Former middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs. Photo credit: Getty Images
After 17 years as a professional, Daniel Jacobs has announced his retirement from the ring.
The 37-year-old boxer from Brooklyn, New York, who first rose to fame as the “Golden Child” and then became known as the “Miracle Man” after his incredible comeback from cancer, hung up his boxing gloves for good after losing a 10-round decision to Shane Mosley Jr. on July 6.
Jacobs finished with a record of 37-5 (30 knockouts) but took to social media to reflect on his boxing journey, saying that even more than the upbringing he grew up in in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, boxing has made him a great person.
“Boxing made me who I am,” Jacobs wrote.
“It's always been my dream to be a champion in life. When I started boxing, I was growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, a poor kid who didn't have much to look forward to. As a young black kid, I was forced into an identity that wasn't important or significant. [amount] “I was never able to achieve anything substantial in life. The ghetto I grew up in was full of criminals with no future, and I was told that I, like others my age and those who came before me, would become a statistic – that I would either die or end up in prison, with no chance of escape or success. I am now proud to say that I am a rose that grew from the concrete of Brooklyn. I have proven so many people wrong. I am proud to say that I am a living example of what it means to take your destiny into your own hands, and what you can accomplish if you embrace yourself and the talents that God has given you.”
Jacobs first flourished as an amateur, winning the New York Golden Gloves title four times and the US Golden Gloves Championship twice, but fell just short of making the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, losing to Shawn Estrada. Jacobs won his first 20 professional fights before being stopped in five rounds by Dmitry Pirog in his first title challenge in 2010. The following year, Jacobs' career was in serious jeopardy when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer that nearly paralyzed him.
Against the odds, Jacobs returned to the ring the following year and won his next 10 fights, capturing the WBA “regular” middleweight belt and defending it by stopping Peter Quillin in one round and Sergio Mora twice. His winning streak came to an end with a narrow unanimous decision loss to Gennady Golovkin in 2017. Once off the canvas in a tough fight, Jacobs exceeded expectations.
Jacobs won the IBF middleweight belt by defeating Sergey Derevyanchenko by split decision at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in 2018. The win earned Jacobs the top prize in a middleweight title unification bout against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, which was part of a reported $10 million deal with DAZN.
Jacobs lost that bout by unanimous decision and then barely fought again, going 2-2 in his remaining four fights. The loss to Mosley came 29 months after his last fight, a split decision loss to John Ryder, suggesting Jacobs was looking to retire from fighting.
In his post, Jacobs thanked the many people who have influenced him throughout his life, including his teachers who helped educate him and the community at Starrett City Boxing Gym in Brooklyn's East New York neighborhood, where Jacobs and many other top fighters got their start. Jacobs also thanked his son, Nathaniel, whom he described as “the reason I fight and the reason I live.”
Keith Connolly, the advisor who has guided Jacobs throughout his career, praised him in an Instagram post shortly after the Mosley fight.
“I spent 20 years in boxing with Danny Jacobs and was with him from day one to the end. What an incredible fighter! He beat cancer and won two world championships after coming back from being paralyzed from the waist down for months. It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent you and be your friend. Thank you for all the excitement you have given me. Enjoy a great career and retirement,” Connolly wrote.
In a sport where few people retire with their goals accomplished and in control of their abilities, Jacobs is a rare example of someone leaving the business on his own terms.
“Though I've had ups and downs in and out of the ring, I've been able to become a two-time world champion and say I'm the first person to beat cancer and become a world champion boxer. This is my greatest accomplishment. I've been able to inspire others with my story and have always felt like my life has meant so much more than fighting in the ring. I am truly a miracle worker. Well done,” Jacobs wrote.
Ryan Songaria has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler and the Guardian and is a 2020 Craig Newmark Graduate in Journalism. Contact him at [email protected].
