It was clear by the third round of his fight with Manny Pacquiao that Oscar De La Hoya was done as a fighter, but several months later, Oscar still hasn’t made it official.

After quitting on his stool as a large favorite against Pacquiao, De La Hoya took some time off to figure out what he wanted to do. There are talks of one last going away fight, but now the Golden Boy says he is leaning towards hanging up the gloves for good.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, De La Hoya said he is 60-40 in favor of retiring.

“I’m still confused,” he told the LA Times. “I’m torn between saying, ‘It’s over. ‘Bye. I don’t have it anymore,’ and knowing if I’ll be able to live with that. It’s a tough decision, not easy at all.”

Clearly, there is no way he fights at 147 again, as he attempted to do against Pacquiao. De La Hoya was so drained in that fight that he didn’t gain a single pound between the weigh-in and the fight, a sure sign that he was not physically right for that fight. Fighting at welterweight will never again be an option.

But is it possible for him to fight again at a higher weight? Possible, yes; advisable, not as much.

Sure Oscar could lace them up one more time for a farewell fight so he doesn’t have to live with the taste of the Pacquiao fight in his mouth for the rest of his life. A Cinco de Mayo fight with Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. makes so much sense it’s a miracle it isn’t signed already.

But Oscar has never been the type of fighter to take the easy fight without a bigger goal. Say what you want about his wins, but there is no denying that De La Hoya fought the best. Hopkins, Trinidad, Quartey, Vargas, Pacquiao, Mayweather, Chavez, Mosley, Whitaker, Ruelas, Hernandez…and on and on.

De La Hoya’s BoxRec page is a veritable who’s who of boxing. Some may have a hard time envisioning him fighting someone who is not an elite fighter in his final fight.

Having said that, names sell. Oscar’s true rise to fame and power went through Julio Cesar Chaves, Sr. A fight with the young Chavez trying to avenge his fathers two losses to Oscar is a story that will sell and make a fortune. And really, at the end of the day, that is Oscar’s true legacy. Yes, he fought the best fighters, but he’ll always be remembered for making huge events and unimaginable sums of money.

The dilemma that is haunting De La Hoya now is the question of what beat him on Dec. 6, 2008. Was it that Oscar suddenly got old? Was he bested by a better fighter? Or was he drained from the weight loss?

If he’s old, he has to walk away. If he was beaten by a better fighter, he should walk away, but may have better luck with a lesser opponent. If he was drained, perhaps he’s still an elite fighter at 154.

Are these questions that Oscar can live with for the rest of his life? Most fighters would want to know for sure before walking away. But Oscar can’t just test himself with another Steve Forbes at this point in his career. If he fights again, he has to go all out.

All the more difficult for him must be watching his two business partners, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins both knock off two of the top fighters in the world in the last year. By comparison, Oscar is still young. Having just turned 36, De La Hoya conceivably has a few years left in today’s world of boxing. Realistically though, we saw some of his age show against Pacquiao.

It’s likely true that the weight-shedding that De La Hoya has gone through in the past few years has added some years to his actual age. He probably could still fight at 154, but there isn’t much point to it. He showed he can’t make 147 and still fight, and in his prime, 160 was too high for him. One last fight at 154 is understandable, but perhaps the time has come to just walk away.

Money will never be an issue for De La Hoya, and right now he has a chance to get out sound and healthy. Outside of a fight with Chavez Jr. (who really has earned no such shot), there is no logical fight out there for him, and there is not much for him to gain, other than getting rid of that sour taste.

Having said that, if I’ve learned anything from this sport, it’s that if a boxer says he is 60-40 towards retiring, he will fight again. Hell, even if he says he’s retired, they usually fight again. If Oscar isn’t 100 percent sure that it’s time to go, then I’m 100 percent sure he’ll be back.

As long as he doesn’t hold the sport hostage again when choosing an opponent, I can support him fighting one last farewell bout. Otherwise, I think we’ll all support his decision to walk away from the game.

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Article courtesy of BoxingInformer.com.

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