple of like little marks and black eyes and that and gone in the office and everyone’s had a look, but what do you expect, it’s boxing?”
Oscar – like his family before him – does not want his son to be a boxer – but if history is anything to go by it will be hard to stop.
He laughed: “I hope he don’t box. But listen, it’s like an illness in this family.
“You just end up getting sucked into it somehow or the other, and people expect you to be able to fight as well.”
Oscar has been rubbing shoulders with Britain’s best since he can remember with uncle Rob having coached Joshua and Carl Froch among others.
Whatever you do today, make sure you get a picture with him because he’s gonna be a heavyweight world champion, 100 per cent.
He remembers heading up to Team GB’s Sheffield training HQ to watch Carl Froch spar Tony Bellew in 2011.
It was there he met a hulking 6ft 6in super-heavyweight known as AJ – who was a year away from winning Olympic gold.
Oscar said: “Robbie was like, ‘Mate, whatever you do today, make sure you get a picture with him because he’s gonna be a heavyweight world champion 100 per cent.
“I was like, Really?’ He was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. He was super friendly, put his arm around you, just so down to earth and humble.
“Obviously he hadn’t achieved anything then in terms of what he’s done now, but I took a picture with Joshua and yeah, I’ve been to virtually all his fights.”
Oscar is now 3-0 having most recently beat Shane Smith and now looks ahead to another year juggling life as a lawyer by day and being a boxer by night.
He said: “Three fights in my first year, I think that’s quite good considering how much I’ve got going on.
“I’ll sit down with my dad and and see what he says and we’ll start putting a bit of a bit of a plan together.
“There’s definitely scope to go and do something, but obviously it’s just about managing it correctly and not taking it on too much because obviously I’ve got a lot, a hell of a lot going on in my life, but I’m committed to boxing 100 per cent.”
