Emanuel "Manny" Steward (July 7, 1944 – October 25, 2012) was an American

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

, trainer, and commentator for

HBO Boxing ''HBO World Championship Boxing'' (in later years stylized in its title card as ''HBO Boxing – World Championship'') was an American sports television series on premium television network HBO. It premiered on January 22, 1973 with a fight that s ...

. He was also called the Godfather of Detroit Boxing. Steward trained 41 world champion fighters throughout his career, most notably

Thomas Hearns Thomas Hearns (born October 18, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra", and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and oversized arms and shoulders allowe ...

, through the famous

Kronk Gym Kronk Gym is a boxing gym located in Detroit, once led by trainer Emanuel Steward. It was run out of the basement of the oldest recreation center of the City of Detroit, and became a household word in the sport of boxing and its gold shorts a magn ...

and later heavyweights Lennox Lewis and

Wladimir Klitschko Wladimir Klitschko; an equivalent English spelling is Vladimir Klichko . His full name in uk, label=Ukrainian is, Володимир Володимирович Кличко, Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Klychko, . ( uk, Володимир Вол� ...

. Emanuel trained over two dozen boxers who turned out to be champions in the course of his career. His heavyweight fighters had a combined record of 34-2-1 in title fights. He was an inducted of the

International Boxing Hall Of Fame The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. The I ...

, and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. Steward was also known for his charity work in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, helping youth to attain an education.

Life and career

Steward was born in

Bottom Creek, West Virginia Bottom Creek is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community located in McDowell County, West Virginia, McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. Bottom Creek lies along U.S. Route 52 in West Virginia, U.S. Route 52 between the towns of Ki ...

, but, by the age of 12, he had moved with his mother to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, after she divorced his father, who was a

coal miner Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

.Emanuel Steward dies at 68
From ''Los Angeles Times'' obituaries. Retrieved November 13, 2012. After moving to Detroit, he worked briefly in the auto industry before eventually going to Brewster Recreation Center, where

Joe Louis Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed the Brown Bomber, Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He rei ...

and

Eddie Futch Eddie Futch (August 9, 1911 – October 10, 2001) was an American boxing trainer. Among the fighters he trained are Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, and Trevor Berbick, four of the five men to defeat Muhammad Ali. Futch also trained Riddick ...

trained. Steward began an amateur boxing career there. He compiled a record of 94 wins and 3 losses as an amateur

, including winning the 1963 national

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...

tournament in the

bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class is derived from Ba ...

division. In 1971, Steward took his half brother, James Steward, to the nearby

, a hot-bed for amateur boxers in the 1970s, and became a part-time coach there. Steward trained many of the nation's top amateurs. He eventually translated his success with amateurs into a career training championship-level professional fighters. On March 2, 1980,

Hilmer Kenty James Kenty, also known as Hilmer Kenty (born July 30, 1955 in Austin, Texas) is the former WBA lightweight (135 lb) champion of the world. He was selected a member of the All-American AAU boxing team for 1973, and was named the top lightweight am ...

became Steward's first world champion by knocking out world lightweight champ Ernesto España. Steward achieved his most notable early success with welterweight

, whom he changed from a light hitting boxer into one of the most devastating punchers in boxing history. Hearns became one of Steward's most successful and popular fighters, fighting

Sugar Ray Leonard Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professiona ...

, knocking out

Roberto Durán Roberto Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held world championships in four weight classes: lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight, as wel ...

, and challenging undisputed middleweight champion

Marvelous Marvin Hagler Marvelous Marvin Hagler (born Marvin Nathaniel Hagler; May 23, 1954 – March 13, 2021) was an American professional boxer and film actor. He competed in boxing from 1973 to 1987 and reigned as the undisputed champion of the middleweight divi ...

. He was well known for his outgoing personality and endless energy. In addition, he was very giving and was known for being a father figure. He even, at one point, obtained a 97-3 title. Even though he fought, his main passion was training.

