Tweet
Dunno if its' been posted or not...if it has oh well....
Updated: April 2, 2009, 10:57 PM ET
Oscar's retirement decision due April 14Comment Email Print Share By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
Oscar De La Hoya, the former 10-time titleholder in six weight classes and a boxing icon, has reached a decision about his ring future. He is just not going to tell anyone what it is until April 14.
De La Hoya, who was badly beaten by pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao in an eighth-round TKO loss on Dec. 6 that dropped him to 3-4 in his last seven fights, has been mum about his ring future since the welterweight fight. However, he will announce his intentions at a news conference at Star Plaza in downtown Los Angeles on April 14, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com.
"He's going to announce his decision as it relates to his career," Schaefer said.
Schaefer said De La Hoya has only shared his decision with his wife, Millie, and him.
"I know what he's going to do, but it would not be fair for me to say," Schaefer said. "Oscar is going to make his announcement, whether he will fight or retire. It is up to him to make known what his decision is."
Schaefer, one of De La Hoya's best friends and the man who runs his promotional company and growing business empire, said he and De La Hoya discussed the decision.
"I gave Oscar my thoughts about what he should do and why I thought what I thought, but ultimately, it is a very personal decision," Schaefer said. "It's not an easy decision to continue or not to continue. It is not a decision he had to rush into, but he has some distance now from the [Pacquiao] fight and whatever he is going to announce, he weighed the pros and cons. If he continues to fight, the fight fans will be behind him and if he decides to retire it will be a happy moment as well because he has given so much to the sport."
In an interview with ESPN.com in late February, De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) admitted that he was having trouble deciding what to do.
"I'm just not sure if I will fight or I will retire," De La Hoya, 36, said at the time. "I am still caught in that. I am still trying to answer that question. It's still confusing.
"One side of me tells me that was not me up in there in that ring when I fought Pacquiao. Another side says, 'Well, Pacquiao beat you, and it's over; you don't have it anymore.' Everywhere I go, people ask when I will fight again. Then some people say, 'Hey, Oscar, you were great, but it's time to hang 'em up. Why keep on getting hurt?' But I am not basing my decision on what people are telling me, including my family. It's going to be based on what I think, and I am still confused."
De La Hoya, who began boxing at age 5 and eventually won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 before launching his pro career, said during the interview that his wife and brother, Joel De La Hoya Jr., had encouraged him to retire.
Although De La Hoya won an assortment of titles and became the most bankable star of his time as the best-selling pay-per-view fighter in history, he admitted during the interview that he knew he was on the decline, describing his feeling of being able to see openings against Pacquiao but being unable to release his punches.
In boxing parlance, that's the definition of a shot fighter.
"That's probably what I am," De La Hoya said at the time. "I have to figure this out. I'm leaning toward retirement more so than fighting."
We'll find out in a couple of weeks what he ultimately decided.
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.
Updated: April 2, 2009, 10:57 PM ET
Oscar's retirement decision due April 14Comment Email Print Share By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
Oscar De La Hoya, the former 10-time titleholder in six weight classes and a boxing icon, has reached a decision about his ring future. He is just not going to tell anyone what it is until April 14.
De La Hoya, who was badly beaten by pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao in an eighth-round TKO loss on Dec. 6 that dropped him to 3-4 in his last seven fights, has been mum about his ring future since the welterweight fight. However, he will announce his intentions at a news conference at Star Plaza in downtown Los Angeles on April 14, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com.
"He's going to announce his decision as it relates to his career," Schaefer said.
Schaefer said De La Hoya has only shared his decision with his wife, Millie, and him.
"I know what he's going to do, but it would not be fair for me to say," Schaefer said. "Oscar is going to make his announcement, whether he will fight or retire. It is up to him to make known what his decision is."
Schaefer, one of De La Hoya's best friends and the man who runs his promotional company and growing business empire, said he and De La Hoya discussed the decision.
"I gave Oscar my thoughts about what he should do and why I thought what I thought, but ultimately, it is a very personal decision," Schaefer said. "It's not an easy decision to continue or not to continue. It is not a decision he had to rush into, but he has some distance now from the [Pacquiao] fight and whatever he is going to announce, he weighed the pros and cons. If he continues to fight, the fight fans will be behind him and if he decides to retire it will be a happy moment as well because he has given so much to the sport."
In an interview with ESPN.com in late February, De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) admitted that he was having trouble deciding what to do.
"I'm just not sure if I will fight or I will retire," De La Hoya, 36, said at the time. "I am still caught in that. I am still trying to answer that question. It's still confusing.
"One side of me tells me that was not me up in there in that ring when I fought Pacquiao. Another side says, 'Well, Pacquiao beat you, and it's over; you don't have it anymore.' Everywhere I go, people ask when I will fight again. Then some people say, 'Hey, Oscar, you were great, but it's time to hang 'em up. Why keep on getting hurt?' But I am not basing my decision on what people are telling me, including my family. It's going to be based on what I think, and I am still confused."
De La Hoya, who began boxing at age 5 and eventually won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 before launching his pro career, said during the interview that his wife and brother, Joel De La Hoya Jr., had encouraged him to retire.
Although De La Hoya won an assortment of titles and became the most bankable star of his time as the best-selling pay-per-view fighter in history, he admitted during the interview that he knew he was on the decline, describing his feeling of being able to see openings against Pacquiao but being unable to release his punches.
In boxing parlance, that's the definition of a shot fighter.
"That's probably what I am," De La Hoya said at the time. "I have to figure this out. I'm leaning toward retirement more so than fighting."
We'll find out in a couple of weeks what he ultimately decided.
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.
Comment