Oscar De La Hoya Made The Right Decision, Says Leija

By Edward Chaykovsky

There could have been a bank full of money involved, but last week former six division world champion Oscar De La Hoya, 42-years-old, officially ruled out a ring return.

The current president of Golden Boy Promotions had been contemplating a potential ring return for several weeks and there were major names, like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Gennady Golovkin, standing in line to fight him.

De La Hoya last fought in the fall of 2008, when he was stopped in a one-sided fight with Manny Pacquiao.

When the rumors of a comeback first began, De La Hoya's close friend and business associate - former champion “Jesse” James Leija - became concerned. De La Hoya actually knocked Leija out in 1995, but now the two of them are promoters and work together on a regular basis.

“I think what may have happened was Oscar started training again and may have mentioned it in jest to (reporters) and someone just ran with it,” Leija said to the San Antonio Express.

“Maybe if he was out of boxing a year or two but not seven. What if (the Spurs’) Tim Duncan sat out seven years and tried to make a comeback? You’d have to start all over again with training and technique and timing.”

“Your reaction time doesn’t get faster with age. Every fighter knows when it’s time to go. Some ignore it. Oscar doesn’t need the money.”