He has matinee idol looks, a big enough punch to put Paul Williams to sleep with one shot and a work ethic second to none. I should have moved up to middleweight around the time I fought Curry because I had outgrown my weight by then. The door itself spoke to all What have you been up to since you retired from the ring? "I had to stand my ground to make the fighters respect me.". These guys are too little. In 1980, Kenty became Kronk's first world champion, Hearns following him months after. He hit me with two left hooks and I went down. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. It was just too much time spent on The Fight That Never Took Place. Where the fight will be held is up to the winning bidder.. Im watching football right now. There, Huerta has seen a career revitalization and is among the top fighters at his weight class in the promotion. If Ward continues winning hell get to Bute soon enough because thats why SHOWTIME signed a TV deal with the Canadian and America may get its next boxing star if Ward proves to be what I think he is which is still underrated and underappreciated. October 19, 2010. It's the same bag used by Emanuel Steward and all the champions. "I've known Emanuel since I was a kid," said Salita, who was born in Russia. Maynard seeks to find out if Edgar has added any more fighting tools to his repertoire. MM: I trained some amateurs from about 2001-2004. In September 2006, the original gym at 5555 McGraw Avenue between 33rd and Junction Streets in Detroit closed temporarily after thieves stole copper water pipes, cutting off supply to the building. I guess really Im an athlete. They would all be less than they could be and so it was with boxing this year. (Saturday Update: the fight is March 5th, in NJ at the Pru Center. 7 in the world and among Kronk's top contenders. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Click on the link below Click here to see all the exciting action! GSP is without a doubt one of the best fighters of all time and perhaps the most popular fighter in UFC history. Click here to see the full KRONK x ROOTS collab. I was bleeding early in that fight. / CW50 Detroit. SM: You keep up on boxing today? In 1983, Kronk fighter Milton McCrory won the WBC welterweight title vacated by Sugar Ray Leonard; Jimmy Paul beat Harry Arroyo for the International Boxing Federation's world lightweight title in 1985. MM: Well I worked for Chrysler for about fifteen years. By the time Ebersole joined the UFC, Huerta was a former mainstay in the UFCs Lightweight division form 2006-09 and has been in the cage with some of the best fighters at his weight class. Look at the welterweights today like Mayweather. Detroit, and Kronk, Carwin retired from the sport in 2013 due to a variety of injuries. Privacy Policy. Of grunts, of groans from some of the amateurs growing up, and also some of the greatest boxers who ever lived. It's the same bag used by Emanuel Steward and all the champions. Foo Fighters, the Killers to Hit the Beach for 2023 Sea. Lastly, boxing gave us another magical cinematic moment as well with the release of The Fighter, a film based on the life and hard times of junior welterweight scrapper Micky Ward. Webportland, maine country club membership fees woman's world horoscope for this week GSP currently lives in Montreal and continues to train and assist at Tristar gym. Hilmer Kenty, our first fighter, Thomas Hearns, Milton McCrory, Jimmy Paul, Duane, Steward-Williams said. Vera is trying to rally back to the promising fighter he was tabbed several years back. All in all, it wasnt the best of years for boxing but it was a good year that picked up speed in the final months and, like that great golf shot you finally hit out of the rough on the 18th, left us with reasons to hope for a better year in 2011. There are some big names with ties to Kronk Gym. Two new names popped up who are causing the kind of fan reaction that also gives us hope for 2011 American Brandon Rios and Mexican Saul Alvarez. The bout ended in a draw and McCrory would win the rematch five months later. After years of coaching under the KRONK name and colors, he took the "KRONK style" down to Atlanta, Georgia, with the Dungeon Boxing Gym. After several title defenses he ran into Donald Curry in 1985. How to watch: Livestreamed on UFC Fight Pass. There are some big names with ties to Kronk Gym. I got up, came back and won the fight. Edgar (13-1) has emerged from the milieu of nondescript MMA fighters to become one of the more brilliant performers for Ultimate Fighting Championship. There was even a saying forit: Right leg: hospital, Left leg: cemetery. Cro Cop is actually still actively fighting and has had a career revitalization in the last year, to the point that he is actually returning to the UFC for the first time since 2011 to headline a fight card in Poland. This content is only available to subscribers. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. He was also famous for his aggression and throwing everything into each punch. MM: Taking the fight with McCallum on two weeks notice with a broken nose was bad and I regret that. The UFC lightweight title is in Maynards bulls eye. SM: Was there ever any talk of you fighting the big dogs, like Duran, Leonard, and Hagler? The fact that he was able to hold a job as an engineer, while also fighting the scariest men in the world is a huge accomplishment. Ortiz isnt currently retired and fights for Bellator, but has also been successful post-UFC due to his fight management company as well as his apparel brand, Team Punishment.. It was the palace in which kings were made. The gym was in use until 2006, when the city shut down the building after it was vandalized. WebProbably the most experienced Kronk fighter is the 17-year-old Hearns, who's won 79 of 84 fights and is currently ranked third in the nation at 132 pounds. However,in a shocking announcement, it was announced that the 51 year old Ken Shamrock would be headlining an upcoming Bellator card against Kimbo Slice. Most of them worked hard and trained inside the famous Kronk Boxing Gym. He had more experience than me. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. After ending his career fighting in the USA with a few consecutive losses, Huerta then moved on to ONE Championship, which is the biggest MMA promotion in Asia. They were giving me 1.5 million for it but it never materialized. Each defended their titles twice this year, Vitali against lame competition (Albert Sosnowski and Shannon Briggs) and Wladimir against better fighters (Sam Peter and Eddie Chambers) but not competitive ones. SM: You had two tough fights with Colin Jones. Fikes was a fantastic fighter and now trainer of his own. He would lose one last world title bout in 1987 against WBA World light middleweight champ Mike McCallum and retired in 1991. We were little kids and Jimmy told me he was boxing and I didnt believe him. During the fight I was throwing some real punches but he never went down. In fact, the number of international fighters training at the Kronk facility is notable. Gold for the titles theyd win. The fast-talking Brit claims to not be ducking them but hes had more maladies befall him after shouting from the rooftops how much he wants to challenge them that you have to wonder if Haye is simply a case of big hat no cattle syndrome. However, one thing that all of the men on this list have in common is that they have a life after fighting that is worth sharing. Cookie Notice Salita, who grew up poor in New York, saw boxing as an outlet to a better life and, eventually, came to train at Kronk more than a decade ago. Kathy Duva confirmed the fight will take place at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, late February or early March this year as part of Main Events' Brick City Boxing Series. He shot something in my hand and it worked. This man is an absolute legend. Each year, Fikes brings his Atlanta team up to Detroit for an Atlanta vs. Detroit fight night. "No one has ever had a (pro) fight at the Kronk gym," said Salita, "and it was Emanuel's dream to do it.". They talked about a Leonard fight after he beat Kevin Howard. Copyright 2020 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. The Iceman, as he was known, had a 105-15 record as an amateur. Now Festival. Those kinds of victories, coupled with his Oscar De La Hoya-like looks, are the type of things that if HBO or SHOWTIME would get behind him could allow Martinez to capture the attention of both fight fans and more casual ones. MM: Not really. In the past few years, the Detroit gym relocated to a new facility in a storefront on West Warren Avenue. Some of these fighters were big names and others werent. He was a successful UFC fighter as well as a successful pro wrestler in the WWE. Liddell retired in 2010 and was named theExecutive VP of Business Development for UFC, as well as being the owner of multiple restaurants. Under the guidance of his father, Fikes's boxing journey would have a door opened to him that many in the Detroit area would only dream of. Decades after its heyday during the 1980s and '90s, the name Kronk still carries a mystique in the boxing world. The bout will be part of a PPV card. In this list, we'll look at the Top 15 Where are they now stories in MMA. WebToday KRONK is the combination of a legendary boxing tradition, a champion's mindset, KRONK-style training, and Emanuel Steward's belief in preparing youth for life inside and outside the boxing ring. It involves athletes from across the world. Emanuel Steward captained the collage of world-champion boxers and those who strived to reach the top during nearly 40 years of stewardship. MM: Duran and Pipino Cuevas turned me down. The Ultimate Fighter has revolutionized the MMA world and it's still a very interesting show after 11 seasons. They turned out to be incredibly wrong. Tito Ortiz is perhaps the most controversial and disliked fighter in MMA history. ET Saturday on WebThis has led to a lot of his fighters being great technicians with by the book technique and the ability to carry it through to the later rounds with a clear mind. The training facility opened shortly after World War I (~1920) and closed in 2006. SM: Milton its great to speak with you. Steward worked at his uncle's Kronk Gym, where he first met Tyson Fury in 2010.After Emanuel Steward died in 2012, SugarHill worked with some of his uncle's former fighters, including Adonis Stevenson, Anthony Dirrell and Charles Martin.. Tyson Fury. Welcome to r/boxing, the official home of pro boxing on Reddit! He came to Kronk to train in 2009 and got what he expected, a collective examination from experienced fighters who wanted to see if he belonged. I was told as an amateur that I was just being used for a sparring partner and wouldnt go anywhere. As always there were some surprising upsets, most notably Jason Litzaus domination of an uninterested and out of shape Celestino Caballero and Sergio Martinezs one-punch demolishment of Paul Williams. SM: As a pro who was your first real test? Judah (39-6, 26 KOs) is promoted by Main Events and his own firm Super Judah Promotions, and Branco Milenkovic, of South Africa, promotes Mabuza (23-6-3, 14 KOs). Who can blame them considering all the nonsense a fighter has to go through to just make a living these days? Back in April 2008, the artillery shelled out was not enough to beat the Las Vegas fighter. I always wanted to be a professional baseball player. