Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya, 48, announced Friday (March 26) that he is coming out of retirement to fight this summer. De La Hoya’s last boxing match was a loss against Manny Pacquiao in 2008.
The “Golden Boy” dropped the news and then dropped the mic during a news conference for Triller Fight Club that was being moderated by rapper and Triller co-founder Snoop Dogg.
Last August, De La Hoya told ESPN that he would return to the ring but left the statement open ended. “The rumors are true, and I’m going to start sparring in the next few weeks,” De La Hoya said at the time. “I miss being in the ring, I love boxing. Boxing is what gave me everything I have today, and I just miss it.”
Now, De La Hoya has given July 3 as the date he will make his comeback with Triller, which kickstarted its brand when it brought boxing legend Mike Tyson out of retirement for an exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr. last November.
According to ESPN, Ryan Kavanaugh, the CEO of Proxima Media, a parent company of Triller, says they’re looking for a “big” name UFC fighter to be De La Hoya’s opponent. It’s also being reported that this comeback is not a one-and-done deal with Triller.
“He has been [training] and in his own words, he’s stronger and better than ever,” Kavanaugh told ESPN about De La Hoya, who ended his career with a 39-6 record.
Since retiring in 2008, De La Hoya has kept busy promoting other boxers and MMA fighters under his Golden Boy Promotions firm.