In front of hundreds of fans and media Oscar De La Hoya called it quits in the ring, the Golden Boy from East Los Angeles announced his decision outside the Nokia plaza across the street from Staples Center, where a statue of the 36-year-old stands.
Oscar De La Hoya will always be remembered for winning 10 world titles in six divisions and 
becoming boxing’s most popular fighter in the world. De La Hoya began boxing at age 5, following in the path of his grandfather and father. He won an Olympic gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games launching a pro career that brought him worldwide fame and generated millions in pay-per-view profits.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s over,” said Oscar De La Hoya. “It’s over inside the ring for me.”
De La Hoya retires four months after his brutal beating by the Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao. De La Hoya has lost four of his last seven fights. He finished with a record of 39-6 and 30 knockouts.
“This is the love of my life, boxing is my passion, boxing is what I was born to do,” he said. “When I can’t do it anymore, when I can’t compete at the highest level, it’s not fair. It’s not fair to me, it’s not fair to the fans, and it’s not fair to anybody.”
“Now I understand why athletes have such a tough time retiring from something that you feel so passionate about, from your sport that you’re always thought you can try one more time,” he said.
“I can still train hard and I can still compete, but when you’re an athlete that has competed on the highest level for a lot of years, it’s not fair. It’s not fair to step inside the ring and not give my best.”
Oscar De La Hoya didn’t cry like Floyd Mayweather did when he originally announced his retirement, but you could tell by his voice he wanted to when he thanked his father Joel. His father and his gorgeous wife Millie were by him.
“I remember the times when he would take me to the gym and never gave up on me,” De La Hoya said. “We’ve lived some tough moments inside the ring, we’ve been through everything, but my father was always there for me. Thank you for pushing me as hard as you did.”
Oscar said he will stay involved in the sport as a promoter thru his successful Golden Boy Promotions Company.
All Photos above by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Photos by Tom Hogan- Hoganphotos/GBP