![]() On the walls, photographs and fight progammes bore witness to the Kronk's achievements, while fighters pummelled speedballs and the heavy bags that hung from the low ceiling. But it was downstairs, in the stiflingly hot basement, that legendary feats were planned. On the ground floor, kids played table tennis and listened to music. Yet, more often than not, a gleaming Rolls-Royce convertible would be standing untouched outside, indicating that "Manny" was within, working with the stable of fighters who, to him, were as close as family. A small community centre owned by the city, it stood with its windows protected by metal grills amid burnt-out houses and cars in an area torn apart by gang wars and social deprivation. Based in the Kronk gym in Detroit, named after a prominent local Polish-American politician in a rough, run-down neighbourhood, Steward produced a conveyor belt of champions, most notable among them Thomas "the Hitman" Hearns.Ī visit to Kronk was an amazing experience. But rather than turning professional, he worked as an electrician before finding that coaching was the role that suited him best, starting with his half-brother, James. Steward was a talented amateur fighter, good enough to win the bantamweight National Golden Gloves title of 1963. There he learned to box in the celebrated Brewster Recreation Centre, where Joe Louis, the great heavyweight champion of the 1930s and 40s, had learned his trade. They divorced while Emanuel was a boy, and he moved with his mother to Detroit. He was born in Bottom Creek, West Virginia, where his father was a coalminer and his mother a seamstress. While Steward's name became known internationally, he maintained his base in Detroit. They had complete trust and respect for Steward's coaching acumen, and also loved his worldly wise manner and warm friendship. He worked closely with the world heavyweight champions Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko, helping both men to eradicate flaws in their technique to become the best of their time. For those interested in hearing what Emanuel Steward had to say about many heavyweight legends of the past – including, but not limited to, Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Rocky Marciano just to name a few – please watch and enjoy the video.But Steward will be best remembered as a trainer. The original audio for this interview has been completely remastered for this video by Ryan MacNamara. With the recent 10 year anniversary of this interview having just passed, that interview was just recently transformed into an historical boxing documentary. On March 30, 2010, Steward was interviewed by Geoffrey Ciani (aka – Rummy) about the history of boxing’s marquee weight class, the heavyweight division. With his deep knowledge of heavyweight history and his first hand experience in being part of that history, Steward’s perspective is historically unique. Not only has Steward had great success in heavyweight championship contests, but he was also an avid fan of boxing history and one of the most prominent boxing historians to ever analyze the rich history of heavyweight boxing. ![]() In addition to training all time greats in Lewis and Klitschko, both of whom had long and illustrious dominant reigns as champion, he also trained Oliver McCall when he scored his dramatic upset knockout against Lewis (prior to the two teaming up), and he also guided Evander Holyfield to victory when he became the only man to defeat Riddick Bowe. Steward had an especially good track record at heavyweight. Steward worked in that capacity from 2001 until he sadly passed away in 2012. In addition to his outstanding career as a world class trainer, Steward was also an exceptional commentator who called the HBO fights with exceptional ability to provide valuable insight to the viewing audience when it came to breaking down the sweet science in ways that were easy to follow and understand. He is best known for training Thomas Hearns, Lennox Lewis, and Wladimir Klitschko. ![]() In total, Steward trained 28 world champions during his time as a boxing trainer. This was Steward’s first world champion, but it would certainly not be his last. Steward’s first champion was On March 2, 1980, at new Joe Louis Arena, Steward-trained Hilmer Kenty won the WBA lightweight championship when he defeated Ernesto Espana. Steward ultimately did return to boxing in his best known capacity as a trainer at Kronk Gym, where he had a highly decorated career. ![]()
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