The Kronk Gym: A Boxing Icon Resurfaces in Detroit
Detroit prepares to revive its boxing legacy. The iconic Kronk Gym, the birthplace of boxing legends, will reopen its doors this summer. The news has generated great anticipation among fans and the sports community.
The gym’s new home will be the Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center, a building with a rich history. There, in its early days, the legendary Joe Louis trained. City leaders and the team behind the project confirmed the reopening.
The room that housed the gym where Louis trained is located in the basement of the building. The center, which was on the verge of being demolished a decade ago due to its deterioration, will now be restored.
It was days away from being demolished. We canceled the demolition contract and said, ‘Let’s see what we can do.’ Can you imagine a more perfect use for this building than the Kronk Gym? This is the city we are building, a city where we honor our history and keep it alive.
Mayor Mike Duggan
The original Kronk Gym was founded in 1971 by trainer Emanuel Steward on the southwest side of Detroit. Hilmer Kenty was the first professional champion from Kronk, winning the WBA title.
However, Kronk achieved national fame thanks to the powerful fists of Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, who defeated figures like José “Pipino” Cuevas, Wilfred Benítez, and Roberto Durán, achieving five titles and a professional record of 61-5-1.
Later, world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko would train at the Kronk.
The original gym closed in 2006 and was abandoned until 2017, when a fire destroyed the building. Steward would later rent space in a gym in nearby Dearborn, Michigan, so his young boxers could train.
Emanuel Steward died of colon cancer in 2012 at the age of 68.
