Oscar says he'd fight Mosley for a third time

While contemplating retirement and weighing his options, Oscar de la Hoya sounds fairly ready to retire, but with lots of wrinkles thrown in that say he wants to redeem himself after the quit loss to Manny Pacquiao in December.

And though I've said repeatedly that I don't care to ever see him fight again and I mean that, it's not that I don't think he'll be OK if he does. It's more that I just don't care about his fights anymore. Among boxing viewers, that still puts me in the minority. He's still the biggest drawing card in the sport.

What's on his mind? Shane Mosley is on his mind. The Golden Boy Promotions partners have fought twice in the past, with Mosley winning close battles both times. Oscar says he'd be happy to do it once more:

"If I continue my career, it's for a trilogy with Mosley. It would be interesting since we've had two fights, a history together and logically it would have to be at junior middleweight; no more welterweight fights."

This has come up in passing before, and my opinion does not change. Oscar-Shane III has zero credibility at this point. Not to sound barbaric or bloodthirsty, but this is a combat sport, and the idea is that the combatants are trying to make the other one hurt. Not trying to injure each other or maim anyone, but the object is to hurt the other man with punches.

I cannot believe that Oscar and Shane, who are friends and business partners, would have that much motivation or drive to do that to each other at this point. I can see a "ding. ding." sparring session a la Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed and them going hard at each other there, but nothing more. And I'm not interested in a $60 sparring match between a couple of guys lurching toward 40.

Financially, it would make sense. It'd sell. Mosley is as hot as he's been since the last time he beat Oscar, and Oscar will always sell. The fight could sell out the Staples Center or something bigger in Los Angeles in a matter of minutes if priced reasonably (you just laughed too, didn't you?).

But it's not a real boxing fan's fight anymore. Nothing Oscar does really is. It's a license to print money and we all tune in because Oscar's a big star and has given a lot to boxing, but when's the last time you were excited for the de la Hoya FIGHT, maybe sans Pacquiao which had a lot of genuine intrigue?

I don't want to see it. I don't want to see Oscar in the ring again. And I don't think this fight will happen. I do think something will.