Oscar Larios considering retirement

Mexican fighter Oscar Larios is considering retirement and may announce his departure from the sport as soon as sometime in the next seven days.

Larios, 32, is a fifteen-year veteran of the pro rings who made his pro debut on January 14, 1994, in Guadalajara. He was a rival of current junior featherweight champion Israel Vazquez, fighting him three times. He lost by first-round knockout in 1997, stopped Vazquez in the 12th and final round in 2002, and lost by third round TKO in their rubber match in 2005.

He has held the WBC 122-pound title, which he won in 2002 and lost to Vazquez in 2005 after defending it six times. He jumped all the way up to 130 pounds after losing the strap to Vazquez, fighting Manny Pacquiao in the Philippines in 2006. He moved back down to featherweight after that fight, and recently lost the WBC title to Takahiro Aoh.

Overall, his career record stands at 63-7-1 with 39 knockouts. I say this with all sincerity: I truly hope Oscar hangs up the gloves, because he's been on medical suspension in the States for a while now. His last fight in America was a vicious beating against Jorge Linares in 2007. He suffered a minor subdural hematoma in the loss and has spent his time fighting in Japan and Mexico since then.

Key wins over his career include Wayne McCullough (twice) and Willie Jorin (they split two fights).

I want to see Oscar get out before something awful happens. He's a hell of a fighter, a true warrior, and one of the unappreciated pugilists of his era. He's a bit of an unsung hero among the notable Mexican warriors of the generation. If he's ready to go, then happy trails to you, Oscar Larios.