Story highlights Boxer Leo Santa Cruz's only professional loss came as his father battled cancerWith his father ringside, "I am really training hard for the rematch"La Puente, California (CNN) Leo Santa Cruz snaps off punches, making loud pops on sparring mitts. The loss still rings in Leo's ears, like a stiff jab to the side of the head, because his father and trainer, Jose Santa Cruz Sr., missed out on critical weeks of training and preparing Leo. Jose, sitting ringside, is battling the ultimate body blow -- cancer. "When I first found out he had cancer I cried; I imagined myself suffering," Leo Santa Cruz told CNN. After his April 2016 diagnosis, the family said, a spinal disc collapsed, requiring reconstructive spine surgery in May 2016.

Source: CNN January 23, 2017 19:18 UTC