Emanuel Steward once named who he deemed to be the best fighter that he ever worked with.
Steward is globally recognised as being one of the greatest trainers of all time, operating out of the famous Kronk Gym in Detroit.
A lot of his success came working with heavyweights, having helped Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko have long reigns as world heavyweight champions, while he also coached iconic names such as Oscar De La Hoya, Julio Cesar Chavez and Evander Holyfield.
Before sadly passing away in 2012, Steward told East End Boxing who he viewed as the number one boxer he trained, and it may come as no surprise to learn that it was Thomas ‘The Hitman’ Hearns.
“Not only was Tommy the best fighter I ever worked with, he was also the most exciting. For me, climbing in the ring whenever Tommy fought, it was just so exciting. Tommy was very special.
“He was probably the closest reflection to my own style of fighting. With Tommy, he had so many outstanding qualities it’s hard to list just one – but he was so dedicated.
“Tommy worked so hard in the gym. If I told him, ‘Tommy, today you spar 20 rounds.’ He’d say ‘Okay.’ That’s just the way he was – dedicated.”
Hearns enjoyed immense success during his career, becoming the first boxer in history to win world titles in five divisions after triumphing from welterweight up to light heavyweight.
His final record stood at 61 wins from 67 fights, and he was a member of the legendary ‘Four Kings’ alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.
