Whither Or Wither Kronk Gym?
By Robert Ecksel September 22nd, 2006Emanuel Steward’s got a right to sing the blues
Emanuel Steward is suffering. He ‘sat down on the couch, hunched over and covered his face with his hands – the same hands that made him an amateur champion as a young man and later helped him tutor some of the greatest fighters who ever stepped in the ring,’ reports the AP.
“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do yet,” he said. “I don’t know.”
The Kronk, located in inner city Detroit, has been Steward’s home away from home for as long as anyone can remember, and is the ‘dingy, overheated basement gym that has produced world champions like Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard and Lennox Lewis.’
It is also a world-famous institution that is about to close and has the 62-year-old hall of fame trainer in a quandary.
Detroit, aka Motown, aka the Motor City, is suffering from the same manner of downsizing that most other major American cities are suffering these days, where what gets downsized most are the very things that need to get downsized least, namely the support systems that help those least able to help themselves get on with their lives.
In keeping with those skewed political/financial/racial priorities, Detroit shut down the recreation center that houses Kronk because of a major budget shortfall, which left Steward no choice but to reach into his own pocket to keep the gym up and running during the last eight months.
The city gave Steward the go-ahead to keep the gym open, under the condition that he continues to run it and submits a monthly fee to cover utilities.
But all that changed last weekend. Police say thieves broke into the building and made off with the copper pipes in the basement boiler room, cutting off the gym’s water supply. The value of copper has skyrocketed in recent years and is now one of the more fence-able hot metals on the market.
Steward checked with some plumbing specialists this week and was given the bad news that it will cost $20,000 to $40,000 to fix the damage to the gym, to which Steward replied, somewhat disingenuously, “I don’t have that kind of money.”
Manny has to either pony up the bucks to get things back up to scratch or start soliciting donations, otherwise he’ll have no choice but to open a new Kronk somewhere else, maybe somewhere a little less subject to crime, poverty, and indifference.
“What’s going to stop them from breaking in again?â€? asked Steward, weighing and balancing his options aloud. “That’s my biggest concern.”
It looks like the future of Kronk, much like the futures of Motown and boxing, appears to be in jeopardy.
September 22nd, 2006 at 8:06 pm
Steward should open up a new Kronk. They train in the basement, and they don’t need the whole recreation center, anyway. In an ESPN.com article from earlier this year, it was reported that the cost of keeping the center open is close to 1 million dollars annually. He can open up a great new Kronk Gym for a lot less than that. I hate to see the old place close. It has a great history and tradition, but nothing last forever. The building is over eighty-years-old and not in great shape. It’s time for a new Kronk Gym. Also, I hope they catch the copper thieves and let some of the Kronk fighters work them over for a while.
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:54 am
leonard wasnt kronk..
September 23rd, 2006 at 11:02 am
look, not that he should,but if manny dosent have 20,000 to 40,000 $$ to put up for a hall of fame gym like he has, then he’d better get a new accountant,cuz he ’s had a dozen or more world champs that should of made him very wealthy so that its pocket change! jez,whats up with that?
September 23rd, 2006 at 11:33 am
Breaking into builidngs and ripping out copper pipes has been a well-known source of income in certain neighborhoods for certain types since the ’80s. Not only does it leave the building without any water service, it causes water a ton of water damage. Some cities/states require copper for plumbing instead of the easier, cheaper and non-plumber required PVC piping b/c if there is a fire, the fumes from the PVC are dangerous. Or could it be to keep the plumbers union happy. . .hmmm
Overall, it is getting harder and harder to keep legit boxing gyms open. In my short and recent foray into boxing in New York, the following gyms I once sweated in have closed: Knight’s (Connie Bryant’s) gym- home to Iran Barkley, Thomas Jefferson (Mickey & Negra Rosario’s amateur hotbed), 110th PAL in Queens (home to Kevin Kelley), and Marciano’s gym in NJ.
Privately-owned gyms are increasing their dues and relying on the white-collar (i.e. non-fighter) dollar, and excluding anyone who can’t afford the dues. The affordable places for a young kid are city-run rec centers, PALs and the like.
In order to keep any sport strong, a strong base of the pyramid is required. That base is made of kids and beginners. World champs will always have access to a facility. If kids & up&comers don’t have anywhere to train, the sport will suffer in the long run.
Best of luck to Steward & Kronk. Maybe those who’ve made their lunch/retirement/legacy money off the sport can find some loose change (or some contractors) in their pocket to help out.
September 23rd, 2006 at 12:09 pm
Why doesn’t Jermain Taylor, the “famed” Kronk champion, take his money from the lackluster draw with Winky Wright, and fix the gym up? I mean, it did help him to a draw in one of the biggest fights of his career, right?
September 23rd, 2006 at 2:09 pm
The Kronk needs help and needs the help of the boxing community, no matter what happens. So many positives have come out of there, it’s a small piece of boxing history, which should be helped no matter what.
September 24th, 2006 at 12:05 am
Whoever helped The Catskill Gym, of Cus Damato fame?
September 24th, 2006 at 4:45 pm
Manny Steward is training two very good up and coming fighters destined for Super Stardom. Ronald Hearns is one and Andy Lee is the other. If the Kronk ain’t open in Detroit perhaps there will be another place Manny can train them however awkward as it may be in name only. Tradition wise it would be helpful to have the wind at your back in the big fight game.Kronk has tradition and can only benefit the Boxers and the city of Detroit. In retrospect I think eventually Kronk and Manny Steward will find the funds to remain open.
October 25th, 2006 at 12:26 am
OPEN UP A NEW GYM WITH POLICE MONITERING DAY AND NIGHT IF THAT IS EMMANUEL STEWARDS CONCERN. AND ALL OF THESE BOXERS WHO BECAME BOXING ICONS BECUZ OF THIS GYM, SHOULD DONATE MONEY FOR A NEW GYM. BESIDES, ITS NOT LIKE THEY WONT GET A NICE TAX WRITE OFF WEN TAX TIME COMES. EACH SECTION OF THE GYM SHOULD BE DEDICATED TO THE LEGENDS THAT ONCE TRAINED THERE. FOR INSTANCE, ONE SECTION SHOULD BE THE SUGAR RAY SPEED ENHANCEMENT AREA, ANOTHER SHOULD BE THE HIT MAN POWER BUILDING AREA, ANOTHER SHOULD BE THE BAD INTENTIONS BODY BUILDING AREA, AND SO FORTH. AND WHATEVER OTHER BOXERS WANT TO DONATE, SHOULD ALSO GET A SECTION OF THE GYM DEDICATED TO THEM. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE PLAQUES ON THE WALL SHOWING WHO DONATED. THIS WOULD BE A GREAT MOTIVATOR FOR UP AND COMING BOXERS TO WANT TO COME AND LEARN THE ART OF BOXING. IT IS ALSO A MOTIVATOR FOR THEM, TO SEE THAT THERE WAS FIRST HAND PARTICIPATION FROM THESE BOXING LEGENDS IN ORDER TO BUILD THIS NEW GYM FOR THEM. SO MAYBE ONE DAY, THEY CAN FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS.