DE LA HOYA: END OF THE ROAD FOR ME INSIDE THE RING
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 15 Apr 2009
LOS ANGELES -- Boxing's Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya formally announced his retirement today during a press conference held at the Nokia Plaza in downtown Los Angeles surrounded by family and close friends and in front of the international media.
De la Hoya, a 10-time world champion and the only boxer in history to have won six titles in six divisions, kept his emotions in checked and told the fully packed media conference "now I understand why an athlete has so much hard time retiring."
De La Hoya looked like a shell of himself when he was pummeled from end to end by Filipino phenom Manny Pacquiao last Dec. 6 in Las Vegas before Oscar quit on his stool in round eight. "After that fight, I thought that was it for Oscar," De La Hoya's wife Millie told the media when it was her turn to speak. But it took Oscar 'four agonizing months' before arriving a decision.
"The decision was based on making sure, first of all, I would not disappoint fans and myself. It is not fair to step inside the ring and not give my best," De La Hoya said.
On hand to give their support to De La Hoya were his wife Millie, business partner Richard Schaefer, Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, his father Joel de la Hoya, Sr., AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke and head of HBO pay per view Mark Taffet.
Taffet revealed to the audience a few stats of the Golden Boy franchise where Oscar appeared in HBO-televised fights a record 32 times, 19 of them pay-per-views and garnered the highest grossing pay per view of $120 million against Floyd Mayweather. De La Hoya had an overall total of 14.1 million buys and $696 million total revenue, "a record," Taffet said, "that probably can never be duplicated."
Top photo: Oscar de la Hoya announces his retirement Wednesday during a press conference at the Nokia Plaza in downtown Los Angeles.
De La Hoya (L) with wife Millie before De La Hoya takes the podium to announce his retirement.
(L-R): Richard Schaefer, De La Hoya, Millie, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, De La Hoya's father Joel, Sr., AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke and head of HBO pay per view Mark Taffet.
Students of the Oscar de la Hoya high school (foreground) and the international press (background) during Wednesday's press conference at the Nokia Plaza in downtown Los Angeles.
Photos by Dong Secuya.
De La Hoya, who is also well known for his philantrophic activities having sponsored a hospital in honor of his mother who died of cancer and chartered a high school bearing his name on top of his Golden Boy Promotions considered to be one of the top two boxing promoters on the planet, said he is now looking forward to excel outside the ring.
"This is only the beginning. I am extremely motivated and I am looking forward on the future outside the ring," De La Hoya said.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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