Emanuel Steward trained a number of world champions throughout his Hall of Fame career but one man stood out above the rest.
Steward is widely regarded as one of the best trainers of all time, coaching a number of elite fighters at the iconic Kronk Gym, including the likes of Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko.
Neither of those men were deemed to be Steward’s best ever fighter though, as before sadly passing away in 2012, he told East End Boxing that Thomas Hearns was the greatest boxer he ever worked with.
“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 was the first boxer in history to win world titles in five divisions from welterweight to light heavyweight, with Steward a key part of that success.
‘The Hitman’ was a member of the legendary ‘Four Kings’ alongside fellow greats Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran, with the fighters involved in epic battles against one another throughout the 1980s.
Hearns competed for the last time in February 2006, with his final record standing at 61 wins from his 67 professional fights.