Cancer Survivor Returns to Boxing Ring After 25-Year Legacy

When Adam Congiu was told he couldn't box because he was left-handed, coach Joe Corrigan saw something others missed—a fighter who would win 40 of 41 matches and inspire a generation.

Congiu started boxing at 28, later than most fighters dream of going pro. The 5'7" athlete had found his calling after a high school wrestling injury ended his mat career, and boxing became the sport where his size didn't matter.

From his first fight in 2001, Congiu became known as the "Hitman" for his nearly flawless record. But what made him legendary wasn't just his wins—it was his heart for the St. Catharines Boxing Club that trained him.

For every local fight, Congiu sold over 100 tickets with one goal in mind: making sure the club had money to keep its doors open for the next kid who walked in. "It was a way of giving back to them for me being able to box," he told The Local.

Then cancer sidelined him from 2006 to 2009. The ring sat empty, but Congiu's fight continued outside it.

When he got his clean bill of health, he didn't just return to boxing. He earned his coaching license and became part of the inaugural board for International Master's Boxing, spending as much time in the corner coaching young fighters as he did competing himself.

At 53, Congiu returned to competition in 2024. Last March, he fought in a pre-St. Patrick's Day exhibition honoring his mother Linda, who lost her own battle with cancer in 2024.

Why This Inspires

Congiu's story shows what happens when community support meets personal resilience. The coach who believed in a left-handed 28-year-old created a champion who would spend the next 25 years lifting up others.

Now he hits the gym four times a week, training the next generation of fighters who walk through those same doors. His only career loss came at a Master's championship on a technicality, but anyone who knows his story understands he's never really lost a fight that mattered.

On March 27, Congiu will be recognized alongside five other boxers as a Niagara boxing legend. He says he's shocked and doesn't see himself in the same class as the other legends, but his humility is exactly why he belongs there.

For a kid who was told he couldn't box left-handed, Adam Congiu proved that sometimes the best fighters are the ones who refuse to change who they are.