Written by: Joseph Herron at Nov 15, 2011

Last night, boxing lost one of its more beloved characters.
Famed cutman Joe Souza passed away late Monday evening after battling cancer for nearly ten years. Joe was initially diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002, and it unfortunately spread to other organs. Just two weeks before his 50th wedding anniversary, Joe passed away with his wife and kids by his side.
The boxing advocate was 77 years old.

Friend and colleague Lester Bedford recollects some of his most fond memories of the world renowned cutman.

“Joe was unforgettable. He was an original and there will never be anyone else like him. He always left a lasting impression on anyone with which he interacted.”

Souza was best known for his role as “boxing’s cutman of choice” for over 20 years. On big fight night without fail, he would always be seen working in a fighter’s corner opposite another great cutman, Al Gavin.

Joe worked the corners of fighters Andrew Golota, Pernell Whitaker, Fernando Vargas, Vernon Forrest, Jesse James Leija, Vitali Klitschko, and Arturo Gatti.

“I know that if it weren’t for Joe being in the corner of my fighter Jesse James Leija, we would have never won the title from Azumah Nelson in 1994,” claims Bedford. “He was a miracle worker and easily the best in the business.”
“James had a very bad cut in that fight and I feared that the fight would eventually be stopped as a result. Joe somehow worked his magic and the rest is history. He was a great guy, and everyone who knew him will miss him dearly.”

Joe is widely known for his work throughout the entire historic Gatti/Ward trilogy, and for patching up arguably one of the worst cuts in the history of the sport during Klitschko/Lewis.

But, his greatest passion was amateur boxing and supporting fighter development. He owned the world famous San Fernando Gym in San Antonio, TX and sponsored several amateur boxing events every year.

Joe Souza is survived by his wife Virgina and his two kids Marie and Arthur, along with two grandchildren.

The great Joe Souza will be missed terribly.