oscar012409.jpgFormer boxing great Oscar de la Hoya has decided to check himself into a rehab facility, it was announced today.

The 37-year-old Gold Medal Olympian said in a statement:

    "After doing an honest evaluation of myself, I recognize that there are certain issues that I need to work on. Like everyone, I have my flaws, and I do not want to be one of those people that is afraid to admit and address those flaws. I am confident that with the support of my family and friends, I will become a stronger, healthier person."


The announcement comes on the heels of a cryptic message the boxing champ recently posted on his Twitter, revealing: "Stop finding excuses not to live. life is controlled by what you make of it and not of what it makes of you."

De La Hoya won an Olympic gold medal for boxing in 1992, and retired in 2009 with a career record of 39 wins in the ring.