Oscar De La Hoya Hangs Up His Gloves

Why the big smile? Oscar De La Hoya has announced his retirement from the world of boxing. (AP Images)"]

Standing outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, the "Golden Boy" of boxing announced that he was finally calling it quits.

"I've come to the conclusion that it's over," Oscar De La Hoya told an impressive crowd of fans, including comedian George Lopez and Golden Globe winner Mickey Rourke. "It's over inside the ring for me."

De La Hoya lost his last fight four months ago against Manny Pacquiao and won his last title back in May 2006, beating Ricardo Mayorga.

"This is the love of my life, boxing is my passion, boxing is what I was born to do," the 36-year-old boxer 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, it's not fair to nobody."

To his credit, De La Hoya defeated 17 world champions and has won 10 world titles in six different weight classes throughout his career. He has also generated more money than any other boxer in the history of the sport.

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