A small, black door, just off a run-of-the-mill corner block in Brooklyn, opens to a dark, narrow flight of stairs that you'd hesitate to descend if not for the pictures of boxers, belts and trophies on the walls. At the bottom, once your eyes adjust, a boxing ring and a fighter with a deep well of gratitude take shape in the low light.
Daniel "The Miracle Man" Jacobs, a complete middleweight with lightning-quick hands, stout defense and a powerful left hook, was surging up the ranks seven years ago when his legs were paralyzed by a life-threatening tumor that wrapped around his spine. Incredibly, he returned to the ring after 18 months, winning a title and defending it four times before narrowly losing to world No. 1 Gennady Golovkin last March. With his unanimous 12-round decision in November over previously undefeated Luis Arias, Jacobs hopes for another shot at Golovkin.