Oscar De La Hoya Eyes Comeback After a Dozen Years Away From The Ring

By: Hans Themistode

First Mike Tyson, then Evander Holyfield and now Oscar De La Hoya. 

The former six division world champion has watched from the sidelines for the past 12 years, but he is beginning to get the itch fight once again.

 

Tyson was the first to grab his attention. At the age of 53, he’s dropped multiple training videos of himself looking anything but the number on his birth certificate. After one of his most recent clips was aired, he capped it off with two words. 

“I’m back.”

Now, De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) is looking to use those words himself as he eyes a comeback at the age of 47.

“I have been working out,” said De La Hoya to Ring Magazine. “I have been training, I have been staying in shape. Obviously not in fighting shape yet to go 12 rounds but I’m sure I can get there. We’ll see.”

Golden Boy isn’t just an eye-catching name for De La Hoya’s promotional company. It was also his nickname throughout his career, and for good reason. 

He came out of the 1992 Olympics with a gold medal dangling around his neck and quickly added more around his waist during the course of his 16 year run. His accomplishments, which included winning 10 world titles in six different weight divisions, pushed him into the hall of fame in 2014.

He was last seen inside of the ring in 2008 in what turned out to be a one sided loss at the hands of Manny Pacquiao. De La Hoya was dominated during the first half of the contest before ultimately going out on his shield during the eighth round. 

De La Hoya may have been 35 during his contest with Pacquiao, but he doesn’t solely contribute that loss to his age.

“Take a look at my last fight with Pacquiao,” said De La Hoya. “I fought at 160 and came all the way back down at 147 to try and beat a Pacquiao who was just moving up but was faster then hell. I just couldn’t pull the trigger. I overtrained, my muscles were so lean. I was a walking zombie when I walked into the ring.”

Squeezing back down to the Welterweight limit of 147 pounds isn’t on the agenda of De La Hoya if he does decide to come back. The weight class he has in mind is a few pounds above, but before he truly entertains a comeback, he is keeping a close eye on the return of Mike Tyson.

“It would be at 160. I actually want to see what Tyson does first. See how reflexes are, see if he can go past three or four rounds and from there I’ll make my decision. I really would come back, I’m really considering it.”