Retired boxing legend turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya recently called out UFC superstar Conor McGregor recently, but it seems he’s since had second thoughts on the idea.
“I’m not coming back, even though that would be too easy for me,” De La told reporters when asked if he was still thinking of getting back in the ring against McGregor next year.
“I mean, c’mon guys, you don’t give me two rounds [to beat him]? C’mon, are you kidding me? I get to train, what, six months? If I trained six months – two rounds, easy!”
One reporter then pointed out that it sounded as if he did want to do it after all, at which point De La Hoya finally got down to the truth of the matter.
“My mind wants to do it, but my body doesn’t let me,” ‘Golden Boy’ confessed.
“I loved training actually. I was like a gym rat. I loved training, but, you know what? Honestly speaking – no, I can’t, I won’t do it. I won’t, I’m not, so McGregor can sleep good at night. He doesn’t have to worry.”
When De La Hoya’s initial call-out first emerged we suggested that this was likely just a publicity stunt by the boxing promoter for the new ‘Golden Boy Radio’ show that he was a guest on, and the fact that just a few weeks later he’s already backed out on the challenge suggests that was indeed the case.
Nevertheless, McGregor isn’t without potential challengers if he does wish to return to the boxing ring next year, with Manny Pacquiao and Paulie Malignaggi being two of the high-profile stars who are eager to get into the ring with him.
