ESPN New York reports this evening that Oscar De La Hoya strongly considered returning to the ring for Golden Boy's big October show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for a rematch with Felix Sturm, but after training a bit, decided his body just wasn't up to the task anymore.

"I think about making a comeback every single day. I went running, I went training, did that for a few days. But my body couldn't handle it. I'm 39, but I'm an old 39."

The De La Hoya in-ring return has been speculated about a few times now, and some even flat-out expect that it's more an inevitability than anything, in part because boxers so frequently make ill-advised comebacks.

And putting aside all my personal opinions about Oscar's public persona and some of the goofy shit he says, I do think it would be truly ill-advised, and I've got no desire to see him return to the ring. I always liked watching him fight, but there's just no point. He's 39, he's healthy, he's got no real need for money, he's got a successful promoting career which blew away early expectations.

He says now that he's "one million percent" retired, and that he won't fight again. I hope so. No good can come of it. I just don't think he's got a good comeback in him, physically or mentally. I can't imagine there's any real hunger there. Only foolish pride could lead him back into the ring, and I genuinely say that meaning it with respect to the fighter he once was.

Golden Boy's Barclays debut is set to roll, of course, with three world title fights lined up: Danny Garcia vs Erik Morales II, Paulie Malignaggi vs Pablo Cesar Cano, and Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam vs Peter Quillin.

Sturm fights this Saturday, facing Daniel Geale in Germany.