The boxer known as Hitman was the first man to win titles in four divisions - he won five overall - and topped his 155-8 amateur record by going 61-5-1 with 48 knockouts as a pro.Įven though Steward had a lot of success with Hearns, some of his setbacks from his corner were among the most memorable in the sport. The Kronk's first professional champion was Hilmer Kenty, a lightweight from Columbus, Ohio, who started training there in 1978 and won the WBA title two years later.īut It was Hearns who really put Kronk - and the trainer known as Manny - on the map. and in 1971 accepted a part-time position as head coach - for $35 per week - of the boxing program at the Kronk Recreation Center. ![]() Instead of trying to make it as a professional boxer, he went to work for the Detroit Edison Co. Steward, at the age of 18, won the national Golden Gloves tournament as a bantamweight. He moved to the Motor City just before becoming a teenager and trained as an amateur boxer at Brewster Recreation Center, which once was the home gym of Joe Louis. He got boxing gloves as a Christmas present at the age of 8, the start of what would become a long career in the sweet science. Steward, whose father was a coal miner and mother was a seamstress, was born in West Virginia. The long talks about boxing, the world, and life itself. "It is not often that a person in any line of work gets a chance to work with a legend, well I was privileged enough to work with one for almost a decade," Klitschko said Thursday. His executive assistant, Victoria Kirton, said Steward died Thursday at a Chicago hospital. Steward, owner of the Kronk Gym in Detroit and an International Boxing Hall of Fame trainer, died Thursday. With a twinkle in his eyes, a smile on his face and a soothing voice, Steward developed unique bonds in and out of the ring with a long line of champions that included Thomas Hearns, Canadian Lennox Lewis, Oscar De La Hoya and Wladimir Klitschko. I couldn’t drink what I wanted because I would not run the risk of being off my game and being embarrassed – certainly not in front of Emanuel.Emanuel Steward, earnest yet easygoing, proved rough and tough wasn't the only way to win in boxing. So over the weekend, my rest period, I wasn’t gonna eat pizza, eat stuff I liked. I remember, every Monday, I would have to be down there, and I knew I had to be on my game. I sparred guys like Leon Spinks, Tommy Hearns, Gerald McClellan, Dennis Andries, Duane Thomas, so so many other fighters. Some of them never made it as big, big names. “These were great, great fighters, yet not all of them made it big. “Oh, I tell you, I sparred so many tough fighters at Kronk during my time,” Barber said when looking back. ![]() The so-called “Krong gym wars” are the stuff of legend, and Barber was right there in the middle of that furnace-like basement, fighting for survival in a battle of the strongest: ![]() Recently, Leonzer was kind enough to recall some of his time at Kronk for this writer. Leonzer Barber, who reigned as WBO light-heavyweight champion in the mid-1990s, is one such champion. Read: Diego Corrales, Ricky Hatton, Michael Moorer, Ivan Calderon, Jane Couch Elected To International Boxing Hall Of Fame ![]() And Emanuel had less famous but equally talented fighters, these men also becoming champions. They all wore the gold attire, and they all shone brightly under the tutelage of Steward. Thomas Hearns, Milton McCrory, Dennis Andries, Jimmy Paul, Caveman Lee, Lennox Lewis, Michael Moorer, Gerald McClellan……. Hilmer Kenty was Emanuel’s first world champion, before a literal conveyor belt of champions, each wearing the classic gold shorts with pride, served to enhance the reputation of the gym and the trainer they represented. Jonathon Banks followed in Emanuel’s feet, while today, Sugar Hill is keeping the Kronk legacy strong.Įmanuel, a good boxer in his own right – winning the 1963 National Golden Gloves as a bantamweight but declining to go pro instead of becoming an electrician – built The Kronk Gym from the ground up. It’s been eight years since the passing of The Kronk guru, with Emanuel leaving us, way too soon, when aged 68, on this day back in 2012.Įmanuel’s legacy lives on, and his teachings have been, and will continue to be, passed down. There is no doubt about it, Emanuel was a superb trainer/coach/corner-man. Whenever a boxing pundit, expert, historian, or just plain fan attempts to compile a list of the greatest-ever boxing trainers, the name Emanuel Steward is always, always near the very top of such a list – if not at THE top.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |