New Interview with “The Bronx Bomber”!

Born in the Bronx, Danny Santiago began boxing at the age of 15.

He had a natural affinity for fighting and won several amateur titles en route to becoming a professional prizefighter. Known as the “Bronx Bomber,” he won regional belts during his career on the canvas. The New Yorker was a three-time challenger for the light heavyweight title and fought the likes of Antonio Tarver, Danny Green, Zsolt Erdei, Beibut Shumenov, etc. and was also a contestant in 2007’s “The Contender” series.

Santiago officially retired from the ring in 2016 with a 34-7-1 record with 20 knockouts.

During and after his career he, admittedly, hit a lot of speed bumps along the way. During my conversation with the ex-fighter, he is brutally honest about both the highs and lows in the brutal sport of boxing. He definitely knows what it’s like to hit rock bottom and he also has learned what it takes to reach the top again.

A former amateur titlist and pro champion, current trainer and manager, a recent Florida Boxing Hall of Famer and a new promoter in combat sports, the puncher has been through a lot in his life.

After battling back from the brink of bankruptcy, Danny has made it his life’s mission to help his boxers as they navigate their own futures in the fight game and beyond.

In the hardscrabble city of Tuluá, Santiago has taken the youth under his wing. He not only wants to train them in the sweet science, he also vows to teach them how to work hard to get out of poverty. While chatting with the boxing coach, the Colombiano opens up about why it’s so important to him to teach his fighters (whom he calls “his boys” and considers them family) to not make the same mistakes he once did in the “School of Hard Knocks.”

Santiago, 48, and his wife Sandra have relocated from Ocala, Florida to Tuluá, Colombia where he trains amateurs and pros at his Boxeo y Mas Gym. He has a stable of hungry young lions including WBC FECARBOX Silver Middleweight champion Alexander Castro, up-and-comers like Luis Tenorio and several teens looking to learn the ropes from the veteran boxer/coach.

Listen in as the boxing star talks about his time with “The Contender,” what his Hall of Fame induction was like, and why he is so adamant about teaching his fighters to bob and weave around the harsh realities of the sport!

Michele Chong: Hi Danny! First of all, congrats on being inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame in June. What was your induction like? What were your favorite memories?

Danny Santiago: My week was definitely great and with very little rest! (Laughs) I probably only got two to three hours of rest a day…I would just take a catnap, shower and resume!

My induction was so unexpected and it was nonstop with the love that I got there. There were quite a few celebrities there and it was both overwhelming and humbling. I got to see former opponents and former sparring partners too. The crowd was huge. And the amount of respect and love I received was unimaginable! The way I was received there was amazing.

MC: You had a good career finishing with 42 fights!

DS: I learned from the wins and I definitely learned from the losses; I wouldn’t change anything. I loved every minute of it. And if I had changed anything I wouldn’t be Alex Castro’s coach or anyone else’s at this particular time.

MC: How is your champ Alex Castro doing? It was fun having him here when he visited SoCal.

DS: Alex has been working out and doing great. He’s a very humble guy. He rides his bike to and from the gym still.

MC: You have over 10 fighters you’re training now?

DS: Yes, everyone from a 19 year old who’s 175 pounds to a champ like Alex.

I’ve also been encouraging all my boxers to have something after boxing, when it’s all said and done. Even in the best case scenario, they should have something besides boxing like a trade. Boxing is a very short-lived business and very cruel. So I want to make sure they can pursue something else like welding, maybe a dental hygienist class, something to fall back on.

There’s boxing and construction work but I don’t want them working out in the sun all day for minimum wage. As a licensed welder, they can do that anywhere in the world. Just something to fall back on…

MC: These are lessons you learned while coming up as a young boxer yourself?

DS: When I got into boxing, I was fortunate that I graduated from high school and went to college. I have a bunch of certificates, right? But when I lost money, things were really rough. One day I woke up and the IRS came…and even though I had a college education I didn’t know what I was really qualified to do because I was SO dependent on boxing. I didn’t know how to do anything else! So now I don’t want my boys to go through that.

When it comes to these kids, if they make the same mistakes I did then I didn’t serve any purpose. Anyone can teach you how to throw a punch, I’m training young men to be MEN and to correct my wrongs.

MC: That’s a good lesson for them. Everyone thinks (and hopes) they’ll make millions in boxing but for the majority, that’s not the case.

DS: Yeah, 90% of us don’t make it in boxing. Listen, I was very fortunate to get right to the finish line but I tripped! I made a lot of money and I lost it. I fought for three or four world titles and still ran out of money. I want them to do better; I want them to be able to buy homes. Let’s face it, not all boxers can become world champions.

So now I teach my boys about that aspect like no one ever prepares us for failure. No one prepares us for the rainy days. As a fighter, you’re not supposed to show weakness or emotions, and to never give an inch. Things like that are taboo. I was taught many a great things in my life but one thing I wasn’t taught was the “What ifs?” and how to invest my money, which is why I lost it. I lost 90% of my money.

Now I wanna teach my boys these lessons–these are my children–I don’t have kids.

MC: You definitely treat your boxers like family. And you’re being very realistic in preparing them for anything. Sadly, I know more people that didn’t make it in boxing than those who did.

DS: It can be very tough on boxers. Boxers, we get hit, we are taught only to win, no retreat, no surrender. But then again, no one ever talks about the “What ifs?” No one ever taught ME that so when I was down on my luck and went 22 and 0 and then lost my first fight, someone asked me later what that was like?

It was the loneliest time of my life. When I lost that fight, I went back to my locker room and I was all by myself. There was no entourage and even my coach that I had at the time abandoned me. They left me there all alone.

MC: That’s a heartbreaking experience…

DS: Now I want to teach my boys and others about this aspect especially if someone has PTSD or depression. I joined a group called Mental Health for Athletes and I’m a spokesman for them along with Deborah King, Don King, Al Haymon, Teofimo Lopez and others.

I have suffered from depression. From 1998 to 2016 when I was boxing, I was a violent person. And it wasn’t my second nature it was my FIRST nature to be aggressive.

And now I’m starting to work out again because I’m getting called out for exhibitions and I’m actually thinking about it! Well, my mind says yes, but my body says no (laughs).

MC: (Laughs) Okay, let us know if you make your comeback! Can you talk a little about your experience with the popular “Contender” series?

DS: Being on Season 3 was a highlight of my life. Even though I fell ill and didn’t get to proceed because of an illness I sustained in my stomach, it was really a special moment meeting Sugar Ray Leonard and Sylvester Stallone, training with Kevin Rooney and hanging out with those guys in L.A.

MC: And you’re also promoting fights now. Tell me about the new events you’re promoting?

DS: It’s called Noche de Boxeo (A Night of Boxing and More) with both boxing and mixed martial arts. It’s the first time it’s been done in this country with the very first pro mixed martial arts event and the first dual event. Our first one was November 6 and it’s coming together for February 26.

It will be in Armenia, Colombia and it’s such a beautiful city. The airport is just 15 minutes away from the venue. It’s gonna be great.

MC: Sounds great, I hope you have a good show. Thanks again for your time and have a great New Year!

DS: Thanks, Michele!

All in all, it sounds like Team Santiago is going to have a very busy year in 2022 across the globe. From training in Colombia, his boxers have also been fighting in Mexico and his champion Alex Castro continues to work with Cali Promotions in Southern California.

While raising young champions is a goal for Danny Santiago, coaching upstanding young men to be productive citizens is a much more important mission and a true lifetime goal for the Hall of Famer!

Photos courtesy of Danny Santiago