Oscar De La Hoya Says Retirement Is “Miserable,” Wants Two Exhibition Fights, “Then Either Floyd Or Canelo”

Superstar Oscar De La Hoya is the latest member of boxing royalty to have appeared on Mike Tyson’s immensely entertaining Hot Boxin’ podcast. Tyson, with a joint in hand, has his guests – including recently Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Andy Ruiz, and Canelo Alvarez – feeling relaxed and willing to open up on just about any subject. Tyson, a genuine boxing historian, puts on classic fights of his guests as the chats go on.

It is indeed great stuff. And De L Hoya, a huge Tyson fan and admirer who says he has always felt a “connection” with the former heavyweight champ, held nothing back when talking with the one-time “Baddest Man On The Planet.” De La Hoya spoke from the heart about his late mother, “she used to beat me every day – every day,” he said. While De La Hoya also told Tyson how “miserable” it is being retired, how without boxing, he is not at all a happy person.

This may explain why De La Hoya, at age 48, is coming back. As fans know, Oscar will return to the ring for a September exhibition, and after that, the former multi-weight champion said he wants a real fight.

“This is what’s happening, okay,” De La Hoya said. “This might be my fighter juices flowing again, and first of all, you inspired me, Mike – looking as good as you did against Roy, who’s a master, and just for coming back, you inspired me, so I said, I wanna do it. But in the back of my head, my demons are telling me, ‘no, you gotta do it, mother f****r. I want to do two of these [exhibition] fights, and then guess what, I want to do a real fight, a 12 round fight, with either Floyd or Canelo.”

De La Hoya may never get to fight Mayweather in a return fight (of their 2007 blockbuster), nor may he get to fight Canelo, who he once classed as a good friend but has since had a well-documented falling out with. And maybe this is how it should be. Oscar would likely get badly hurt and embarrassed by Canelo (prime-for-prime, this one would have been very, very interesting). While Mayweather has expressed zero interest in fighting De La Hoya again.

But Oscar is still a fighter, and as he made clear when speaking from the heart with Tyson, who understands, he will ALWAYS be a fighter. It’s not something that can be turned off. De La Hoya comes across as a good guy in the interview, as a good person you want to root for. But how far can De La Hoya’s comeback possibly go at age 48? It seems there is no other way in which Oscar can rid himself of the demons, and he will push on with his goals. Watch the Tyson podcast and see if you don’t come away with added admiration for the one-time “Golden Boy.”