Ft. Lauderdale boxing gym members remember coach found dead in canal

Friends and fellow athletes are remembering a well‑known South Florida boxing coach found dead in a canal over the weekend, honoring him the way they say he would have wanted, through their workouts.

Jonathan "Johnny Thunder" Scibica, 35, was reported missing Friday night after visiting Cheers bar in Fort Lauderdale. The Broward County Sheriff's Office later found his body inside his vehicle in a nearby canal. Detectives say the case remains an active investigation.

On Monday, the energy inside Johnny's gym was noticeably different. Boxers threw punches with heavy hearts, surrounded by posters of the coach many credit with changing their lives.

"As soon as you walk in, it's like, woof, this is real," said boxer Masiel Baluja. "And we had only known him for a month. Imagine those people for whom he was their coach in the corner. I can only imagine the grief they are feeling."

Athletes described Scibica as a mentor with a contagious spirit.

"Beautiful soul," said boxer Michael Jadotte. "Once he got to know you, and once he loved you, he would do anything for you."

Coaches said Scibica's presence is still felt throughout the gym.

"His energy is still here," said boxing coach Lucas Fonseca. "His energy will live always within every single one of us."

Jadotte agreed, saying it feels as though Scibica is still pushing them through their training.

"You could just feel him around, you know, nagging you and saying all of the things he would usually say to everyone," he said.

As investigators work to determine how Scibica ended up in the canal after leaving the bar, those who knew him are hoping for answers.

"I really hope that we can get to the bottom of what happened," Fonseca said.

The gym's athletes say they are leaning on one another as they grieve.

"It's really sad, everything that happened, and it affected us all," said boxer Linda Gomez. "We just come together, closer as a family, and try to be there for him."

Friends plan to hold a celebration of life later this week.