![]() The sport itself was the primary emphasis (along with excellent coaching of course). The approach was simple yet highly effective. On non-sparring days, there was mitt work and then more of the same. After sparring, there was work on the heavy bag, speed bag, and plenty of calisthenics. Sparring was the most important aspect of camp. While we were in camp, the emphasis on boxing was as apparent as ever. Manny’s philosophy was perhaps best summarized with this single line,Īlthough the quotes above came from 1981, I can testify to the fact that Manny’s approach did not change. You can train and work on the speed bag and heavy bag, but when you get in the ring with another fighter, it’s a different story.” “If there is one abiding theme in the gym, it’s the withering work in the ring. Everything was secondary to lacing up the gloves and boxing.įor instance, in one past interview, Manny stated the following, If you trained under Manny Steward, you were going to spend a lot of time inside the ring. One of the biggest changes he made to Klitschko when he began training him was to get him boxing more. ![]() He acted like he was just another guy in the gym.Īs for Steward’s approach to training, he was a huge advocate of getting fighters to spend more time boxing. You would have never guessed that this man was known around the world. He was obviously extremely knowledgeable, but there wasn’t even the slightest sign of ego. It was a tremendous opportunity that I will never forget. The brief video below highlights these qualities, as well as his endless devotion to the sport (amateur boxing in particular).īack in 2008, I was fortunate to be in training camp with Emanuel Steward for a few weeks while Wladimir Klitschko prepared for his bout with Sultan Ibragimov. Yet, no matter how much recognition Steward gained, he remained as humble and down to earth as anyone you will ever meet. More recently, Steward was known for his tremendous work with heavyweight champions Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko. His small Kronk gym became home to numerous world champions. It is where Steward first gained fame through his work with Thomas Hearns. Manny Steward was known by many as the Godfather of Detroit boxing. Before passing away in 2012, Manny Steward developed several amateur and professional champions. To no surprise, one of the trainers involved in that bout was the legendary Emanuel Steward. That 1976 National Golden Gloves championship match is one of the best amateur fights you’ll ever see. Within that article, I shared a classic amateur bout between Thomas Hearns and Aaron Pryor. (East Side Boxing' One the Ropes Boxing Radio Program, Geoffrey Ciani).A few weeks ago, I wrote an entry that emphasized the importance of amateur boxing (see here). According to a recent interview with Lennox’s former master trainer Emanuel Steward, Lennox’s wife Violet Chang did not want him to ever box again, giving him an ultimatum to choose: it’s either boxing or her. They were certain that Vitali was clearly winning in that fight, and would have knocked Lennox out in within the next few rounds.īut what really caused the talks of a rematch to cease was neither Vitali’s nor Lennox’s doing, instead it was all because of a woman. Vitali Klitschko fans were outraged with Lennox’s decision to leave the sport, and were convinced that he was too scared to face the giant Ukrainian again. They supported his decision in retiring a world champion without presenting Vitali another shot at the title they were sure that he had nothing else to prove in his boxing career. Lennox Lewis fans were claiming that Lennox was clearly won the fight, thus had no obligation to offer Vitali a rematch. Which fighter did not want to fight, and why not? Was money the stalling factor? ![]() Speculation and blame were circling the boxing forums and magazines for months on end. Many fans had confidence in a rematch being realized, but it never came to fruition. Fans booed Lennox and cheered Vitali at the end of that night, seeing that the Ukrainian champion could have possibly won the fight. Unfortunately, the next round never came. Right before the fight was stopped, both men were landing, and it seemed that very soon, one of them was going to hit the canvas, likely in the very next round. Punches and combinations were traded, with both men landing great hard shots that would drop most other heavyweights. It was an action bout with both fighters showing heart and skill. The fight, as long as it lasted, did not disappoint the fans.
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