Legendary trainer Emanuel Steward once listed several heavyweights in his top 10 fighters of all time.
Steward began his coaching career back in the early 1970s and would very quickly establish himself as one of the most respected trainers in the Detroit area.
Working out of the world-renowned Kronk Boxing Gym, Steward went on to train a number of world-class fighters throughout the course of his tenure which included no less than 41 world champions.
His partnership with legendary heavyweights such as Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko secured his place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame for outstanding service to the sport.
Steward’s life was tragically cut short in 2012 when he died suddenly after there were complications during a routine surgery. He was just 68-years-old.
When revealing his list of the top 10 greatest fighters of all time in his opinion, Steward named three legendary heavyweights who took the sport by storm during their respective professional careers.
“Muhammad Ali – “Ali fought everybody, no matter what style.”
“Joe Louis – “Exemplified the world Champion”
“George Foreman – “So smart in his own way, and so strong.”
Ali and Foreman shared the ring in one of the most memorable encounters in boxing history back in 1974 when they did battle in ‘The Rumble In The Jungle’. Ali prevailed over his countryman, stopping him in the eighth round to capture the world heavyweight championship.
As for Louis, ‘The Brown Bomber’ remains the longest-reigning world champion in any weight class, holding the world heavyweight championship for 12 years between 1937 and 1949, making no less than 25 successful defences of his crown during this period.
