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Javan ‘Sugar’ Hill Keeps the Kronk Flame Burning in Banged-Up Detroit
Anthony Dirrell, who risks his WBC 168-pound world title against former title-holder David Benavidez this Saturday, Sept. 28, is one of the last of a dying breed, one of the last active fighters who earned his spurs at the fabled Kronk Gym, by which we mean the original Kronk Gym at 5555 McGraw Street on Detroitâs west side, the place that the late great trainer Emanuel Steward put on the map.
Steward, an electrician by trade and former National Golden Gloves champion, built an amateur boxing powerhouse in the basement of the Kronk Rec Center before attracting national notice for his work with Kronk alumni who turned pro, most notably Tommy Hearns. Anthony Dirrell and his older brother Andre Dirrell represented Kronk as amateurs. They learned their craft in the original gym, often with Emanuel Steward present, watching over them like a mother hen and giving pointers.
Steward always had assistants (in the beginning unpaid volunteers) and their roles became larger as Steward became the sportâs most prominent hired gun, taking him away from Detroit for long stretches to coach such notables as Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko, plus serving as a member of HBOâs boxing broadcasting team. The most prominent of the assistants were Johnathon Banks, who currently trains Gennady Golovkin, and Javan âSugarâ Hill who will be in Anthony Dirrellâs corner on Sept. 28, having trained both Dirrell brothers off and on since their amateur days.
Emanuel Steward died in 2012 after a short illness at age 68. By then the Kronk Rec Center, built in 1921 when the area around it was heavily Polish, was no more. As the economy of Detroit worsened â the city filed for bankruptcy in 2013 â instances of vandalism increased as desperate people took to stealing anything that could be sold on the black market. In September of 2006, thieves entered the rec center in the still of the night and disemboweled it, removing all the copper fixtures. With its budget strapped, the city couldnât afford the cost of repairs. Six years later, most of the building was destroyed by a fire of suspicious origin. Last year, what was left of the structure was finally demolished.
But the Kronk Gym, a hallowed name in boxing, never perished; just the place where Emanuel Steward worked his magic. The gym is currently housed in a former church, school and convent that has passed through several hands since being closed by the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. There you will find Javan âSugarâ Hill when heâs not out of town at an amateur boxing tournament or on the road with a professional fighter. The 48-year-old Hill, above all others, is the man keeping the Kronk flame burning.
It was inevitable that Javan Hill would take on this responsibility; he is Emanuel Stewardâs nephew. âEmanuel was his parents only boy,â notes Javan, âand I am my parents only boy.â That common circumstance strengthened their tie. For much of his youth and into his adult years, Hill resided in Stewardâs home.
Hill spent 12 years on the Detroit police force. In 2007 he took an early retirement so that he could focus more fully on the gym. âWhen I was growing up,â he says, âI never thought about becoming a policeman. For me, it was an opportunity to get off the street and keep myself out of trouble.â (With his uncle Emanuel looking after his welfare, itâs doubtful that Hill would have strayed too far from the straight and narrow, but we will take him at his word.)
When Emanuel Steward died, Wladimir Klitschko went with the aforementioned Banks as his new trainer. Hill wasnât resentful â he and Banks are best buddies â although he had more longevity with Kronk.
âJohnathon had been with Emanuel at Klitschkoâs training camps and he and Wladimir had developed a special relationship. I was less involved because of Adonis Stevenson. Adonis wasnât yet a champion when Emanuel died and I had the satisfaction of helping him grow into a world champion.â
Stevenson suffered a traumatic brain injury in the 10th defense of his world title on Dec. 1 of last year when he was stopped in the 11th round by Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
How is he doing? âWe talk quite a bit,â says Hill, âand he is making steady progress.â
Hill draws a comparison between Stevensonâs current situation and one of those old dial-up computers that took forever to download a song. But little by little, things are slowly getting back to speed for him. âHe canât drive yet, but he can communicate in French, English, or Creole,â Hills says of the ex-champion who was born in Haiti and grew up in Montreal.
In the heyday of Kronk, the program had a big booster in Coleman Young, the cityâs five-term mayor whose 20-year reign began in 1974. Subsequent mayors have been far less supportive (understandable considering the budget constraints), making it that much harder to recapture the glory days anytime soon.
