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Written by Ozzie Gonzalez, Hispanicsurf.com
De La Hoya, whose been boxing since the age of five, made the announcement on Tuesday, April 14th in front of fans and supporters outside the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. His wife Millie Corretjer and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa were seated with him on the dais. "I've come to the conclusion that it's over," De La Hoya said. "Now I understand why athletes have such a tough time retiring," he added. De La Hoya last fought on Dec. 6 when he was beaten easily by a smaller boxer, Manny Pacquiao, who climbed two weight classes for the bout. De La Hoya never answered the bell in the ninth round and called it quits from his stool. "After the Pacquiao bout I realized that I no longer had either the reflexes nor the power to compete at this level, hence I took this decision." "These last four months have been very difficult for me," said De La Hoya, who admitted wavering over his decision. "This is the love of my life, boxing is my passion, boxing is what I was born to do," he said. "When I can't do it anymore, when I can't compete at the highest level, it's not fair. It's not fair to me, it's not fair to the fans, it's not fair to nobody." De La Hoya remained composed through the speech. His voice only broke once, when he thanked his father. "I remember the times when he would take me to the gym and never gave up on me," De La Hoya said. "We've lived some tough moments inside the ring, we've been through everything, but my father was always there for me. Thank you for pushing me as hard as you can." The last man to beat him, Pacquiao issued a statement afterwards praising De La Hoya who he considers his idol. “Oscar, I salute you and I know that you will continue to be with us in your capacity as the head of Golden Boy Promotions. Good luck on your new journey,” De La Hoya, 34, is a Golden Gloves winner, and a gold medalist in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. De La Hoya captured 10 world titles in six different weight divisions during a 17-year professional career. He’s also been the most successful pay-per-view fighter, with his fights netting over $660 million in revenues. He retires with a record of 39-6, with 30 knockouts. Oscar de la Hoya, 34, will not be totally out of boxing. He owns a very successful boxing promotions company called, "Golden Boy Promotions," which has a talented stable of fighters including Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins and Britian's Ricky Hatton.Oscar and his wife, pop singer Millie Corretjer, 33, have a new born baby girl named, Nina Lauren Nenitte and a second child, Oscar Gabriel, 2. Oscar is also dad to daugher Atiana, 8, with Shanna Moakler, and sons Devon, 8, and Jacob, 9, with other exes. |
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May 1,
2009 --
One of boxing's biggest superstar,