Kronk Gym
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Kronkboxing.jpg Kronk Gym (5555 McGraw Street, Detroit, MI 48210 -1724) is a legendary boxing gym located in Detroit and led by equally legendary trainer Emanuel Steward.
Kronk began to earn fame during the late 1970s, when boxers like Thomas Hearns and Hilmer Kenty trained there. In 1980, Kenty became Kronk's first world champion, and Hearns followed him as world champion months after. In 1983, Kronk fighter Milton McCrory won the WBC's world Welterweight title that had been vacated by Sugar Ray Leonard; Jimmy Paul beat Harry Arroyo for the International Boxing Federation's world Lightweight title in 1985. Duane Thomas, another Kronk fighter, beat John Mugabi for the WBC's world Jr. Middleweight title in 1986. McCrory's brother, Steve McCrory, was also a world champion.
Prentiss Bryd was vice president of the gym during the 1980s. In the Lennox Lewis era, Richard Slone served as VP directly under Steward.
During the 1990s, Kronk opened a second gym, this one in Tucson. A new host of fighters who would later become world champions arrived at Kronk, among them Gerald McClellan, and the gym began to sell Kronk merchandise through catalog sales.
Among the many world champions who have also trained at Kronk at least once during their careers are Wilfredo Benitez (in the Tucson gym), Hector Camacho, Julio Cesar Chavez, Naseem Hamed, Evander Holyfield, and Lennox Lewis.
In 1998 Kronk opened Kronk Gym website, a website about the gym and its fighters. Presently, in March 2006, the City of Detroit's budget cuts has placed the gym and allied Kronk Recreation Center in jeopardy of closing. A "Save the Kronk" campaign, aimed at keeping the facilities from closing because of the budget shortfall is being spearheaded by Emanuel Steward.
External links
- An update on the status of the fundraising campaign can be seen on the website.