Don’t expect Oscar De La Hoya to get back in the ring any time soon, even if the thought crossed his mind.
The boxing legend shut down any notion that he’d take part in an exhibition fight with the box office draw of a Mike Tyson and Jake Paul bout, in an interview with Page Six this week.
“I’ve literally been thinking about it, but I’m OK,” De La Hoya said, per the outlet. “I keep myself in good shape. I love doing yoga in the morning and I love working out and all that — body feels great, but I’m 52 years old.”
The comments end any speculation that the former six-division boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist would pull a Tyson — though his bout with Paul was sanctioned in Texas.
De La Hoya, a former Olympic gold medalist, hasn’t fought since his 2008 loss to Manny Pacquiao.
In 2021, De La Hoya was slated to go up against former MMA fighter Vitor Belfort in a pay-per-view fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles before dropping out after testing positive for COVID-19.
De La Hoya now works as a boxing promoter for his company Golden Boy Promotions, Inc.
He also appeared on the latest season of “The Masked Singer.”
Though he won’t be exchanging punches with the YouTuber-turned-boxer, De La Hoya had high praise for Paul for his transformation into a reputable fighter.
“I actually have a lot of respect for him because here you have this kid who grew up with Nickelodeon, basically,” De La Hoya said during the interview. “I don’t think he boxed back then.”
“He’s actually putting in the work,” he added.
“He’s actually a harder worker than most fighters out there, like, when it comes to training and when it comes to, like, being disciplined. And yeah, I have a lot of respect for him.”
