Instead, Mr. De La Hoya follows his heart and passion. Oh yeah, and the green. Despite making a boatload of it in his most recent fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., which was publicized like no other, Oscar says he’s not hanging it up. That is contrary to popular belief, and contrary to his wife’s wishes.
“I went back home and watched the [Mayweather] fight with my wife, and alone,” De La Hoya said. “I didn’t feel like the loser, not from what I watched. I pressed that fight, but Mayweather’s a master at what he does. He’s slippery.
“And not for a second did I think I wanted to retire after that fight. I’m leaving doors open. I had a discussion with my wife about it, and I told her I wanted to erase that fight from my record books. I know there are good arguments on both sides of me retiring, but I want to leave this sport with exciting fights, fights where the fans are looking at the faces of both guys afterward and knowing, ‘Those guys were in a heck of a fight.’ “
I’ll say a few things for Oscar. For one, he loves to fight, and that’s great. Secondly, and most importantly, the guy shows up at the box office. He takes all the big fights and never backs down. Regardless of whether or not he’s doing it for the paycheck, he still gives fans what they want to see — a marquee fight. This is a good day for the sweet science, to be followed by a better day when Oscar announces an upcoming opponent.
