De La Hoya last fought on December 6, 2008 when he absorbed a lopsided eight-round beating from Manny Pacquiao before ultimately quitting on his stool. Although it wasn't the first time De La Hoya lost to an elite fighter, it was certainly the worst fight of the Golden Boy's storied career. Unable to pull the trigger, Oscar was battered from pillar to post by the Filipino superstar. At times, De La Hoya simply covered up in the corner as he absorbed a barrage of punches. It was a sad sight for many to see; a fighter who so many times before thrilled the crowd with flurries, exchanges and dramatic moments was reduced to a weak and defenseless shell of his former self. "I just don't have it anymore," De La Hoya would admit to Roach in the ring immediately after the loss.
Later today, ten-time world champion Oscar De La Hoya will hold a press conference at the Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE, across from STAPLES Center, to announce his future in the ring. As usual, the media has been invited, but the event is also open to the public. Furthermore, an international conference call has been arranged to take place a few hours after the press conference to further discuss the announcement regarding his career. It's hard to imagine that De La Hoya would go through this much trouble to simply announce a future opponent. One has to believe that the retirement of the Golden Boy is just hours away and unlike Floyd Mayweather Jr., who announced his own "retirement" via a press release, it appears that De La Hoya will truly walk away from the sport of boxing.
In a way, De La Hoya's decision to retire is perhaps the right thing to do. It can be difficult for most fighters to admit that they no longer have what it takes to compete at the elite level anymore. De La Hoya, who certainly has no financial need to fight, really has nothing left to prove after winning ten world championships in six different weight classes. His place in the boxing Hall of Fame is secured and, although he lost his last fight, he certainly didn't take the easy route by facing the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world (for the second time in two years). It's much better for De La Hoya to finish his career now than to fight on and potentially lose to a fighter that's nowhere near the level of a fighter he once was. Muhammad Ali's final fight was a loss to Trevor Berbick. Pernell Whitaker's final fight was a loss to Carlos Bojorquez. Mike Tyson's last fight was a loss to Kevin McBride. If this is De La Hoya's retirement party, it's much better to be remembered for losing your last fight to Manny Pacquiao, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world at the time.
The clock is ticking and we'll find out shortly...
UPDATE: It appears Manny Pacquiao did indeed retire ten-time world champion Oscar De La Hoya, who held a press conference to officially announce his retirement from the sport of boxing.
IT'S OFFICIAL! DE LA HOYA RETIRES FROM BOXING!
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