Oscar De La Hoya has ruled out a comeback to professional boxing only a few days after expressing his desire to fight again.
"As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think about coming back -- and the performances of these Golden Boy fighters has only added to my desire to return to the ring," ESPN quoted De La Hoya, 42, as saying.
The Hall of Famer was referring to boxers Canelo Alvarez, Bernard Hopkins, Lucas Matthysse, Jorge Linares and David Lemieux.
"But I am retired, and after speaking to my family and following a great deal of introspection, I have decided to stay retired," De La Hoya said. "However, I do so with the knowledge that many fighters today still pride themselves in the same principles that I adhered to throughout my career. It is now through boxers like those I mentioned and dozens of other Golden Boy Promotions fighters that those values live on."
ESPN earlier reported De La Hoya as saying last week that a return was a 50-50 possibility and that he was feeling "the best I have felt in my life physically, emotionally and mentally because I haven't touched alcohol for I don't know how long." He added that he was training to remain fit and was now in the best shape of his life, with no injuries.
De La Hoya said he would take on the best if he returned because that was what boxing was all about: facing the very best in the business.
The six-division champion even suggested that he may face the winner of a match between Floyd Mayweather, who he pushed to the limit in 2007 only to lose via split decision, and the likewise undefeated Gennady Golovkin.
But De La Hoya decided to stay retired after a conversation with his family. Although his wife was really supportive, his children, according to him "didn't want to see old Papa get hurt." According to ESPN, the conversation ended all his plans of coming back.
