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not only his skill but also his sheer the picture.
passion. You read correctly: Styers is no
The story of how Steward got his stranger to the Steward family, nor
start has all the makings of a quin- is he a newbie to boxing in general.
tessential small-town-boy-made- At the aforementioned press con-
good tale, complete with healthy ference, Styers spoke about a letter
doses of grit and determination he received from Steward back in
thrown in for good measure. Born in 1984, when Styers was a senior in
West Virginia in 1944, Steward high school.
moved to the Motor City when he “I still have that letter today,” Sty-
was a young boy, just 11 years old. ers recalled at the event.
He evolved into an accomplished am- Some background on Styers:
ateur boxer before eventually choos- A native son of Norwayne, Styers
ing to become a coach in the ring. became enamored with the idea of
His big break was a humbling boxing after seeing the movie Rocky
part-time position at Kronk Gym for at age 13. He then set his sights on
$35 a week back in 1971. becoming a professional boxer him-
Over time, the young boy from self. His unofficial foray into the
West Virginia eventually became the sport involved refusing to back down
trainer affectionately known as when neighborhood kids came look-
“Manny.” And he grew to become the ing for a fight. Styers’ tenacity came
world’s most successful boxing in handy later when he officially
trainer, having trained 41 world began to pursue a career in boxing at
champion fighters, including Tommy an inner-city Detroit boxing gym.
Hearns, Hilmer Kenty, Lennox Lewis, It was there that Styers experi-
Wladimir Klitschko, Milton McCrory, enced his first knockout.
Andy Lee, and Oscar De La Hoya. But he was far from deterred.
In addition to training youth, am- In the mid-1990s, Styers was
ateur, and professional boxers, Stew- touted as a future world junior wel-
ard was a longtime commentator for terweight champ. At the apex of his
HBO Boxing and was elected to the career, his inner voice instructed
International Boxing Hall of Fame him to walk away from it all—the
and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. matches, the sponsorships, every-
Furthermore, his philanthropic ef- thing—and he finished his profes-
forts were right up there with his sional career with an 11-0 record.
professional accolades, as Steward But despite the ending, some-
also donated his time and money to thing remained: His connection with
help children attend school and Steward. “My relationship with the
graduate from high school. Boxing Hall of Fame Trainer Emanuel Steward Stewards, getting to know Emanuel,
In 2012, Steward succumbed to his wife, Marie, and daughter, Sylvia,
colon cancer at the age of 68. gym closed, too. But three years after side. goes back many years,” says Styers.
The original Kronk Gym, which Steward died, Steward-Williams But as Steward-Williams stressed And Styers, a former U.S. marine,
opened shortly after World War I, opened the doors to a new gym at a before, the Kronk brand was lacking was never really done with boxing.
closed in 2006, but Steward moved new location. In 2015, Kronk then an educational component for youth, Styers went on to launch—and
his training to a temporary location opened in a church facility located in a formalized sense.
before he passed away. Then that on Mettetal Street on Detroit's west And that’s how Styers re-entered See KRONK, page 4

Kronk Partner Jeff Styers Kronk Partner Sylvia Steward-Williams Kronk Partner Scott Savage Marie Steward (Emanuel’s wife)
The Wayne Dispatch · November 2021 · 3