Oscar De La Hoya is 'very serious' about a possible comeback

Oscar De La Hoya says the chances of him coming out of retirement and returning to the ring are “50-50.” The 42-year-old De La Hoya has not fought since December 2008.

SI Wire | Jun 23, 2015

Oscar De La Hoya is 'very serious' about a possible comeback /

Former world champion and International Boxing Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya says the chances of him coming out of retirement and returning to the ring are “50-50.”

De La Hoya, 42, has not fought since December 2008 after he was knocked out in the eighth round by Manny Pacquiao in a welterweight bout in Las Vegas.

He lost four of his last seven fights to end his career, after securing victory in his first 31 bouts following his gold-medal-winning performance at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

"It's got to be worth my while, but this is very serious," De La Hoya told ESPN.com. "I have to make sure I am fighting the very best. I don't have to come back for financial reasons or the lights or the glamor. The only reason I would come back is because I miss the competition of fighting the very best."

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De La Hoya (39–6, 30 KOs) said if he does make a comeback he would like to face undefeated welterweight Floyd Mayweather in a rematch or take on middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (33-0, 30 KOs). De La Hoya lost to Mayweather by split decision in May 2007, losing his WBC light-middleweight crown.

Golovkin told ESPN.com that he has a great deal of respect for De La Hoya and would be ready to fight him if the opportunity arose. Golvokin has knocked out 20 straight opponents, including a sixth-round TKO of Willie Monroe Jr. last month.

"I want to fight one of them because they are the best and I always fought the best," De La Hoya said. "That's what boxing is all about—fighting the best.”

The 10-time world title holder says he has been training and is in good health.

"I've gotten everything taken care of—my rotator cuffs, my left hand, everything. I'm pain free," De La Hoya said. "I just feel good and when I walk the streets, everyone tells me, 'You have to fight Floyd again, you have to fight GGG. You can do it, you can do it ... I am young, I am healthy and I feel great—42 is the new 32."

- Scooby Axson

Published Jun 23, 2015

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