Detroit Kronk The star of boxing Emanuel Steward dead at 68

Kronk Gym The star of boxing Emanuel Steward died today, his sister, Diane Steward-Jones, told the Free Press.

Steward, who had been in a Chicago-area hospital for several weeks after undergoing surgery for what was termed diverticulitis, died at 2:46 p.m. Detroit time, Steward-Jones said. He was 68.

Steward-Jones, who handled business and public relations for Steward, said she and several family members were by his side.

“He has passed – he’s gone home,” Steward-Jones said by phone. “He was in no pain, and we sang to him, as well as did the doctors present. He had loved ones around him.”

Detroit Kronk The star of boxing Emanuel Steward dead at 68

“They loved him,” Steward-Jones said. “He’d tell them to lose some weight and fight for him.”

Steward-Jones said she was trying to stay busy by tidying up Steward’s hospital room.

“He gave it his all,” she said. “But he’s been called away now.”

Steward nurtured and guided the likes of Thomas Hearns, Hilmer Kenty and Milton McCrory to world titles in the 1980s at the Kronk Gym on McGraw in Detroit.

Born in Bottom Creek, W.Va., Steward moved at age 12 with his mother to Detroit, where he became a street-smart kid with a short fuse and quick fists.

In a life-changing move away from the gangs in the hood, Steward joined the Brewster Recreation Center and began an amateur boxing career, winning the 1963 Golden Gloves tournament in the bantamweight division.

With his family needing his financial support, Steward became a lineman with the city before he and his half brother James began coaching at the Kronk, a hotbed for young amateur fighters.

Steward took the Kronk and its fighters to dizzying heights, transforming a skinny Hearns into one of the most devastating punchers in the history of the ring and mentoring a gallery of supporting champs over the years, including Jimmy Paul, Duane Thomas, Dennis Andries, Steve McCrory, Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis and present-day heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko.

Although the original Kronk Gym, which was housed in the basement of the Kronk Recreation Center, was closed in 2006 by the City of Detroit because of financial hardship, Steward was able to relocate the heart and soul of Kronk to a small building on East Warren, a few blocks west of Southfield Road, where champions and street kids still train shoulder-to-shoulder.

Steward, who worked for years as an HBO color boxing commentator, was relentless in his charity work around Detroit, establishing the Kronk Gym Foundation to help endangered youths get an education and shot at a normal life.

He never turned a boxer or someone in need of a meal or a chat away from his home in Rosedale Park or from his Kronk Gym.

Earlier in the day, Frank Garza, a leading Michigan fight referee and close friend of Steward’s, said: “Emanuel was Mr. Boxing in Detroit. He was like Gordie Howe is to Detroit hockey and Al Kaline to Detroit baseball.

“He loved to live, and he loved to give. He was a down-to-earth guy when you were with him. As a trainer, he was a brilliant strategist. If you ever wanted to win a fight, you just listened to his advice.”

Statement from Detroit mayor Dave Bing
“I am saddened to learn of the passing of Emanuel Steward. My thoughts and prayers are with the Steward family, and I’m sure all Detroiters share that sentiment.

“With the loss of Emanuel Steward, we have lost a true Detroit icon. Emanuel Steward embodied our city’s toughness, our competitive spirit, and our determination to always answer the bell.

“We are grateful for Emanuel Steward’s many contributions to our city and his impact on generations of young people.”