In his quest to make boxing relevant again in Detroit, Hill found an unlikely ally in Ukrainian-born Dmitriy Salita. A former world title challenger who retired with a record of 35-2-1, Salita launched Salita Promotions in his hometown of Brooklyn as his career was winding down. When the New York Athletic Commission effectively put him out of business by adopting more stringent insurance requirements, prohibitively expensive for a grass-roots promoter, Salita shifted his base to Detroit where he had trained for his last few pro fights.
Salita, 37, has made great strides as a promoter. His clients include Claressa Shields, Jarrell âBig Babyâ Miller and Norwayâs newest sporting hero, Otto Wallin. Salita has also roped in a number of promising prospects from Russia and her former satellites, the most arresting of whom is Uzbekistani knockout artist Shohjahon Ergashev (17-0, 15 KOs), currently ranked #6 at junior welterweight by the IBF. Ergashev trains at Kronk as do three fighters who appeared on the same card last week in Grozny, Russia: heavyweight Apti Davtaev, light heavyweight Umar Salamov, and super middleweight Aslambek Idigov.
The Eastern European contingent has introduced a new strain into Kronkâs inner city vibe. Itâs also made life somewhat more challenging for Javan Hill, especially on those occasions when he is working a corner and has only 60 seconds before the start of the next round to convey the message he wants to convey. But, Hill insists, it hasnât been as challenging as one might think.
âBoxing is a universal language,â he says. âAll of our foreign fighters take classes in English.â Alexey Zubov, a 32-year-old Russian cruiserweight with a 17-2 record, speaks almost flawless English and is often there when a translator is needed.
Kronk Gym became something of a foster child when the rec center shut down. For a time, Kronk fighters trained in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn. The gymâs current home, at 9520 Mettetal, six miles away from where it all started, suits Javan Hill to a tee because the surroundings so closely mirror the original.
âWeâre back in the basement again, just like the old days,â says Hill, âand in a place very much like a rec center. Upstairs there are programs for adults that teach certain skills. And I like the fact itâs a small gym, just like our old gym.â
In a big gym, notes Hill, itâs harder to know when someone is slacking off. When a boxer hits a heavy bag and does it correctly, it emits a certain sound. A good trainer in a gym where thereâs a lot going on, knows how to keep tabs on things with his ears as well as his eyes. âHere,â he says, âI can hear everything going on.â
The boxers who work out at Kronk are as young as eight years old. When school is out, says Hill, there may be as many as 25 or 30 amateurs on the premises. Emanuel Steward, were he alive, wouldnât have it any other way. Steward believed that if a gym had a strong amateur program, the professional side would evolve organically.
If boxing in Detroit never gets back to where it once was, it wonât be for lack of trying. And the man doing the heavy lifting is Javan âSugarâ Hill, Emanuel Stewardâs nephew and surrogate son.
Anthony Dirrell
Anthony Dirrell (pictured below) turns 35 next month. His fight this coming Saturday with undefeated and heavily favored David Benavidez, 12 years his junior, may be his last rodeo. He has hinted at retirement.
Itâs hard not to root for him as few fighters have overcome as much adversity. Born and raised in hardscrabble Flint, Michigan, Dirrell was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in December of 2006. He was out of action for 22 months while undergoing chemotherapy. In May of 2012, he broke his leg and fractured his arm in a motorcycle accident. That dictated another long layoff. But he persevered and on Aug 16, 2014, he won the WBC world 168-pound title with a unanimous decision over Sakio Bika in a rematch after their first encounter ended in a draw.
Dirrell lost the belt in his first defense on a close decision to Badou Jack, but regained it earlier this year at the expense of Turkeyâs Avni Yildirin after the title became vacant when Benavidez was stripped of it for testing positive for cocaine. His fight with Yildirin was stopped by the ringside physician after 10 rounds because of a worsening cut caused when the fighters clashed heads three rounds earlier, sending the fight to the scorecards. It was a tougher-than-expected fight for Dirrell who prevailed on a split decision.
The bout between Dirrell (33-1-1, 24 KOs) and Benavidez (21-0, 18 KOs) is the chief undercard bout underneath the welterweight title unification fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter. It will air on FOX pay-per-view.
