DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A former boxer's fight against leukemia has brought together the Delray Beach boxing community in an inspiring show of support.
Joseph Santiago grew up hearing words from Muhammad Ali that his father and stepfather repeated daily: "Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision."
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"I used to get bullied a lot when I was a kid, so my stepdad when I was a kid put me in boxing. I fell in love with it and never stopped," Santiago said.
Santiago once worked to go professional and trained at The Phoenix Boxing Gym in Delray Beach under owner Michael Hockton.
"Joe was a very, very tough person, very durable," Hockton said.
"I met Michael, and he really helped bring the competitiveness out of me. I really took it seriously," Santiago said.
Life eventually forced Santiago to step away from his professional boxing dreams.
"It was too hard to do. I had just had a kid, and my brother was diagnosed with leukemia as well," Santiago said.
Santiago became a barber and continued boxing on the side until July 26, 2023, when concerning symptoms appeared.
"I got black bruises all over my body. It looked like a Muay Thai kicker kicked me in my legs, and nobody had ever kicked me. I don't know how I was bruising in my legs," Santiago said.
Initially, too scared to seek medical attention, Santiago was rushed to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with leukemia, the same disease affecting his brother.
"I was down all the time; it caused a shift in my mind. It caused a shift in my mindstate," Santiago said.
Santiago frequently goes in and out of the hospital for treatment. Recently, his condition worsened, requiring a 40-day hospital stay.
His former trainer, Hockton, organized fundraising efforts at The Phoenix Boxing Gym, hosting $10 sparring and training sessions to raise money for Santiago and his family.
"We're from all different parts of the world, and we all come together for one cause, and that's to help people who need it," Hockton said.
The boxing community raised over $1,000, which they personally delivered to Santiago.
"It means a lot, man. I didn't expect that not just from this, but I never expected that from anybody," Santiago said.
Santiago remains hospitalized as he continues his fight against leukemia, supported by prayers and encouragement from the Delray Beach boxing community.
