De La Hoya has retirement in sight

He’s planning three more bouts before hanging up his gloves.

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Oscar De La Hoya plans to fight three times this year, then retire.

“I’m at that stage of my career now where I can’t take it further,” the 35-year-old De La Hoya said Tuesday. “I can’t go on for the next two years, three years. It’s just time to hang up the gloves.

“This is the year.”

De La Hoya was speaking with a small group of reporters after a news conference to discuss his May 3 bout against Steve Forbes, a runner-up on television’s “Tournament of Contenders.”

A former champion in five weight classes and one of boxing’s most recognizable fighters, De La Hoya wants to meet Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a September rematch of their bout last May. Mayweather won by split decision.

A third fight, if all goes according to De La Hoya’s plan, would be determined afterward. He has a 38-5 record, with 30 knockouts, but has lost three of his last five.

“I’ve been thinking about this for the longest time now, and now is the perfect year,” he said. “The fact that my body can still do it, the fact that my mind wants to do it.

“This is the perfect moment for me to hang up the gloves and be one a few, or maybe be the only one, to do it right. I don’t want to be categorized as an athlete who retired too early, then had to come back and fight one more time.

“I really want to go out with a big bang.”

De La Hoya got the nickname “Golden Boy” when he won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. He went on to become the biggest non-heavyweight draw of his generation.

Forbes will bring a 33-5 record, with nine knockouts, into their bout at the Home Depot Center.

De La Hoya’s three-bout outline for the year first depends, of course, on getting past Forbes. A stocky 31-year-old, Forbes said he has never been knocked down as an amateur or pro.

De La Hoya termed it his most important fight, with some reason. If he loses, his “farewell tour” will be spoiled, and he almost certainly will not get to fight Mayweather again.

De La Hoya said he is returning to his “roots,” going back to his former training camp in the mountain resort of Big Bear, Calif., and training like he did when he began his career.

He insists he won’t look past Forbes.

“I’m not falling for that trap of this being a tuneup fight,” he said. “This is the fight of my life. He was a [TV] contender, and I’m not a champion, I’m a contender.”

Forbes thought someone was playing a joke on him when he first got a call about a match with De La Hoya, then finally realized he really was going to be in what is easily his biggest bout.

“I’d been waiting for that my whole life,” Forbes said. “Oscar’s the face of boxing. I’ve never had a chance to prove myself until now.

“It’s like a ‘Rocky’ movie.”