De la Hoya weighs up ring return

24 June 2015 - 02:08 By Reuters

Boxing Hall of Famer and former Olympic champion Oscar de la Hoya is considering a return to the ring at the age of 42 after overcoming substance abuse, the fighter told ESPN.com this week. De la Hoya, who quit boxing soon after retiring on his stool at the end of the eighth round of a lopsided 2008 defeat against Manny Pacquiao, said he was "50-50" about fighting again following two spells in rehab."I feel amazing," De la Hoya said. "I have so much motivation. I am so hungry and so determined. I am young, I am healthy and I feel great."Nicknamed "Golden Boy", the 1992 Olympic champion was once considered boxing's top-rated pound-for-pound fighter and its most marketable asset after winning world titles at six different weights and participating in a string of megafights.The Californian, who founded Golden Boy Promotions in 2002, said he only had eyes for either a rematch against undefeated welterweight Floyd Mayweather or a bout against dangerous Kazakh middle-weight champion Gennady Golovkin, known as GGG.Mayweather, 38, has said he would only fight once more before retiring, making that bout an unlikely prospect. But unbeaten knockout specialist Golovkin has struggled to find big-name opponents and offers a more viable opportunity."I just feel good and when I walk the streets everyone tells me: 'You have to fight Floyd again, you have to fight GGG. You can do it'," he said."I've been doing the Bernard Hopkins lifestyle. You can turn the clock back."Hopkins, 50, is the oldest winner of a boxing world championship and unified the WBA and IBF light heavyweight titles until he was beaten late last year. ..

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