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The IBHOF Unveils its Newest Inductees: Manny Pacquiao is the Icing on the Cake
The IBHOF Unveils its Newest Inductees: Manny Pacquiao is the Icing on the Cake
PRESS RELEASE — Â Â CANASTOTA, NY – DECEMBER 5, 2024Â –Â The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum is thrilled to announce the newest class of inductees to be honored during the Hall of Fame Induction Weekend June 5-8, 2025 in âBoxingâs Hometownâ Canastota, NY.
The Class of 2025 includes Manny âPac Manâ Pacquiao, âThe Pazmanian Devilâ Vinny Paz and Michael âSecond Toâ Nunn in the Menâs Modern category; Yessica âKikaâ Chavez, Anne Sophie Mathis and Mary Jo Sanders in the Womenâs Modern category; Cathy âCatâ Davis in the Womenâs Trailblazer category; referee Kenny Bayless, cut man Al Gavin (posthumous) and referee Harry Gibbs (posthumous) in the Non-Participant category; broadcaster / journalist Randy Gordon and television producer Ross Greenburg in the Observer category; Rodrigo Valdez (posthumous) in the Old Timer category and Owen Swift (posthumous) in the Pioneer category.
Inductees were voted in by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international boxing historians.Â
âWeâre extremely excited about the Class of 2025 and are very much looking forward to honoring the newest class of inductees to earn boxingâs highest honor,â said Executive Director Edward Brophy.
The 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend is scheduled for June 5-8th in âBoxingâs Hometown.â Many events will take place in Canastota and nearby Turning Stone Resort Casino throughout the four-day celebration including ringside talks, fist casting, fight night, 5K race / fun run, boxing autograph card show, banquet, parade and induction ceremony.Â
For more information on the 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, please call (315) 697-7095.
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Navarrete-Valdez and Espinoza-Ramirez Rematches Headline Phoenix Fight FiestaÂ
The annals of boxing abound with iconic rematches, and thereâs a good chance that list will get longer after this Saturday in Phoenixâs Footprint Center with Top Rankâs ESPN card featuring Emanuel Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) versus Oscar Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) and Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs, against Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs).
Valdezâs ties to the local area and multiple Arizona appearances give his bout against Navarrete top billing, but WBO featherweight titlist Espinozaâs initial encounter with Ramirez was the better bout the first time around, deemed Fight and Upset of the Year by many observers.
Thatâs not to say Navarrete-Valdez 1 didnât hold plenty of drama as Navarrete captured the WBO junior lightweight belt with a relatively widespread unanimous decision. Valdez got himself into an immediate bind in the first fight by walking into Navarreteâs jab, enabling Navarrete to score early with looping right leads from his six-inch reach advantage. Valdezâs corner implored him to stay patient but it seemed there was no avoiding a firefight that played into Navaretteâs always busy hands.
By round 3 Valdezâs face was heavily marked and often on the defensive, waiting to establish an offense that never fully arrived. Though he scored with some big shots down the stretch, his swollen right eye closed by the 9th frame and the eventual outcome seemed obvious.
âI know thereâs a lot of pride at stake in a Mexico versus Mexico battle,â said Navarrete. âI believe this will be an even better fight than before because weâre familiar with each other. I know I have to push Valdez to his limits.â
âI made mistakes the first time, the biggest one was trying to knock him out,â reflected Valdez. âI still have a few fights left in me, not everyone gets a second chance. I know what I needed to train for (this time) and Iâll make the most of it.â
Offense was never a problem for either Espinoza or Ramirez, who traded knockdowns in a give-and-take affair that might have gone either way. It was the gloved-up version of mongoose versus cobra as two time Olympic gold medalist Ramirez charged in behind blurring punches up the middle while the much taller Espinoza fired shoulder level combinations. In this case, it was the underdog cobra who triumphed.
Three days from first bell an unofficial consensus of online odds listed the previous winners as favorites, Espinoza by a hair and Navarrete by a solid margin. While the initial winners may still have an edge, that all disappears after the bell, and previous action indicates a pair of pick-em contests isnât unlikely.
Boxing history is also full of tie-breaking trilogies, too. It wouldnât be a big surprise if thatâs what weâre looking at again in both these cases.
Adding to the electric atmosphere in Phoenix are a solid batch of undercard extras featuring multiple first-rate performers that should get the audience more than ready for the nightâs headliners.
Top Rank junior welterweight prospect Lindolfo Delgado, 21-0 (15) from Nuevo Leon, meets skilled Dominican Jackson Marinez, 22-3 (10) in a contest that could qualify as main event worthy in many locales.
Undefeated southpaw heavyweight Richard Torrez, Jr, who earned the silver medal in that division for the USA at the 2020 Olympics faces off against Mexican big boy Issac Munoz Gutierrez, 18-1-1 (15) who reportedly packs a respectable wallop. None of Torrezâs pro opponents have made it to the final bell.
San Diegoâs highly ranked welterweight title challenger Giovani Santillan, 31-1 (17) faces Fredrick Lawson of Ghana, 30-5 (22). Lawson has dropped his last two outings but that was against good opposition and he wonât be an easy test.
21 year-old DJ Zamora, a hot prospect at 13-0 (9) from Las Vegas meets experienced Roman Reynoso, 22-5-2 (10), from Argentina and emerging new stablemate Albert âChop Chopâ Gonzalez, 11-0 (7), who recently signed a long term Top Rank contract faces Gerardo Antonio Perez, 12-6-1 (3).
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R.I.P Israel Vazquez who has Passed Away at age 46
Israel Vazquez, a three-time world champion at 122 pounds and one of the most crowd-pleasing prizefighters of any era, has passed away at the age of 46. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman revealed the bad news today (Dec. 3) on his social media platform.
Born on Christmas Day 1977, Vazquez began his pro career in his native Mexico City at age 17. He was 16 fights into his pro career when he made his U.S. debut in El Cajon, California, under the management of Frank Espinoza.
Vazquez is most remembered for his four-fight rivalry with fellow Mexico City native Rafael Marquez.
The first two meetings were contested before small crowds in Carson, California, and Hidalgo, Texas.
Marquez won the first meeting thanks to a left hook that broke Vazquezâs nose in the opening round. The nose swelled to the point that Vazquez, who was making the fourth defense of his WBC super bantamweight title, Â could no longer breathe and he was all done after seven rounds.
Vazquez won the rematch (TKO 6), setting the stage for a rubber match that would be a fight for the ages. The bout, contested on March 1, 2008 at the soccer stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, was a shoo-in for Fight of the Year, earning that accolade from the BWAA, The Ring magazine and others.
Vazquez pulled that fight out of the fire in the final round, knocking Marquez to the canvas to win a split decision. Ron Borges, writing for this publication, wrote, âthey knocked pieces off each other that could never be fully reattached.â
That was true of the detached retina in Vazquezâs right eye. It would require multiple surgeries before Vazquez, nicknamed âEl Magnifico,â fought again and the eye would eventually be replaced by a prosthetic.
Their fourth meeting, contested before a celebrity-studded crowd at LAâs Staples Center, was anticlimactic. Vazquez, damaged goods, was stopped in the third round and never fought again.
All four meetings were televised on Showtime which celebrated the rivalry in 2015, airing highlights from all four fights on March 7 of that year. TSS West Coast Bureau Chief David A. Avila, looking back at the series, wrote, â[It was] 28 rounds of the most scientifically brutal and awe-inspiring prizefighting at an elite level.â Avila would also call Israel Vazquez one of the sportâs greatest gentlemen, a class act, as evinced in his energetic handshake whenever meeting a new fan.
Vazquez used his ring earnings to open a boxing gym in the Greater Los Angeles City of South Gate.
Vazquezâs passing wasnât unexpected. Mauricio Sulaiman announced last month that Vazquez had been diagnosed with Stage IV Sarcoma, a particularly virulent strain of cancer and along with Oscar Valdez and Top Rank, established a GoFundMe account to defray his medical expenses. Today, Sulaiman wrote, âIsrael Vazquez is finally resting in peace. May God give strength and support to his wife Laura, their children, family and friends during these difficult times.â
We here at TSS share that sentiment and send our condolences.
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