Oscar De La Hoya Admits He Was Forced to Retire – “It Took Me 13 Years to Have the B**ls and Come Back”

Prior to fighting Vitor Belfort on September 11 and being hospitalized for COVID-19, Oscar De La Hoya appeared on George Lopez’s podcast.

The boxing veteran spoke at length about his professional boxing career and also highlighted reasons for stepping back into the ring after a 13-year long hiatus.

The 47-year-old also made quite a surprising revelation on this podcast as well. Hoya revealed the true reason for retiring from the sport in 2008 – Manny Pacquiao. Hoya admitted that he retired from the sport after losing to Pacquiao via RTD 13 years ago.

“When I got my ass kicked from Manny Pacquiao 13 years ago, I retired because I got my ass kicked. I didn’t retire because I wanted to retire.

“So, I’m in front of the Staples Centre, thousands of media, I’m saying and I’m crying, reading a speech that somebody wrote for me, it’s my last fight but in my head, I’m like this is not what I want.

“This is not the way I want to go out. It actually took me 13 years to have the balls and come back and say, you know what, I want to go out my way,” said Oscar De La Hoya.

Oscar De La Hoya wants to step back into the ring before the year ends

Days before his official comeback to the squared circle against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort, Hoya announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

Read More: WATCH: Oscar De La Hoya Goes off on Reporter for Calling Tyson Fury the Greatest of All Time

The bout scheduled for September 11 was then called off. In place of De La Hoya, Belfort then fought and stopped 58-year-old Evander Holyfield on the same event.

Despite the COVID-19 setback, the 47-year-old is confident that he will return to the ring before the end of this year.

Hoya has now expressed an inclination towards fighting again; he wants to run it back with boxing’s ‘Pretty Boy’, Floyd Mayweather and even Felix Trinidad.

Floyd Mayweather is reportedly open to fighting Hoya for $100 million. However, Felix Trinidad has now made his position very clear-

“I’m not coming back to boxing,” said Felix Trinidad.

Who should ‘The Golden Boy’ fight next?

Also Read: Oscar de la Hoya Hints He’ll Destroy Canelo Alvarez in His Prime