Kronk Gym being shut down stripped apart already

As the Kronk Gym sign was cut down by a man on a ladder, fighter Anthony Gallerani pondered his boxing future.

"I don't know whether the doors will be open tomorrow," said Gallerani, 24, a bantamweight from Dearborn. "It's tough to watch."

A few feet away, Detroit boxing icon Tommy (Hit Man) Hearns, the former world champion, and present-day Kronk fighters and trainers appeared confused.

Around them, signage and memorabilia at the Kronk was being removed -- just 24 hours after the death of its guiding light, Emanuel Steward, the world-renowned boxing trainer.

Workers were called in Friday morning at the request of Steward's sister, family spokeswoman Diane Steward-Jones, to take down the red and gold Kronk Gym sign hanging outside the building at 19239 W. ****** in Detroit, a few blocks from Southfield Road.

Steward-Jones said she was dismantling the contents of the gym, including the boxing ring and historic fight photos and posters hanging on the walls, "to safeguard the legacy" of her brother, who died in a Chicago-area hospital Thursday after battling illness the past several months.

"There are people in the gym -- scavengers -- who would try and take everything out of my brother's gym," said Steward-Jones, who returned earlier Friday from Chicago and oversaw part of the removal. "I've alerted the police. People are not going to **** and ravage that place. There will be nothing left. The ring is even being removed."

Steward-Jones said she would consider locking up the gym, which would mean dozens of fighters who train there now would have to find a new location to work out.

"They'll have to find somewhere else to go for a week, I don't know," said Steward-Jones, who handled much of her brother's business and public relations matters. "I've still got my ass-kicking boots on. Emanuel was counting on me to protect his stuff from less than honest people, and I'm going to do it."

Steward-Jones said she recalled Steward's restaurant downtown being broken into after closing years ago.

"They broke in and took out sides of beef, vegetables and fruit," she said. "That's not going to happen here."

Hearns, who lost a lifelong mentor and trainer when Steward died, sat on the apron of the ring, his eyes red and his heart heavy.

"I can't really comment on the Kronk sign coming down," said Hearns, who helped build the Kronk brand and reputation from late '70s. "I guess we will have to move on."

Veteran Kronk trainer Keith Lee, who has been there to open and close the gym for years, confirmed late Friday afternoon that the "doors have been locked and the alarm set."

"I don't know when and if we'll be open here again," he said. "I'm hoping something good will happen."

The Kronk Gym on West ****** was established soon after the original Kronk on McGraw in Detroit closed its doors to fighters in 2006, the result of massive budget cutbacks by the city.

It has operated since then, on a month-to-month basis, on the generosity of private donors and the pocketbook of Steward, recognized as the Godfather of Detroit boxing.

With his passing, the future of the Kronk Gym and its Kronk Boxing team is uncertain.

From Freep.com

Here is the link to the article for those interested, there are some pictures of the gym the other day with Tommy Hearns there, it was really cool he showed up.

http://www.freep.com/article/201210...rd-s-death?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE