On Friday, promoter Lou DiBella put on a terrific card at Foxwoods televised by Showtime on its "ShoBox: The New Generation" series that was headlined by an action-packed war between rising super middleweight prospect Edwin Rodriguez and a rugged Will Rosinsky. The untelevised undercard was strong, too. One of the more promising prospects on the card was Danny O'Connor, a 26-year old junior welterweight who won a lopsided decision over Bryan Abraham.

O'Connor has an interesting story. Six months ago, the Framingham, Mass., native faced his stiffest test when he stepped in against unbeaten Gabriel Bracero in another Showtime-televised fight. It was supposed to be a competitive fight. It wasn't. Bracero boxed circles around O'Connor, who appeared sluggish the entire fight.

Here's why: according to O'Connor, five minutes before the Showtime crew came to get him for the ring walk, he started to cough up blood. During the fight, O'Connor says he felt listless, like his body simply wouldn't respond. After weeks of testing ("At one point, they were sticking stuff in every hole I had," O'Connor said) doctors diagnosed O'Connor with ulcers. They also told O'Connor he was anemic and would need to start taking medication to combat the decrease in red blood cells in his system. To top it off, O'Connor needed surgery to repair the broken nose he suffered in the fight.

"It was lowest point that I have ever been at in my life," O'Connor said.

When O'Connor recovered, he faced another decision. Respected trainer Ronnie Shields had agreed to take him on. The catch: O'Connor had to move to Houston. The problem: O'Connor had a girlfriend, Diane, and a newborn baby, Liam, to support and very little money to do it and afford to live in Houston full time. So O'Connor gave Diane all the money he had and flew to Houston with little more than his boxing gear and the shirt on his back.

"I pulled a Rudy Ruettiger," O'Connor said. "I knew I didn't have any money and nowhere to stay. Talked to Diane, and we talked about how this was going to be a risk. But I couldn't pass this opportunity up. I hoped once I got there, stuff would fall into place for me."

And it did. O'Connor moved in with Rodriguez ("We had nothing," O'Connor said. "No furniture. No silverware, nothing.") and started to work with Shields. In their first fight together, O'Connor knocked out Jamie Del Cid in the first round. On Friday, O'Connor, showing a stiff jab and a patient, disciplined style, outboxed the heavy-handed Abraham.

"Ronnie is so much more than a coach," O'Connor said. "Every second around Ronnie you are learning. Before I knew how to fight. Now I know how to box. I'm using my hips, getting more power. I'm working on the inside. I'm being intelligent in the ring. He really stripped me down and built all the way back up. Sometimes you lose that love, that passion you had when you were an amateur. Sometimes it gets lost along the way. I found it again."

When O'Connor resumes training he will do it with an expanded support system. Sometime this week he will make the drive back to Houston -- with Diane and Liam with him.

"It's been tough because I've basically been watching him grow up via text message," O'Connor said. "I'm blessed to have a second chance. I want to fight all the time. I'll fight tomorrow. Everything is going so well, and now I will have my family with me. This is my second chance. If I had the money, I would ask Diane to marry me in a second."