Death

Steward died on October 25, 2012, after undergoing surgery for

diverticulitis Diverticulitis, specifically colonic diverticulitis, is a gastrointestinal disease characterized by inflammation of abnormal pouches—diverticula—which can develop in the wall of the large intestine. Symptoms typically include lower abdominal ...

. He was 68. Colon cancer was subsequently reported as a contributing factor to his death. Ken Hershman, president of

HBO Sports Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

, where Steward had worked as a commentator since 2001, released a statement, saying: "There are no adequate words to describe the enormous degree of sadness and loss we feel at HBO Sports with the tragic passing of Manny Steward. For more than a decade, Manny was a respected colleague who taught us so much not only about the sweet science but also about friendship and loyalty. His energy, enthusiasm and bright smile were a constant presence. Ten bells do not seem enough to mourn his passing. His contributions to the sport and to HBO will never be forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Honors

*Elected into the

International Boxing Hall of Fame The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. The I ...

*Elected into the World Boxing Hall of Fame

Kronk Gym

Kronk Gym became a property of Steward's, who was also famous for his collection of

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

cars and

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...

s. He opened a branch of the gym in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, and started an association with the

Dodge Theater The Arizona Financial Theatre (formerly known as the Dodge Theatre, the Comerica Theatre and the Arizona Federal Theatre) is a multi-use theatre in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona. The venue seats 5,000 people. History Jerry Colangelo, longtime f ...

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

to present boxing

undercard In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...

s once a month.

Fighters trained

Among the world champions and top rated contenders who trained or sought Steward's guidance at some point of their careers were: *

Dennis Andries Dennis Andries Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 5 November 1953) is a British former professional boxer who fought at light heavyweight. Professional career Andries turned pro in 1978 and won the WBC Light Heavyweight Title in 1986 in a ...

Johnathon Banks Johnathon Banks is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2014. He held the IBO cruiserweight title from 2008 to 2009 and challenged once for the IBF cruiserweight title in 2009. He currently works as a boxing traine ...

Wilfred Benítez Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight division ...

* Jesse Benavides *

Mark Breland Mark Anthony Breland (born May 11, 1963) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1997, and held the WBA welterweight title twice between 1987 and 1990. He later became an actor with a wide range of movie and television ...

Cornelius Bundrage Cornelius Bundrage (born April 25, 1973) is an American professional boxer. He is a two-time former world champion, having held the International Boxing Federation, IBF junior middleweight title twice between 2010 and 2015. In 2006 he was a con ...

* Oba Carr *

Julio César Chávez Julio César Chávez González (; born July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005. A multiple-time world champion in three weight divisions, Chávez was liste ...

* Kermit Cintron *

Miguel Cotto Miguel Ángel Cotto Vázquez (born October 29, 1980) is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2017. He is a multiple-time world champion, and the first Puerto Rican boxer to win world titles in four weight classes, ...

Chad Dawson Chad Dawson (born July 13, 1982) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2019. He has held multiple light heavyweight world championships, and was one of the most highly regarded boxers in that division between 2006 and ...

Oscar De La Hoya Oscar De La Hoya ( , ; born on February 4, 1973) is an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. His accolades include winning 11 world titles in six weight classes, including the lineal championshi ...

* Domonique Dolton *

Tyson Fury Tyson Luke Fury (born 12 August 1988) is an English professional boxer. He is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the World Boxing Council, WBC title since defeating Deontay Wilder in 2020, and ''The Ring (magazine), The Ring'' ...

Yuriorkis Gamboa Yuriorkis Gamboa Toledano (born 23 December 1981) is a Cuban professional boxer. He is a former unified featherweight world champion, having held the WBA and IBF titles between 2009 and 2011, as well as the WBA interim championship in both t ...

* Miguel Ángel González * Mickey Goodwin *

Naseem Hamed Naseem Hamed (born 12 February 1974), nicknamed Prince Naseem and Naz, is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2002.. Retrieved 25 February 2016. He held multiple featherweight world championships, including the WBO ti ...

