Latest news with #LennoxLewis
Washington Post
a day ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Famed Kronk boxing gym to reopen in Detroit rec center where Joe Louis once trained
DETROIT — The Kronk Gym where Detroit boxing royalty sweated on the road to glory is expected to reopen this summer in a building where Hall of Famer Joe Louis once trained. The Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center will be the gym's new home, city leaders and the team behind the project told reporters Wednesday. The room that housed the gym where Louis trained remains in the building's basement. But the center had become so dilapidated that it faced a wrecking ball about a decade ago, Mayor Mike Duggan said. Duggan said he was urged to pause the demolition order by some who wanted to preserve the building's history and its importance to the community. 'It was days away from being demolished,' he said. 'We ended 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're building, a city where we honor our history and we keep it alive.' The original Kronk was established in 1971 by trainer Emanuel Steward in a gym on Detroit's southwest side. Boxer Hilmer Kenty was Kronk's first professional champion, winning the WBA title. But Kronk rose to national prominence behind the punishing fists of Thomas 'Hitman' Hearns who pummeled the likes of José 'Pipino' Cuevas, Wilfred Benítez and Roberto Durán on the way to five titles and a career 61-5-1 record as a pro. World champions Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko later would train at Kronk. The original gym closed in 2006 and was long vacant by 2017 when the building was destroyed by fire. Steward later would rent space at a gym in nearby Dearborn so his young fighters could train. Steward died of colon cancer in 2012 at the age of 68. ___ AP boxing:
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Former WBC heavyweight champion continues age defying comeback
Oliver McCall will return to the ring for the second time this year to fight Carlos Reyes in Nashville on the 3rd of June. Now, 60-years-old, McCall is the oldest former heavyweight champion to ever win a professional boxing fight. He last fought in February of this year, claiming a win after his opponent retired in their corner at the end of the first round. The comeback began in 2024 when McCall, who had been away from boxing for five years, beat Stacy Frazier via technical knockout in the second round. In a career spanning 40 years and 75 fights, the only years since 1985 that McCall has not had at least one bout were between 2015-2017 and 2020-2023. The Chicago-born fighter, renowned for his durability, has shared the ring with some of the best heavyweight to ever grace a ring such as James 'Buster' Douglas, Tony Tucker, Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno and Larry Holmes. McCall is most famous for his second-round knockout of Lennox Lewis in 1994 in front of Lewis' home support at Wembley Arena, which saw him capture the WBC heavyweight title. McCall would defend the WBC title once before losing it to Frank Bruno in 1995. He would go one to challenge for a world title once more in a highly anticipated rematch with Lennox Lewis, for the vacant WBC belt. The fight, which became infamous for its conclusion, saw a crying McCall pulled out of the fight in the fifth round. He had left rehab for addiction in order to compete against Lewis. McCall has had public struggles throughout his life with drugs and mental health. The former champion is now 4-0 in his last four fights, showing no signs of slowing down, and has suggested he would be open to fights against Shannon Briggs or Bruce Seldon. McCall has said he has no long-term goals for his return to boxing, taking it fight by fight and is instead turning his attentions to a future managing or training fighters. He told One Round With George: 'If I lose a fight, it's over with as far as boxing, that's a no brainer. That's what makes me take it more or less fight by fight, getting to know the business more and dealing with people more. Just going through the things I've learned over the years and how to translate that over to the fighters [I'm training] so they can do what I want them to do, when they need to do it.' Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
‘He's the king slayer' – Lennox Lewis names only heavyweight capable of beating Oleksandr Usyk
LENNOX LEWIS claimed there is only one "king slayer" capable of beating Oleksandr Usyk. Usyk is 23-0 with undisputed titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight - beating both Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury twice. He also stopped Daniel Dubois in 2023 but only after low-blow controversy in round five. Usyk hit the floor after the referee deemed a blow to be below the belt - but Dubois has always maintained it was a legal shot. He eventually lost in nine rounds but has built himself back up to win the IBF title - knocking out AJ in September. And Lewis - Britain's last undisputed heavyweight champ - has backed Dubois to beat Usyk in their July 19 rematch at Wembley. He told Queensberry: 'I'm thinking he's ready. He's been through the trials and tribulations. "He's the king slayer. He's got the power. He's been there before. He was just there, he knocked [Usyk] down, so he knows what he needs to do. "It would be great for him to do it, another man from Great Britain. It's not an easy task, but he's definitely the man that can go through with it. "He's done the work. He's gone through the pedigree. He's a certified world champion and I think he has big hopes on doing it. He's going to do it.' 4 Usyk, 38, became the heavyweight division's first four-belt undisputed champ after beating Fury, 36, last May. But he had to vacate the IBF version to proceed with his December rematch against Fury - which he won on points. Dubois, 27, was meanwhile elevated from interim to full champ and defended it with his KO over Joshua, 35, at Wembley. 4
