After nearly two decades in the dark, Detroit’s iconic Kronk Gym is back – and training its sights on building both fighters and futures.
“It’s very important that our coaching staff is not just here to support and train the kids inside the gym but teach them life lessons that they can apply for years to come,” said John Lepak, Kronk’s chief operating officer. “Not everybody’s going to go on to become an amateur champion or a world champion in the ring, but we want to make sure that we can give them a foundation that can help them become successful in life.”
Founded by legendary trainer Emanuel Steward in the early 1970s, Kronk became synonymous with world champions like Thomas “Hitman” Hearns and Lennox Lewis. The gym has reestablished itself at the historic Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center, reopening in 2025 with an emphasis on amateur boxing, public memberships and community programming…