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.
“What we’ve done at the new facility here at the Brewster Wheeler center was put the emphasis back on creating a solid amateur boxing team, but connecting and staying true to our roots,” Lepak said. “There will never be another original Kronk Gym. There will never be another great Emanuel Steward. But we can continue to honor his legacy not just by creating champions in the gym but being involved in the community and doing our part to give back in all areas where we can.”
Lepak’s connection to the gym is personal. “I was once one of these kids that trained in this gym. Emanuel was like a father figure to me,” he said. “There’s not a day that I don’t wake up in my life where I don’t apply a lesson that I learned from this great man.”
Kronk’s new home brings the franchise full circle - from its famed McGraw Avenue origins on Detroit’s west side to a landmark where Steward himself trained in his early years. Classes and memberships are open to the public at 670 Wilkins St., with schedules and merchandise available on the gym’s website.
To watch the segment, click on the video above.