Steward was most closely identified with his work with three superstar fighters: multi-divisional world champion Thomas Hearns, who was with Steward from the beginning former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and reigning heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. He often took fighters in to live with him in his Detroit home, training them by day and parenting them by night. Training fighters was not just a job for Steward. As a cornerman, he commanded respect because of his strategic genius and for having the knack of saying the right thing at the right time during the heat of battle.įighters also loved him for his generosity and for the father-figure role he often played in their lives. Often called the Godfather of Detroit boxing, Steward was a beloved figure because of his outgoing personality, seemingly endless energy to talk about boxing with anyone who would approach him and his dedication to his fighters. Victoria Kirton, Steward's executive assistant, told The Associated Press that Steward died in a Chicago hospital Thursday afternoon. A younger generation of boxing fans knew him as an expert analyst on HBO's boxing telecasts. Steward, who also managed many of the fighters he trained, worked with more than two dozen champions during his decades-long career. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĮmanuel Steward, revered as one of the best trainers in boxing history and whose Kronk Gym symbolized Detroit's gritty, blue-collar boxing scene and produced numerous world champions, died Thursday after a short illness.
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