As the famous saying goes, 'the show must go on'. "I can hear his voice in sparring while doing things, whispering in my ear. "His spirit is always here," Klitschko said. The duo worked together until July when Steward became ill, leaving Klitschko to train without Steward for his fight against Mariusz Wach next month in Germany. Steward was immediately enlisted by Klitschko and, having lost his WBO belt to Corrie Sanders in 2003, the Ukrainian became world champion again in 2006. Steward linked up with Lewis following the British heavyweight's defeat by Oliver McCall in 1994 and the partnership endured until Lewis's retirement in 2004. Under Steward, Hearns became the first boxer to win world titles in five weight divisions and engaged in classic fights with Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler. In March 1980, Hilmer Kenty became Steward's first pro world champion when he won the WBA lightweight crown, also becoming the first world champion from Detroit since heavyweight great Joe Louis decades earlier. He was perhaps most closely associated with Hearns, whom he first trained as an amateur at the fabled Kronk. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."Īs an amateur boxer, Steward won 94 of his 97 fights and a National Golden Gloves bantamweight title in 1963, before becoming a trainer. He was an important part of our boxing community."įreddie Roach, who trains multiple world champion Manny Pacquiao, said on Twitter: external-link "Emanuel Steward passing today is the biggest loss to boxing in a long time. "We were also friends and I know I am going to miss him as so many others will too. "I learned a lot from him during our professional relationship and I will be forever grateful for his help during that time. Ten-time world champion De la Hoya, who trained under Steward in 1997, said: "It brings me great grief and sadness to hear of the passing of one of the best and most respected trainers of this era. He wasn't really into the science of boxing, more the excitement, and giving the crowd what they wanted." "I also saw him work with Naseem Hamed and he was a great believer in the fighter having to be excited, and having to knock people out. More recently he did a similar restoration job with Wladimir Klitschko, a man different in personality and style to Lewis, but Steward could work with them all." Lennox Lewis linked up with Steward after being knocked out by Oliver McCall in 1994 and went on to dominate the heavyweight division. In the 1980s, the Kronk became the most feared production house in boxing. "Steward's links with Tommy Hearns in the Kronk gym forged his reputation as a legend of the ring. "He had a very strange method of doing his training programme, but got the best out of Lennox Lewis and took him to a new level. "He was quite a character," he told BBC Radio 5 live. Promoter Frank Maloney, who managed former world heavyweight champion Lewis, said Steward was unique in style. In addition to Lewis, other British fighters coached by Steward, who was inducted into the International Hall of Fame in 1996, include former light-heavyweight world champion Dennis Andries and former featherweight world champion Naseem Hamed. Steward, who had been suffering from colon cancer, also trained boxing greats Wilfred Benitez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Oscar de la Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Mike McCallum and James Toney. I know he will be with us in spirit along the way and we will accomplish these goals in his honour. "My team and I will carry on with the goals we had set while Emanuel was with us because that is exactly what Emanuel would have wanted. The long talks about boxing, the world, and life itself. Well, I was privileged enough to work with one for almost a decade. "It is not often that a person in any line of work gets a chance to work with a legend. "Boxing has suffered a tremendous loss," said Klitschko. The American handled more world champions than any other trainer, 43 in all, and was working with heavyweight champion Klitschko in July.
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