![]() Hearns possessed a cold, almost sad-eyed stare – like a jaded hitman – and he punched incredibly hard. At 6’1” Hearns was unusually tall for a welterweight, and yet he looked far from frail. The first Emanuel Steward protégé to make a major impact in boxing was a 19-year old Thomas Hearns in 1978. It was then that Steward made the transition to coaching professionals, and he would soon have one of the best pro stables in the country. ![]() By the mid-70s, some of these fighters were keen to turn pro, and wanted Steward to keep training them. In the early 70s, the Kronk was wall-to-wall with talented young kids, and thanks to Steward’s innovative training methods, Detroit soon became home to many of Americas top amateurs. Steward proved to be an even better boxing coach than a fighter. ![]() The Kronk had been in existence since 1929, but had been very much in the shadow of the Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center with its connection to Joe Louis. Instead in 1971 he and his brother James began coaching the kids at the nearby Kronk Gym. Emanuel Steward Becomes a Trainerĭespite his excellent amateur career, Steward elected not to turn pro. Steward proved to be an outstanding boxer, winning the 1963 National Golden Gloves bantamweight title, and losing just three of his 97 amateur fights. He also joined the famous Brewster Recreation Center, where the great Joe Louis had trained at the start of his illustrious ring career. At that time Detroit was virtually the home of the entire US auto industry.Īfter finishing high school, the teenage Steward secured a job in a car factory. After Steward’s mother divorced his father, she and 12-year old “Manny” moved to the Motor City in 1956. For someone synonymous with the city of Detroit, Emanuel Steward was actually born in the tiny community of Bottom Creek, West Virginia.
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