By Jeff Mayweather
Boxing has lost an icon, a legend and a genuine good human being. To me, Emanuel was an inspiration once I retired and became a professional boxing trainer.
My goals and aspirations as a trainer were to one day hopefully match the success of Emanuel. I thought he was an amazing strategist who found ways to win against opposition that he wasn’t supposed to, and before you knew it, he was sought after by the person he just defeated.
For well over a decade he dominated the heavyweight division, first with Lennox Lewis, then Vladamir Kiltscho. Even before the long reigns of his heavyweight champions, when he founded Kronk Boxing Club, there was so much talent in that one gym. He had countless world champions such as Hilmer Kenty, Jimmy Paul, Stevie McCroy, Milton McCroy, 
Mike McCallum, Dennis Andres, and of course the highly decorated and incredibly popular pugilist formelry known as the Motor City Cobra, who would later would become Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns.
Whenever you stepped in the ring with a fighter from Kronk, you knew you would be in the fight of your life. The famous colors of Kronk would strike fear into many other teams even on the amateur level. Once you saw the trademark yellow, red and blue, you knew they were going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Kronk became known all over the world. So many great champions and contenders came through the doors of Kronk.
Emanuel was, I think, one of the first trainers to become a ‘trainer for hire.’ So many fighters would seek out his services in hopes of getting that much needed victory after coming off a loss or a bad performance. This would open up the doors for many better known trainers to capitalize on their expertise as well. Notable names sought his services like Oscar De La Hoya, Oliver McCall, top contender Oba Carr, the list goes on and on. I’m sure I missed a lot of other names as well.
The level of success that Steward had in his career are what dreams are made of. My personal experiences with Emanuel were that he was always nice and cordial whenever we saw one another. We would always speak and of course talk boxing and life in general. He was a very nice man.
I was fortunate enough to have come out of the opposite corner against the great Emanuel Steward in a heavyweight world championship unification bout. On this day I knew I had arrived as a boxing trainer win, lose or draw. It didn’t get any bigger than that. I would lose a unanimous decision as Vldamir Klitscho defeated Sultan Ibragimov.
We talked after the fight and he gave me some words of wisdom and complimented me on becoming a great trainer as well. I think Emanuel Steward is the level in which all trainers should stride for. I will certainly miss him, but I will never forget him, continuing to work hard to hopefully leave a legacy behind for so many to remember and to strive for.
He had an amazing career and was an amazing man
