Victoria Kirton, Steward's executive assistant, told The Associated Press that Steward died in a Chicago hospital Thursday afternoon. A younger generation of boxing fans knew him as an expert analyst on HBO's boxing telecasts. Steward, who also managed many of the fighters he trained, worked with more than two dozen champions during his decades-long career. They even had some of their "team" stationed outside of McCall's hotel room in London to make sure he didn't slip out at night.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĮmanuel Steward, revered as one of the best trainers in boxing history and whose Kronk Gym symbolized Detroit's gritty, blue-collar boxing scene and produced numerous world champions, died Thursday after a short illness. McCall stayed away from the streets for a few weeks, he trained and beat Lewis. I knew the people who were managing McCall at the time of the Lewis fight and they told me that if they could keep McCall focused and if he trained he would easily beat Lewis. McCall's problem was that he was undisciplined. I don't think Steward had much to do with McCall beating Lewis. Trainers get too much credit when a fighter wins and too much criticism when they lose. I doubt that Steward found any weakness in Lewis that others hadn't noticed, McCall had a lot of experience, slipping Lewis right to the outside and hitting him with his right was probably just what McCall knew. McCall's management team told people that if they could get one week of training from McCall, he could beat anybody in the world, if they could get two nobody would be competitive. They even had some of their "team" stationed outside of McCall's hotel room in London to make sure he didn't slip out at night. I can help you make sure that doesn't happen again".ĭoes anyone have any info that makes this a little less confusing beyond just the simplest explanation of "money" and that he's a great trainer? I remember watching the Klitschko documentary and the brothers were very wary around Don King and got bad vibes so they choose not to sign with him, but they seemingly embraced Stewart without hesitation for years.Ĭlick to expand.I don't think Steward had much to do with McCall beating Lewis. I mean, how did those convos with Vitali and Lennox even go down before they hired him? "So my guy whooped your ass, but I see a lot of potential in you. I don't known the man personally but he sounds like quite the opportunist and a hustler. Lennox retires and Stewart ends up becoming the trainer of the loser of a high profile bout for the second time in his career! Has that ever happened in the history of boxing? Then in a truly bizarre turn of events, Lennox beats Vitali by TKO in an unexpectedly exciting slug fest. Why did Stewart fall out with McCall and seemingly abandon a former student of his? Did McCall do something disrespectful to Stewart to deserve it? And why did Lennox trust a guy like that? I know, money talks, but it's such a bizarre story and if that's all it boils down to I wouldn't trust or respect a trainer like that beyond our professional arrangement. We tried six weeks ago to get Don to replace him." He was in no condition to mentally or physically fight. Especially because of the strange circumstances surrounding the farce of a rematch where it seemed Don King pressured him into the fight despite the fact less than a year prior McCall was frequently being detained in mental hospitals and rehab for drugs and manic outbreaks.ĭino Duva: "Don King should have never made him available to fight. The fact McCall ended up in a poor mental state and struggled with his mental health, career, and never had any more success ay the elite level (other than beating an old Holmes and stopping Akinwande) is a bit of an eye brow raiser. Then he somehow gets hired by Lennox to do the exact same thing to McCall! He trained McCall, a career journeyman who was primarily known as a mere sparring partner of Tyson (albeit an incredibly durable one) to exploit a crucial flaw in Lennox's game plan and helped secure a win in a huge upset.
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