Evander Holyfield Evander Holyfield (born October 19, 1962) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s, and is the on ...

* John David Jackson *

Ole Klemetsen Ole "Lukkøye" Klemetsen (born 30 August 1971 in Stavanger, Norway) is a retired Norwegian boxer in the Light Heavyweight division. He was nicknamed "Mister Sandman" and the "Golden Viking". Amateur career He medaled twice at internation ...

* Andy Lee *

William "Caveman" Lee William Lee (born September 27, 1956 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a former professional middleweight boxer who fought out of the fabled Kronk Gym in Detroit. Career One fight for which Lee is noted was with John LoCicero in July, 1981. Tele ...

* Lennox Lewis * Oliver McCall *

Mike McCallum Mike McCallum (born 7 December 1956) is a Jamaican former professional boxer who competed from 1981 to 1997. He held triple champion, world championships in three weight classes, including the World Boxing Association, WBA super welterweight t ...

Gerald McClellan Gerald Allen McClellan (born October 23, 1967) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 1995. He is a two-time middleweight world champion, having held the WBO title from 1991 to 1992, and the WBC title from 1993 to ...

Milton McCrory Milton McCrory (born February 7, 1962 in Detroit, MI) is a former professional boxer who was a world champion in the welterweight (147 lb) division. Amateur Milton had a reported amateur record of 105-15. He lost in the 1979 National AAU fin ...

* Steve McCrory *

Michael Moorer Michael Lee Moorer (born November 12, 1967) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2008. He won a world championship on four occasions in two weight classes, having held the WBO light heavyweight title from 1988 t ...

* Andrew Murray *

Jimmy Paul Jimmy Paul (born August 27, 1959 in Detroit, MI) is an American former professional boxer in the lightweight division. He was the International Boxing Federation's world Lightweight champion from 1985-when he beat Harry Arroyo by a 15 round unanimo ...

Aaron Pryor Aaron Pryor (October 20, 1955 – October 9, 2016) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 1990. He was a two-time light welterweight world champion, having held the WBA title from 1980 to 1983, and the IBF title from 1984 ...

Graciano Rocchigiani Graciano Rocchigiani (29 December 1963 – 1 October 2018) was a German professional boxer who competed from 1983 to 2003. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the IBF super-middleweight title from 1988 to 1989, and the ...

Tarick Salmaci Tarick Salmaci (born February 28, 1972) is a Lebanese-American former professional boxer and North American Boxing Organization (NABO) middleweight champion. He was one of 16 boxers chosen worldwide to participate on season 1 of NBC's reality t ...

Adonis Stevenson Stevenson Adonis (born 22 September 1977), best known as Adonis Stevenson, is a Haitian Canadian former professional boxer who competed from 2006 to 2018. He won the WBC, '' Ring'' magazine and lineal light-heavyweight titles in 2013 by defeati ...

Jermain Taylor Jermain Taylor (born August 11, 1978) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2014. He remains the most recent undisputed middleweight champion, having won the WBA (Undisputed), WBC, IBF, WBO, ''Ring'' magazine, a ...

Duane Thomas Duane Julius Thomas (born June 21, 1947) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at West Texas State University. Early yea ...

James Toney James Nathaniel Toney (born August 24, 1968) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2017. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the IBF and lineal middleweight titles from 1991 to 1 ...

* Syd Vanderpool *

Ricky Womack Ricky may refer to: Places *Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic *Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic *Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky" ...

References

External links

Kronk Gym
ref>
BoxingInsider.com Bio * profile inter/view with Emanuel Steward
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steward, Emanuel American boxing trainers American male boxers Sportspeople from Detroit People from McDowell County, West Virginia 1944 births 2012 deaths Bantamweight boxers Boxers from Detroit Deaths from cancer in Illinois Deaths from colorectal cancer Deaths from diverticulitis