LEGENDARY Detroit trainer Emanuel Steward sadly passed away this week aged 68.
He went into hospital last month — meaning he would miss being in Wladimir
Klitschko’s corner for the Ukrainian’s coming world title tilt with Mariusz
Wach.
Hall of Famer Steward’s first world champion was WBA lightweight king Hilmer
Kenty.
From there he trained many of the modern-day greats, including Tommy ‘Hitman’
Hearns, Lennox Lewis, Julio Cesar Chavez, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and
many more. After Britain’s Dennis Andries was stopped in the 10th round by
Hearns in 1987, many thought that was that.
But Andries then joined Steward and won the WBC light-heavyweight title two
years later.
Another Brit, Errol Christie, went out to train at the Kronk gym and was
involved in plenty of the infamous sparring sessions there which became wars
that ruined many fighters.
More recently, Steward came in towards the end of a fighter’s training camp to
add the finishing touches to preparations with advice about strategy and
technical points.
He was also a master of the art of protective hand wrapping.
Steward won the 1963 Golden Gloves tournament as a bantamweight. But with his
family needing financial help, he became a lineman with the city before
starting coaching at the Kronk with half-brother James.
His most famous student was Hearns, who was a skinny kid as an amateur. But in
the pro ranks, Steward turned him into a devastating puncher.
Steward also worked for many years for HBO as a boxing commentator and was
well known for his relentless charity work.
His is a sorry loss to the world of boxing and my condolences go out to his
family.