Oscar De La Hoya has gone from Olympic gold medalist to six-division world boxing champion to Hall of Famer to head of his own promotional firm.
Now he says he would consider a run for president of the United States.
De La Hoya, speaking to a small group of reporters Tuesday while promoting Saturday's middleweight title rematch between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin, said that he has "real" -- albeit "preliminary" -- interest in launching a presidential bid ahead of the 2020 election.
"It's real," De La Hoya said, according to the Los Angeles Times, of his hopes of running for president. "That's the beauty of our nation. If Arnold [Schwarzenegger] can be governor, if [Donald] Trump can be president, then why can't a Mexican-American who won an Olympic gold medal, who's over 35 and a U.S. citizen, run for presidency?"
De La Hoya, 45, said he began thinking about running for president "many years ago." He said he would run as a Democrat and that he "absolutely" has the financial backing to make a serious run.
Arguably the most popular fighter of his era, De La Hoya had much-publicized personal troubles outside the ring, including infidelity and alcohol and substance abuse. He expressed confidence, however, that his potential bid would receive significant support.
"As I got older, I get wiser," he said. "And as I get wiser, I get smarter. And as I get smarter, I start to realize the millions and millions of people who've told me, 'Oscar, why don't you run for some kind of office? Because you can make a difference.'"