Oscar De La Hoya seriously considering a comeback at age 42
Imagine this scenario if you can: Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya - The rematch.
Sounds far-fetched, sure. But according to the Golden Boy himself, it might not be that much of a stretch.
De La Hoya told Paste BN Sports on Tuesday that he is seriously considering a comeback at the age of 42, after more than six and a half years away from the ring.
"Right now it's 50-50," said De La Hoya, who retired after being knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in December 2008. "And the reason why I say 50-50 is because I have to sit down with my family, which I'm going to do next week, with my wife and kids, and seriously talk to them about the pros and cons.
"If I do decide what's going to take place, I have to seclude myself in Big Bear for close to four months, so it's a lot of sacrifice. But I have to get my family on board, which should be no problem because my family supports me 100%."
De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs), who was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame last year and has undergone two stints in drug and alcohol rehab, says he's been working out and running eight miles a day, and feels better than ever.
"I'm feeling rejuvenated, I'm feeling excited and motivated," he said. "Especially, because, when I watch (Golden Boy fighter David) Lemieux, when I watch Canelo (Alvarez), when I watch (Jorge) Linares and (Lucas) Matthysse doing what they're doing, it gives you this sense of rejuvenation.
LEMIEUX: Dominates N'Dam for middleweight belt
"It gives you a sense of, you know, I can do this too. When you think about Juan Manuel Marquez, who is what, 41, 42 years old and still going strong. He has more wear and tear on his body and how can he do it, and why am I retired?
"I think about Bernard Hopkins, who I was with all weekend in Canada, he's 50 and going strong. I'm a fighter who, yes, hasn't been in the ring in a long time, but I haven't taken any punishment."
If and when he returns, De La Hoya said he wants to fight the best. And he is confident he can beat the best at the weight at which he will fight, which is junior middleweight.
"I know if I feel comfortable in my weight class, which is 154 (pounds), I strongly feel that nobody can beat me at that weight class," he said, while ruling out fighting Golden Boy's meal ticket, Alvarez. "He scares me with his power."
Asked who he would like to fight, De La Hoya said, "Mayweather said he'll finally give me a rematch, even though we had a rematch clause after our first fight. But I would like to see Mayweather fight (Gennady) Golovkin first, and then I'll be ready (for the winner) next year. All I need is a few months. It would be sometime next year."
MAYWEATHER: Final foe will be someone who can push him
De La Hoya said he's never lost the itch to fight, "even the next day after I got beat by Pacquiao. Because I knew that when I fought Pacquiao that wasn't me. I knew I was drained down to fight Pacquiao at a certain weight. And I knew that before the Pacquiao fight, in many eyes, I pulled off the Mayweather fight."
The CEO and founder of Golden Boy Promotions said he will start seriously hitting the gym next week. "And I have a plan to start sparring in the next couple of weeks," he said. "I feel great. I've never felt this good in my career. I've been eating right, I've been sleeping early, waking up early, working out, I'm not drinking, not doing nothing, I feel better than ever.
"It's a very difficult position I've put myself in. But I love boxing. I love the fight game and I wouldn't be thinking about this if I didn't believe in myself."