Oscar De La Hoya is Plotting a Comeback at Age 47

Oscar De La Hoya is Plotting a Comeback at Age 47

“Boxers are like bank burglars; we are compelled to return to the scene of our crimes.” The quote is attributed to the great 1910-era lightweight champion Ad Wolgast who returned to the scene of his crimes too often and paid a heavy price.

The latest fistic luminary to be moved by the siren song of a comeback is Oscar De La Hoya. Yesterday, July 19, De La Hoya confirmed the rumor that he is plotting a comeback. “Look, it’s been a long time, yes,” he told ESPN’s Steve Kim, “But actually my jab feels faster than ever.” He said he planned to start training in a few weeks and anticipated that he would return at 154-160 pounds.

Eleven-plus years ago, on April 13, 2009, in the aftermath of his poor showing in his welterweight showdown with Manny Pacquiao, Oscar was singing a different tune. In a ceremony attended by several hundred people including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, De La Hoya formally announced his retirement. “I’ve been doing this since I was five years old,” he said…. “and when I can’t do it any more and come in at the highest level, it’s not fair to the fans, and it’s not fair to nobody.”

De La Hoya was 19 years old when he won a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the only U.S. boxer to capture the coveted prize. He was a shade over 21 years old when he won his first title, overcoming Denmark’s Jimmy Bredahl in a match contested at 130 pounds. He went on to win world titles in five higher weight divisions.

De La Hoya transcended his sport. Handsome, well-spoken, and bilingual, he appealed to people of all ages and all economic and ethnic backgrounds. His fame was that of a rock star. Many young hearts were broken when he married sultry Puerto Rican song stylist Millie Corretjer. He appeared on the cover of Newsweek and left the sport owning the record for HBO appearances and pay-per-view receipts.

They say that the adulation of the crowd is addictive. It must be hard for someone who enjoyed the level of fame that Oscar De La Hoya achieved to settle into a life of semi-anonymity, a life where strangers passed on the street look up with a puzzled look that says “Didn’t you used to be somebody?”…that’s if they even bother to look up at all.

Of all athletes, boxers seem to have the most difficulty accepting the fact that Father Time has eroded their skills beyond the point of no return. Moreover, retired boxers are notorious for thinking that the current crop of boxers is inferior to the stalwarts that competed in their day. Oscar De La Hoya fought seven men that have already joined him in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. When Oscar surveys the current landscape, he undoubtedly sees no one that could have held a candle to Felix Trinidad or Pernell Whitaker.

When a boxer returns after a long absence, it almost never turns out well. The glaring exception is George Foreman, but Foreman was out-fitted with a new style, a style calculated to burn up less energy. A fighter in a lower weight class, where the competitors are more nimble, doesn’t have that luxury. Moreover, De La Hoya says he has no intention of following George Foreman’s retirement template, a series of little fights at the start to keep one’s name before the public and re-establish one’s credibility. Oscar wants to jump right into the deep end of the pool, fighting a “top guy” right out of the box (Amir Khan was the first to throw his hat in the ring).

Most comebacks in boxing are fueled by money problems. It’s an old story: a famous boxer retires with enough money to last the rest of his life only to discover too late that all that money wasn’t going to last unless he drastically cut back on his spending.

De La Hoya, who veered into the promotional end of boxing six yeOscar De La Hoya is now 47 years old. Should he attempt a comeback? That’s a rhetorical question.ars before his last pro fight, is widely considered one of boxing’s most successful promoters. But he’s currently at odds with his cash cow Canelo Alvarez and perhaps also with Ryan Garcia, the brightest young star in his stable, and the immediate future is murky. COVID-19 has thrown all sports promoters for a loop and it wouldn’t be shocking to learn that Golden Boy Promotions is hemorrhaging money.

Should Oscar De La Hoya launch a comeback? That’s a rhetorical question.

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