KEY POINTS

  • Oscar De La Hoya provides concrete updates on his boxing comeback
  • De La Hoya wants to fight the "very best" in his return
  • The Golden Boy boss is likely to make an announcement in the next few days

Oscar De La Hoya knows exactly what kind of fight he wants in his return and has left the door open for a Gennadiy Golovkin bout.

Following his previous comment claiming it would be “easy” for him to beat Golovkin, De La Hoya has now come clean about the subject. In a recent interview with Fighthype.com, the Golden Boy Promotions boss pointed out that he always goes after the “very best” and this was the same reason why he took a dig at the Kazakh fighter.

“The reason why I threw [Golovkin’s] name out there is because I always fought the very best of my career and this would be no exception,” De La Hoya explained. “If I’m gonna make a comeback, it’s gonna be against the very best.”

The 47-year-old also confirmed that he has been in discussion with Triller, the same promotion responsible for Mike Tyson’s November exhibition match. According to De La Hoya, an official announcement about his return “could be” made in a matter of days.

“I got a hold of my good friend Ryan Cavanaugh with Triller and we’ve been talking,” the Olympic gold medalist confirmed. “It’ll be interesting to see what’s gonna transpire in the next few days.”

 Gennady Golovkin boxes against Sergiy Derevyanchenko
Gennady Golovkin boxes against Sergiy Derevyanchenko Getty Images | Steven Ryan

As for his target weight class, De La Hoya is confident he can compete in the middleweight division, boasting about being fit despite not yet following any strict dietary plans.

“It would be between 154 and 160 (pounds). I can’t go above 160,” the Hall of Famer insisted. “I’ve been working out for like the last 6 months. I feel Amazing. I’m about 168 (pounds) right now, walking around, not even trying to (cut weight) with a diet or anything like that. I can come down to 154 I believe.”

At 54, Tyson successfully made his boxing comeback against Roy Jones Jr. in November last year. For De La Hoya, Tyson’s comeback has been his greatest motivation.

“Mike Tyson inspired me. That’s for sure,” he admitted. “What he did in that exhibition with Roy Jones [Jr.] really really inspired me. I really look up to him.”

Aside from Golovkin, De La Hoya also hinted at the possibility of sharing the ring with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and his past rival, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Based on his assessment, Alvarez presents a strong case to be his opponent as he is the best in his division at the moment, while a rematch against Mayweather seemed intriguing.

Oscar De La Hoya Ryan Garcia
Oscar De La Hoya celebrates victory with his fighter Ryan Garcia Bad Left Hook