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De La Hoya retires, admits that he's washed up

'When I can’t compete at the highest level, it’s not fair to me ... to the fans'

Video
Oscar De La Hoya
  A Golden career
April 14: Oscar De La Hoya gets emotional as he announces his retirement from boxing.

De La Hoya began boxing at age 5, following in the path of his grandfather and father. He won an Olympic gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games, delivering on a promise to his late mother, Cecilia, who died of breast cancer two years earlier. It was the performance that launched his pro career after he was 223-5 with 163 knockouts during his amateur days.

“Many of us remember watching him during the Olympics, feeling the pride and seeing one of our sons accomplish everything he did,” Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. “This wasn’t a young man that was born with a silver spoon. He struggled and fought for everything he had. This entire city is proud of what you’ve done.”

De La Hoya will stay involved in the sport as a promoter with his successful Golden Boy Promotions company. He had been juggling the roles of boxer and promoter in the last few years, preparing for his eventual retirement.

His varied business interests include ownership stakes in the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer and the sugar substitue Equal. He has dabbled in singing and hosting a reality boxing show.

De La Hoya began his pro career against Lamar Williams on Nov. 23, 1992, at the Forum in nearby Inglewood, winning with a first-round knockout while fighting at 133 pounds. When he lost to Pacquiao in Las Vegas on Dec. 6, De La Hoya fought at 147.

His last victory came against Steve Forbes on May 3, 2008, in Los Angeles, where he won in 12 rounds at 150.

“I am very happy for Oscar and his family,” Pacquiao said in a statement. “I think he made the correct decision. Fighters of my generation owe him a great debt. I wish him nothing but the best.”

In keeping with his Mexican roots, De La Hoya followed his announcement with comments in Spanish.

De La Hoya has donated money to fund a cancer hospital wing named for his late mother in East Los Angeles and a charter high school downtown that bears his name.

“It hurts me that he’s not going to fight no more,” said Dian Romero, a 16-year-old student who heard about the boxer’s retirement on the school’s campus. “I really appreciate him in my life. Because of him, I’m hopefully going to college.”

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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