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Though dim-witted, Kronk is genuinely good It is still a relatively new sport, but has caught on like wild fire within the past couple of years. Duran turned me down because after he fought Tommy he didnt want to fight any tall fighters again. More from Rolling Stone. Boxing has a long history of providing the framework for memorable movies and it did it again with The Fighter, a film that did more for boxing than any promoter did all year. Please enter valid email address to continue. Just wondering what makes them so good is it the training by both great trainers or a certain style they impose. "I have a responsibility to do the best that I can with the potential I see," said Salita, who envisions big fights in Detroit facilities such as Little Caesars Arena and casinos in the future. He is a former champion in both the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions and is without a doubt one of the most influential fighters in the UFC. Leben is a veteran of MMA and if an opponent is not ready for a rough and tumble fight, well, that fighter is not going to win. Produced by VFU, Virtual Fights Unlimited. He is also the first ever victor of a UFC fight, as his fight was first on that fateful night. It was the return of the KRONK GOLD TRUNKS as the team went 7-0 winning the WBC championship medals. The bright red and yellow colors spell out the name Kronk Gym on the doors outside the boxing gym. Namely: Canadas Georges St. Pierre. My first five fights were knockouts. He came to Kronk to train in 2009 and got what he expected, a collective examination from experienced fighters who wanted to see if he belonged. That is what boxing needs more of fresh faces and new stars so as fans we should root for guys like Alvarez, Ward, Rios and young Brit Amir Khan, who is a star in England but still a question mark with a questionable chin but a fighters heart here in the U.S. Those guys and others not yet as well known are the future of boxing, a sport that for too long has been recycling the likes of Mosley (as it will again in May for one last beating against Pacquiao in a fight that's a joke), Bernard Hopkins (who can still fight although it is unclear why he bothers or where its all headed), Roy Jones and, sadly, even 48-year-old Evander Holyfield, who continues to delude himself but not many other people into believing he will soon unify the heavyweight title again.If fighters like Ward, Alvarez, Rios, Khan, WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto and middleweight king Sergio Martinez continue their rise they could be the antidote for the art of the retread that Arum and Golden Boy have been forcing fans to buy the past few years at the expense of what boxing needs most fresh faces. He was also part of one of the most heated rivalries in UFC history with Tito Ortiz. Can he survive Guida? A victory by either fighter could mean a ticket to the big time. He also featured in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. WOODS: I Think Pascal Will Beat HopkinsAnd Hopkins Couldn't Be Happier. Guys like Andy Lee and Domonique Dolton. We included him on the list because he has managed to do something that a lot of fighters havent, which is to set up a good life for himself and his family post-fighting. Pete told me at the weigh-in I wasnt going to knock him out. Imagine what he might have done had Mayweather been in the opposite corner? "I work with (Kronk trainer and Emanuel's nephew) Sugar Hill (Steward) and we're talking about: 'That's what we want to bring back:quality, high-level fights.' The seven-bout card will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass, beginning at 7 p.m. Kerefov is a contending middleweight, and junior welterweight Shohjahon Ergashev of Uzbekistan is ranked No. ), We are very happy that Zab has the opportunity to fight for the IBF Junior Welterweight title right here in New Jersey. Powered by IBofP 2021 The 36-year-old compiled a 10-7 record in the UFC while earning Fight of the Night honors once and Knockout of the Night twice. At 14, Fikes was given the opportunity to train under the legendary Detroit boxer Emanuel Steward, where he became a member of the KRONK Boxing Team. What: Detroit Brawl At The Legendary Kronk. The Foo Fighters have added three headlining shows to their 2023 live itinerary as they prepare to return to the stage following the sudden death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last year. Fedor was the undisputed #1 pound for pound fighter during the mid-2000s while fighting in PRIDE. In the past, Detroit bred multiple World Boxing Champions. Middleweight: Timur Kerefov (8-0, 4 KOs) vs. Calvin Metcalf (10-4-1, 3 KOs), eight rounds. Ive been watching sports all my life. When I went to Vegas to start training they cancelled my bout because of it. