By// Mariah Craddick
Emanuel Steward, the owner of Kronk Gym and boxing trainer for greats including Evander Holyfield, Oscar De La Hoya, and Hilmer Kenty, died Thursday, according to the Associated Press. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed. He was 68.
Steward began training at the legendary Kronk Recreation Center in Detroit in 1971 as the head coach of their boxing program. The gym went on to produce world champions like Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard and Lennox Lewis.
Detroit shut down the recreation center that houses the gym in 2006 because of a deficit in the budget, but the gym was able to remain open. However, it put Steward in a financial strain and he rented space at a gym in Dearborn instead.
Steward, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997, also worked as a boxing analyst for HBO since 2001.
“Manny was a respected colleague who taught us so much not only about the sweet science but also about friendship and loyalty,” HBO Sports President Ken Hershman said. “His energy, enthusiasm and bright smile were a constant presence. Ten bells do not seem enough to mourn his passing.”
