By Mark Vester
The contracts are signed, the date is set and only the fight remains. Oscar De La Hoya (38-4, 30 KOs) and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (37-0, 24 KOs) collide on May 5, 2007 on HBO pay-per-view, at either the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or the Staples Center in California.
De La Hoya told boxing scribe Dan Rafael that he is no longer going to retire after his May bout with Mayweather. For months, De La Hoya has told the media that next May would be his final bout in boxing, and retirement would be the next step. That is no longer the case. De La Hoya said the he still feels young and plans to continue to fight until he feels that his skills are no longer there.
"No, it's not going to be my last fight," De La Hoya said. "Call me crazy, but I changed my mind. I feel good. As long as I can still feel the timing and the speed is good, I can keep on going for a few more fights. If I see that first sign of slipping, I am pretty sure I will be able to say, 'Hey, enough is enough.'"
De La Hoya is trained by Floyd Mayweather Sr., the father of Floyd Jr. He plans to speak with Floyd Sr. about being in his corner and training him for the fight against his son. Should Floyd Sr. decline, he will get a another trainer for the fight.
"I will sit down with him and talk about this," De La Hoya said. "I want to see how he feels. I want to look into his eyes and see if he is going to be as passionate as I am when we are in training. I want us both to be comfortable with the situation."
