Jacobs Retires: Survived Cancer, Became Champion

American two-time world champion Daniel Jacobs has announced his retirement from professional boxing.

"I am announcing my retirement. I want to express my gratitude and thank boxing for changing my life in ways I never imagined, instilling in me so many moral principles and values that I wouldn't have learned otherwise. Boxing made me who I am today.

I always dreamed of becoming a champion, and when boxing found me, I was a poor kid growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, with little hope for the future. As a black boy, I was told that I didn't matter and wouldn't achieve anything significant in life. I was told that the ghetto I grew up in was filled with criminals without a future and that I would become just another statistic like my peers who died or ended up in jail, with no chance to make something of themselves or succeed in life.

Now I can proudly say that I am the rose that grew from concrete in Brooklyn, and that I proved many people wrong. I can proudly say that I am a living example of taking destiny into your own hands and what can be achieved when you accept yourself and your God-given talents.

I want to thank all my fans. My school teachers for giving me knowledge, my neighborhood gangsters who always told me to stay focused and appreciate the opportunities God blessed me with. My childhood and adult friends for pushing and motivating me along the way.

I want to thank my boxing community at Starrett City for raising me, as well as my trainers throughout my career (rest in peace, Victor Roundtree), and also thank my blood family for their unconditional love and support throughout my life.

Thank you to my son Nathaniel for being the reason I fight and the reason I live. My greatest motivator and the reason I do everything I do. I am so happy to have such a son. Through the ups and downs in and out of the ring, I managed to become a two-time world champion, and I can say that I am the first to survive cancer and become a world boxing champion. This is the greatest achievement I could reach.

The opportunity to inspire others with my story always made me feel that my life meant more than just fighting in the ring. The real miracle man. Good work done," Jacobs wrote.

In 2011, Jacobs was diagnosed with bone cancer. It took him a year and a half to fully recover and return to boxing. On October 20, 2012, Jacobs returned to professional boxing, winning against Josh Luteran by knockout in the first round.

Jacobs won his first world title, the WBA middleweight belt, in August 2014, defeating Jarrod Fletcher by TKO.

The 37-year-old American last fought on July 6, losing by unanimous decision to Shane Mosley Jr.

In his career, Jacobs amassed 37 wins, 30 by knockout, and 5 losses. His knockout ratio stands at 81%.