He Is Not the Retiring Type

Oscar De La Hoya has retired.

The news was stunning, shocking. Nobody saw it coming.

Not even De La Hoya.

Wednesday, nearly a week after radio station KSPN (1110) reported that De La Hoya was retiring at 29, the former Olympic gold medalist and current World Boxing Council super-welterweight champion sat in his office in a Los Angeles skyscraper, looking content about his physical condition, excited about his upcoming bout against Fernando Vargas and determined to fulfill his long-term goals in boxing.

Retirement? He laughed at the idea.

But he admitted he wasn’t laughing several weeks ago when an injury to his left hand forced a postponement of the fight. Originally scheduled for May 4 at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center, it has been moved to Sept. 14.

Working with sparring partner Julio Garcia at his Big Bear training headquarters, De La Hoya landed a left hook on the top of Garcia’s head.

And shuddered at the result.

“I felt like I had broken my hand,” De La Hoya said. “My left hook had caught him solid and it felt like my hand had shattered. I had felt pain before in that hand, but not that bad.”

De La Hoya had injured the hand last November, requiring surgery to repair torn cartilage and shave a bone spur.

Although he admits he didn’t work hard enough rehabilitating after surgery, De La Hoya figured the problems with his left hand, his primary weapon throughout his career, were behind him.

The flare-up left him emotionally devastated.

“I was thinking my career was over,” he said. “My world was crushed. Things had been going so perfect. I wondered, ‘What am I going to do next?’ I was very confused.

“I still have the itch to fight. I want to fight. I have to fight. Despite all I have accomplished, I feel the defining moments of my career are still ahead.

“I feel I still haven’t fought the fights that are going to make my legend.”

At first, De La Hoya thought about ignoring the pain and going ahead with the Vargas fight as scheduled.

But when he found that merely touching the heavy bag--never mind punching it--caused him pain, he knew it wouldn’t be logical to proceed.

“I couldn’t even shadow box,” he said. “I could have said that I was going ahead with the fight, but I was not going to go into the ring with one hand. That would have given Vargas too much of an advantage.”

Instead, De La Hoya has begun a vigorous rehabilitation program under Dr. Tony Daly, who says the key to the fighter’s return is to strengthen his left hand so that it can withstand the future pounding required.

“It’s a common injury in boxing,” Daly said, “not one you would call career ending.”

De La Hoya reiterated Wednesday that, beyond Vargas, he wants to fight Felix Trinidad and Shane Mosley, both of whom have beaten him.

He would like to fight Trinidad in early spring of next year, followed by Mosley, assuming De La Hoya continues to win.

And then, said De La Hoya, he anticipates follow-up fights with each man.

Retirement? Don’t make him laugh.

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Promoter Bob Arum began negotiations for a Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Jose Luis Castillo rematch at Staples Center on August 10.

Mayweather won a unanimous decision over Castillo last Saturday at Las Vegas’ Grand Garden Arena to take Castillo’s WBC lightweight title.

It appears difficult bargaining will be required to make Arum’s proposal a reality.

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Undefeated junior bantamweight Sergio Espinoza (9-0) of San Diego will headline tonight’s six-bout boxing card at the Irvine Marriott when he takes on Arturo Velasquez (6-7) in a scheduled eight-round fight.

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Times staff writer Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.