Oscar De La Hoya Considered Comeback, Rematch With Felix Sturm in Brooklyn

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.