Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya has not been inside a boxing ring as a fighter since 2008 when he was bludgeoned by Manny Pacquiao in a fight that transformed Pacquiao into a legend. He looked shopworn in that bout, and weight drained, yet wants to come back once again, seven years later, at the age of 42.
"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 glamour. The only reason I would come back is because I miss the competition of fighting the very best."
In a recent interview with TMZ, De La Hoya threw a few fake punches and said if he were to come back he would want to face Gennady "GGG" Golovkin. Golovkin has knocked out 20 straight opponents and holds two middleweight titles; his stated goal is to unify all the belts at 160 pounds, and while De La Hoya offers the big name Golovkin craves, facing a bloated junior middleweight-or dropping to 154 pounds for a faded star-would do little for his career.
He has also brought up Mayweather, and said he only wants to fight Mayweather or Golovkin because he's all about fighting the best. It appears realistic on its face, but De La Hoya said top fighters in the past have made improbable comebacks, so its not unreasonable that he can too.
"Would I do it? I don't know but I wake up every morning thinking that I can," De La Hoya continued. "I think about Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler. If [Leonard] could do it, why can't I? We both come from similar situations. We are both hungry for the competition, we're both ambitious. So you never know. At the same time, I wish time flies by so I don't have to come back."
De La Hoya also said he feels fresher now than when he did during certain points of his career, which were marred by drug and alcohol abuse.
"Right now I feel the best I have felt in my life physically, emotionally, mentally because I haven't touched alcohol for I don't know how long. I'm training. I feel great," De La Hoya said.
His 2007 fight vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was, at the time, the highest-grossing fight in boxing history. At 42, and with Mayweather coming off a dud vs. Pacquiao in the new highest-grossing fight of all-time, he probably shouldn't expect to break any records if this fight actually gets made.
[ESPN]
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