Oscar De La Hoya is coming out of retirement to box again on July 3, he announced Friday. No opponent has been chosen, but big names from UFC are being considered for the Triller Fight Club pay-per-view event.
De La Hoya, 48, said last August he planned on ending his retirement. He has not fought since losing to Manny Pacquiao in December 2008, four months before he announced his retirement.
The Athletic spoke with De La Hoya last week on The Pug and Copp Boxing Show about the growth of Golden Boy Productions.
This is a developing story. More to come.
Why now?
Mike Coppinger, boxing insider: Oscar has been hinting at a comeback for well over a year, and now with Triller in the space presenting marquee events with big paychecks to boot, it was the perfect time for De La Hoya to return.
The big question will be against whom? And will it be a sanctioned fight or an exhibition similar to Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr.? After all, De La Hoya is 48 and hasn’t competed in nearly 13 years.
Assessing the money-making/fan-draw potential
Coppinger: De La Hoya, even in retirement, remains one of the most recognizable fighters on the planet. And if the massive success of Mike Tyson-Roy Jones is any indication (over 1.5 million pay-per-view buys), De La Hoya’s comeback figures to be a big money-maker, particularly with the right opponent.
The event figures to draw particularly well in Texas, where there’s a large Mexican contingent, but Los Angeles and Las Vegas are natural landing spots, too.
(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)