As previously reported, Oscar De La Hoya is considering a comeback at the age of 42 to face Floyd Mayweather or Gennady Golovkin.
De La Hoya, who was the 1992 Olympic champion and won world titles at six different weights, lost a split decision to Mayweather in 2007.
His final bout before retirement was against Manny Pacquiao in 2008 and ended when De La Hoya retired on his stool at the end of the eighth round, a defeat which was his fourth in seven contests.
De La Hoya was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year and says he feels "great physically" after two spells in rehabilitation clinics. He appears to have had a change of heart after suggesting recently that a comeback was not on his agenda.
"I feel amazing," De La Hoya said. "In my life right now, I have so much motivation. I am so hungry and so determined. I am young, I am healthy and I feel great... 42 is the new 32.
"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 just feel great physically. I've been taking care of myself. I've been doing the Bernard Hopkins lifestyle. You can turn the clock back to a certain time.
"It's got to be worth my while but this is very serious. 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.
"Would I do it? I don't know, but I wake up every morning thinking that I can. I think about Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler. If they 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."
Close friend Ricky Hatton would rather have De La Hoya stay retired.
Hatton told Sky Sports: "Am I surprised? Yes and no. It never surprises me when a boxer wants to make a comeback. When a fighter had so much success like Oscar did, the hardest thing is to let go. Do I think it's the right decision? No, I have to say I don't. Needless to say, I wish him all the very best but he's 42. It's just so hard to finally hard to say goodbye to the sport.
"He's talking about going right in at the deep end with a Floyd Mayweather rematch. He's not talking about having an easy one back. I wish him well and only he knows why he feels the need to do it. If it's a genuine reason then he's got to do it.
"I call Oscar a friend. That's fighters. I picked a dangerous opponent for my first fight back and in hindsight maybe I should have picked an easier opponent than Senchenko for my first fight back... but that's what we are - we're fighters.
"Oscar has never really been a middleweight so the idea of him fighting such a ferocious puncher as Gennady Golovkin, I can't see it being a pleasant comeback. I hope I'm wrong because I consider him a friend and I don't want to see him get hurt."
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis would also like to see De La Hoya stay retired.
"I heard Oscar De La Hoya is 50/50 on a comeback. I’m 100/0 that he shouldn’t. Father Time is still undefeated,” Lewis said.