An incredible story of overcoming adversity unfolded in Manchester over the last weekend. Former British regional champion Jack Rafferty defeated Ekow Essuman via sixth-round retirement on Saturday at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. This was his first time ‘Demolition Man’ was fighting at welterweight since becoming a champion. However, that’s not the reason his story is so inspiring. 

“On Wednesday, 3rd September 2025, doctors gave me between 24 [and] 48 hours to live, due to a serious illness,” Rafferty posted on Instagram after his win over Essuman. “I made it through. I was massively out of shape. I was down and depressed, but I was NOT OUT. I had that ‘I CAN DO IT’ feeling burning. A promise that I made [to] my mother, I would be a champion. That was the driving force that made me get back to where I am today.”

“It’s been hard work but well worth it. Like I said, ‘You can do anything if you want to remember that. ‘YOU CAN DO IT.’”

It’s unclear what illness Rafferty had been dealing with, though he had noticeably gained weight in the meantime. Before the fight, he also revealed that he was recovering from several injuries and had taken time to rest following his draw against Mark Chamberlain in August last year. This meant he could no longer fight at super lightweight, where he held a regional belt. 

So, he vacated the title and moved up to face Ekow Essuman, a respected, tough, and ambitious veteran. The fight unfolded on the undercard of Fabio Wardley’s WBO heavyweight title defense against Daniel Dubois. In any case, there were no visible signs of injury, illness, or fatigue when he stepped into the ring on Saturday.

During the fight, Rafferty controlled the action with sharp boxing, a strong jab, and accurate power shots, opening a nasty cut over Essuman’s left eye. After six one-sided rounds, Essuman’s corner retired him due to the cut and accumulated damage. With the win, the Brit became the new WBA Continental Gold welterweight champion. 

Rafferty’s story, however, is one of many. 

Daniel Jacobs beat cancer and won the world

Back in 2011, Daniel Jacobs was just 24 with big ambitions for his career. He had suffered a loss at the time, but he was a rising boxer. Then he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare, aggressive bone cancer. The tumor was wrapped around his spine, leaving him partially paralyzed.

Like in Rafferty’s case, doctors gave him a very grim prognosis. He went through major surgeries and radiation, which meant he may never fight again. However, that’s not what ended up happening. He battled through intense treatments, recovered mobility, and made a comeback in 2012. 

He fought Josh Luteran in his first fight since the surgeries and secured a first-round knockout win. He went on to win a regional title and even became the IBF middleweight champion in 2018. 

Such stories just go to show that sometimes the fights aren’t just inside the ring. Recovering from a loss in the ring is a special accomplishment, but coming back from a setback outside of it has a completely different feeling.