Boxing prodigy Daniel Jacobs announces his retirement from the sport

After 17 years as a producer, Daniel Jacobs has announced his retirement from the ring.

The 37-year-old from Brooklyn, NY, who first burst onto the scene as “The Golden Child” before his return from cancer saw him dubbed “The Miracle Man,” has hung up his gloves for good. due to his ten round unanimous decision loss to Shane Mosley Jr. on the 6th of July.

Jacobs, whose final record is 37-5 (30 knockouts), took to social media to show off his journey in the sport. He credits boxing with helping him become something bigger than his hometown of Brownsville, Brooklyn could have trained him for.

“Boxing made me the man I am today,” Jacobs wrote.

“It was always my dream to be a champion in life and when boxing found me, I was a poor child who grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn and I was not looking forward to it. As a black child I was forced to be fed that I didn't matter or that I wouldn't matter. [amount] in anything important in life. I was told that the ghetto I grew up in was full of criminals with no future and I would become a statistic like my peers and those who came before me; I am dead or imprisoned without the ability to get out or succeed on my own. Now I'm proud to say I'm Rose who grew up out of the concrete in Brooklyn. I have proven many people wrong. I am proud to say that I am a living example of what it looks like to take your destiny into your own hands. And when you accept yourself and your God-given talents, what can you achieve.”

Jacobs first shined as a rookie, winning four New York Golden Gloves titles – and two National Golden Gloves championships – and just falling short of making the 2008 US Olympic team, losing to Shawn Estrada. Jacobs won his first 20 fights as champion but was stopped in five rounds by Dmitry Pirog in his first title attempt in 2010. Jacobs' career was put in serious jeopardy the following year when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer that nearly killed him. he crippled him.

Against these odds, Jacobs returned to the ring the following year, won his next ten fights, captured the WBA “regular” middleweight belt and retained it with a first-round stoppage of Peter Quillin and two stoppages of Sergio Mora. His winning streak ended with a close but undecided decision loss against Gennadiy Golovkin in 2017, coming off the canvas once in a difficult situation that saw him exceed expectations.

Jacobs won the IBF middleweight title in 2018, defeating Sergiy Derevyanchenko by split decision at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. That win earned him his biggest lead-up date in a middleweight title unification fight against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who was part of a reported $10 million deal with DAZN.

Jacobs lost that fight by unanimous decision and struggled little after that, going 2-2 in his remaining four bouts. Mosley's defeat came 29 months after his previous fight, a split decision loss to John Ryder, which signaled that Jacobs was coming to an end.

In his book, Jacobs thanked many who have touched his life along the way, including the school teachers who helped him by teaching him, and the community of Starrett City Boxing Gym, a public gym in the East New York section of Brooklyn where he and many others. some top fighters started. He also thanked his son Nathaniel, whom he described as “the reason for fighting and the reason for my life.”

Keith Connolly, a mentor who helped guide Jacobs in his career, paid tribute to Jacobs in an Instagram post shortly after the Mosley fight.

“I spent 20 years in the boxing world with Danny Jacobs. I was with him from Day 1 and I was with him until the end. What an amazing fighter. He won 2 world championships AFTER beating cancer AND AFTER returning from being paralyzed from the waist down for months. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent you and be your friend. Thank you for all the happiness you have given me. What a career to enjoy in retirement,” Connolly wrote.

In a game where few come out with their own goals and talents, Jacobs is a rare example of someone who leaves the business on his own terms.

“Through ups and downs in and out of the ring, I was able to become a 2x world champion and I can say that I am the first cancer survivor to become a boxing world champion which is the greatest thing I have ever achieved. . Being able to inspire others with my story has always made me feel like my life means more than just fighting inside the ring. A true miracle man. Job well done,” Jacobs wrote.

Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler and The Guardian, and is part of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Class of 2020. He can be reached at [email protected].