Boxer Leo Santa Cruz pauses at holidays to appreciate family

It hasn’t been the best of years for former three-division boxing world champion Leo Santa Cruz, who suffered his first pro loss while surrendering his World Boxing Assn. featherweight belt to Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton in July.

But there’s something about this time of year for Santa Cruz that has cleansed the pain and made him especially grateful about what life has provided and set before him.

The Christmas gratitude begins with Santa Cruz’s father and trainer, Jose, who recovered from a serious battle against myeloma (bone cancer at the spine) that left him gaunt and in a wheelchair earlier this year, requiring chemotherapy treatment and minimizing the vocal father’s training-camp time with his son.

Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 knockouts) couldn’t back up the resilient former super-bantamweight champion Frampton (23-0), who claimed a majority decision victory at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“We didn’t have the best game plan to win the fight,” Leo Santa Cruz said after his father missed most of the first five weeks of training and found his distinctive roaring voice softened during the bout.

“My brothers and I practiced no different than my dad. But when we got to the fight, it was clear my dad wanted me to fight another way … it got me mixed up, confused, and we were distracted trying to get the game plans together.”

But in this camp, with Jose Santa Cruz back healthy, Leo said he’s two weeks ahead of schedule, already sparring up to 10-round sessions and finding his punches are more accurate and powerful – assets he says are the keys to defeating Frampton in their Jan. 28 rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“My dad’s right here pushing me, screaming at me, telling me what to do,” Leo said. “If I do one thing wrong, he’s yelling at me. And that’s what I need. I needed him here – training me, making me listen. It’s paying off.”

Christmas will be at Leo’s La Habra home, with his parents, all four of the boxer’s siblings and their children expected for Christmas Eve and the next morning.

Leo has told Jose how thankful he is to have him around so lively, playing with his daughter, 4 and son, 2, who was recently play boxing with Jose and – in an encouraging sign for the family full of fighters – drew blood on a punch to Jose’s eye.

“We joke my parents love their grandkids more than us -- because now they have more time,” Leo said.

“When I’m just resting and thinking, the things I’m really grateful for are for what I have – the family’s good health and the thought of where I’m at in my life, the fact I’ve reached everything I’ve always dreamed of – three houses, cars.

“I have more than everything I’d ever wanted. I can’t believe it. Everything I suffered through growing up, now I can give the things to my kids that they want.

“Yes, that first loss was hard, but the fans have made me believe it’s not that important. They’re still supporting me, pushing me, giving me hope.

“Nobody’s unbeatable.”