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is an absolute legend in MMA, known moreor his time in the mid 2000s with PRIDE. I MM: I wasnt 100% for that one either. The Modesto fighter has a tough fight against South Koreas Kim. The principles and disciplines he learned from Emanuel Steward are carried on through his own youth program, modeled after the one he grew up in at KRONK. He is still seen by many as the best Heavyweight of all time. No one has an easy time with the long-haired fighter. Talk about anything boxing related here. When/where: Seven fights, starting at 7 p.m.; Kronk Gym, Detroit. MM: Not really. Kronk boxing has had several homes, including the original gym at McGraw and Junction on Detroit's west side. If somehow it gives us Mayweather-Pacquiao, the emergence of Alvarez and Rios, the ascension of Martinez and Haye vs. the best available Klitschko in addition to the kind of solid performances that always come along, it could be a year to remember. MM: Thanks Shawn, take care. It involves athletes from across the world using a variety of different martial arts to reign supreme over their opponent. Steward, who built Kronk into a boxing powerhouse and put Detroit on the map as a boxing mecca, was involved in a number of professional and amateur boxing shows in the metroarea beginning in the late 1970s. McCrory's brother, Steve McCrory, was also a world champion who as an amateur won the flyweight gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. MM: Randy Shields, and then Pete Ranzany. The gym and recreation center was officially closed by the Recreation Department on November 28, 2006 due to the prohibitive cost of repairs to the plumbing and building infrastructure.[5]. This guy couldnt punch and I went down. He had the chance and, you know, he took it and the time is now for me and Im prepared, said Maynard (11-0). SM: After several title defenses you ran into Donald Curry. MM: You know I was supposed to fight on the first Leonard-Hearns undercard. Hominicks last fight was in late 2012, and since then, he has been hard at work to become an entrepreneurial success. Naseem Prince Hamed current featherweight champ. Couture was 47 years old when he finally retired from the sport. "(We're looking) for a boxing resurgence headed by Kronk," said Salita. I look back now and realize I made the right choice to turn pro so early. Now Edgar will find out if he can avenge the only loss on his record. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper. Kronk began to earn fame during the late 1970s, when prospects like Hilmer Kenty, Thomas Hearns and Mickey Goodwin trained there. Looking to take the belt for sure, said Maynard. It was only the heavier welterweights he had problems against. Where the boxing discussion is always Non Stop! WebCareer Kronk Gym. He also holds the record for the most consecutive submission victories in the UFC with 11. SM: What was your feeling on the draw in the first fight? The one night he appeared in a boxing ring, he set the years pay-per-view standard against Shane Mosley while also leaving a first hint of dark mystery when he was staggered by two stinging right hands in the second round. Mayweather was momentarily in trouble for the first time in his career but the moment passed quickly and Mosley never had another. Here, in his own words, is Paul Dubs recollections of a truly legendary gym which, sadly, is no more. But no pro card had ever been hosted at a Kronk gym. SM: So what was the highlight of your amateur career? Some fighters currently trained by Serra are UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman, as well as TUF finalist Al Iaquinta. WebKronk is the former secondary antagonist and an anti-villain in the Disney film The Emperor's New Groove and it's television series The Emperor's New School. Since retiring, Carwin is working as a volunteer wrestling coach, as well as being a successful engineer, a job he also held throughout his UFC career. He has worked with trainer Sugar Hill Steward, trainer for world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, along with several media outlets, to help make that a reality. [6], The new facility opened on Memorial Day weekend in 2015 at 9520 Mettetal St.[7], On August 20, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions on sports events, the gym hosted its first ever professional boxing event, a long-time dream held by Steward. Im pumped for it.. #PainAndFame. Jimmy Paul got me started in it. You just have to want to be a champion and hang with other kids who want to be champions too. In his last bout he lost to Melvin Guillard. Pete was the first to take me ten rounds, he was tough. SM: Milton last question, where did your nickname Iceman come from? The history and accolades of Kronk are all around the gyms wall. SM: So how did it all start for you, boxing? SM: After the McCallum fight you fought only six times in the next four years. GSP is one of the leading advocates of a sport clean from PEDs and is thought to have been a major catalyst ofthe recent crackdown on PEDs in the UFC. The first fight I really punched myself out after the eighth round. The Kronk "franchise" began to sell Kronk merchandise through catalog sales. A fitting honor for a fitting hero. He came up in the original KRONK Gym as part of the original ESCOT (Emanuel Steward Champions of Tomorrow) in the early 1980's. Having said that, the sport was not without its signature moments. After a short amateur career in his 20s, Fikes later came on board at KRONK as a coach and was instrumental in revitalizing the amateur program using all of Emanuel's styles.
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