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Boxing >> Kronk gym to move from Detroit.
| 9/13/12 11:24 PM | |
Johnny D
Member Since: 12/11/11 Posts: 576 |
After more than than 90 years in business and 30 world champions, Detroit's Kronk gym could be moving outside city limits. The gym's current owner, Hall of Fame boxing trainer Emanuel Steward, said he wants to move the business to Southfield, where he'll have a bigger space that's more accessible to an increasing number of suburban youth fighters. "It's not an inner-city crowd anymore. It's a lot of suburban kids," Steward said, naming Dearborn and Sterling Heights as common homes of fighters. Steward, 68, said a lot of black youths in Detroit have become more interested in basketball and football. The original Kronk Recreation Center was shut down back in 2006 after vandals stole all of its copper piping. The current gym in a west side Detroit storefront has only one ring held together with duct tape, three heavy bags and one speed bag. There are no showers or locker rooms. The free weights, treadmill and two stationary bicycles all are old. The Kronk Gym foundation is raising funds to buy and renovate a 9,000-square-foot building north of Detroit. Steward said the cost will be about $500,000. The new facility could hold 400 people for amateur nights. Steward also wants to add three rings, new exercise equipment and banners outside the building displaying past Kronk champions, including Hilmer Kenty, Lennox Lewis and Thomas "Hitman" Hearns. 
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| 9/14/12 2:45 AM | |
PoundforPound
70 
Edited: 09/14/12 2:49 AM Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 26940 |
That's an interesting observation, about how inner city kids aren't into boxing anymore because of football and basketball. On the plus side the suburban kids have more money to spend on the sport so that should help Kronk remain a viable entity. |
| 9/14/12 3:35 AM | |
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Chappie
40
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 3624 |
I am a big Manny Stewart fan and grew up day dreaming about moving to Detroit in order wear the yellow and red, but hasn' t Manny made far and away enough money to rebuild the Kronk without raising money to do so? 
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| 9/14/12 8:12 AM | |
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Johnny D
Member Since: 12/11/11 Posts: 577 |
PoundforPound - That's an interesting observation, about how inner city kids aren't into boxing anymore because of football and basketball.There may be some truth to inner city kids not being into boxing anymore because of football and basketball, but I personally think that the problem is more about the city of Detroit itself. The place is a barren waste land, the streets are controlled by the criminal element, to invest the money in a new facility inside city limits would not be a good idea in its current state, people outside the city would not chance going inside certain areas to participate. It's rather difficult to explain if you don't live here, for those interested I recommend the documentary DEFORCE, America's past, America's future, Detroit's present. The potential for a new Kronk gym outside city limits is a very good idea, it's kind of sad to see the old gym in ruins because of its historical significance to the sport of boxing, Detroit just isn't the same place it was 30 plus years ago.
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| 9/15/12 3:55 PM | |
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buddie
61
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 5892 |
That's a heartbreak. The kids who want to learn boxing today don't want to be boxers, they are suburban kids who want to learn to strike for MMA. I love MMA, but I don't want it to turn into just "mma hand striking". Sad commentary. When you think boxing, you think Kronk, Gleason's, 5th street, Joe Frazier's, Johnny Tocco's, maybe Wild Card, golden gloves and a few others. Time rolls on... |
| 9/15/12 6:57 PM | |
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The Ghost Of Swayze
16
Member Since: 7/5/12 Posts: 285 |
News like this makes me dislike MMA even more. |
| 9/21/12 10:05 PM | |
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AristidesBrito
16
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 1374 |
Didn't golden gloves gym turn into Nevada partners ?
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| 9/22/12 6:35 AM | |
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GriffinQ
116
Member Since: 10/17/09 Posts: 6854 |
Chappie - I am a big Manny Stewart fan and grew up day dreaming about moving to Detroit in order wear the yellow and red, but hasn' t Manny made far and away enough money to rebuild the Kronk without raising money to do so?That's what I wondered as well
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| 9/22/12 7:57 AM | |
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Johnny D
Member Since: 12/11/11 Posts: 612 |
GriffinQ -Chappie - I am a big Manny Stewart fan and grew up day dreaming about moving to Detroit in order wear the yellow and red, but hasn' t Manny made far and away enough money to rebuild the Kronk without raising money to do so?That's what I wondered as well from what I have been told, and I don't know if it's true, it came from a reliable source, another trainer here in the Detroit area that knows steward well, Steward could not maintain the operating cost of a large gym from his personal funds on an annual basis. Of course he doesn't live in poverty but he does indeed help a lot of people, and I think most don't understand what the price tag is on a annual operating cost of a 9000 sq. ft. gym. He doesn't make as much as most think. Tommy Hearns in the past few years had an auction here in Detroit on some of his private possessions to pay off some debt because of financial problems, a lot of people come calling after you make big money, if you're not careful it goes fast. When you come from meager beginnings and suddenly are living with millions some don't know how to always do the right thing with that money. I know where they came from, I have family that grew up right across the street from the Hearns family after they moved here, my older brother remembers Tommy running around East Grand Blvd in Detroit as a very young boy, I remember Tommy and Steward when they were very young, Steward knows how to manage his money, Tommy had problems. |
| 9/23/12 12:26 AM | |
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Chappie
40
Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 3627 |
If he made 10% (the typical rate for trainers)or even close to that for training Jimmy Paul, Milton McCrory, Hilmer Kenty, Tommy Hearns, Gerald McClellan, Oscar Dela Hoya, Naseem Hamed, Kermit Cintron, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko, et. al., he should have made some pretty nice money. |
| 9/23/12 12:41 AM | |
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PoundforPound
70
Edited: 09/23/12 12:41 AM Member Since: 1/1/01 Posts: 26982 |
There were rumors earlier this week that Manny has cancer. Anyone know if that's true? |
| 9/23/12 11:00 AM | |
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Johnny D
Member Since: 12/11/11 Posts: 627 |
PoundforPound - There were rumors earlier this week that Manny has cancer. Anyone know if that's true?I posted a response to this on the UG, nothing but rumors at this point, although he is having some health problems the rumors that they are life threatening are so far just that, rumors.
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