BOXING GREAT OSCAR DE LA HOYA CALLS IT A CAREER

Four months after he was demolished in the ring by Manny Pacquaio, Oscar De La Hoya announced his retirement from boxing on Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles.  He made his announcement in an outdoor plaza across from the Staples Center Arena with hundreds of fans in attendance including actor Mickey Rourke and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

With the announcement, De La Hoya closes the book on a Hall of Fame career which included an Olympic Gold Medal and ten World Championships in six different weight classes.  He also became boxing’s hottest box office and PPV attraction, and has leveraged his financial successes inside the ring into other businesses—most notably his own promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, which has become a major player in the sport. 

De La Hoya explained his decision:

"I've come to the conclusion that it's over. It's over inside the ring for me.”

"This is the love of my life, boxing is my passion, boxing is what I was born to do. When I can't do it anymore, when I can't compete at the highest level, it's not fair. It's not fair to me, it's not fair to the fans, it's not fair to nobody."

Though De La Hoya lost six of his final eight fights, those defeats were to the very highest level of opponent including Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad and Shane Mosley.   It wasn’t until the fight with Pacquaio, however, that it looked as if he had no business in the ring with—and no hope of defeating—a much younger opponent.  His wife, Millie Corretjer said she knew that his time in the ring was up after he was demolished by ‘Pac Man’ in December, but that he needed some time to find peace with his decision:

"Even this morning, I said, 'Are you sure?' and he said, 'Yes, I am ready.’ I knew after that fight in December, but it took him four more months to make his decision."

De La Hoya did well to maintain his composure during his statement, though he did become slightly emotional when speaking of his father Joel De La Hoya:

"I remember the times when he would take me to the gym and never gave up on me. We've lived some tough moments inside the ring, we've been through everything, but my father was always there for me. Thank you for pushing me as hard as you can."

Accolades from others paying tribute to De La Hoya’ career came quickly.  L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke of the pride De La Hoya engendered in Mexican-Americans, and particularly from his native East Los Angeles:

"Many of us remember watching him during the Olympics, feeling the pride and seeing one of our sons accomplish everything he did. This wasn't a young man that was born with a silver spoon. He struggled and fought for everything he had. This entire city is proud of what you've done."

Manny Pacquaio issued the following statement:

"I am very happy for Oscar and his family. I think he made the correct decision. Fighters of my generation owe him a great debt. I wish him nothing but the best."

While clearly a difficult decision for any fighter to make, Pacquaio’s sentiments are right on the money.  De La Hoya leaves the sport with his physical and mental faculties intact, hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank, and the indelible mark on boxing from his great career.