Abandoned Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit Before 2017 Fire

Over the years, we've shared with you a number of abandoned buildings throughout Michigan but nothing more rich with boxing history than the Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit.

See Also: Abandoned Pontiac Silverdome Before Being Demolished in 2017

If the walls in this place could talk, there would be countless stories shared by legendary fighters who trained here including Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns.

Kronk Gym was a famous Detroit boxing gymnasium that was run out of the basement of the oldest recreation center in the City of Detroit.

Kronk Gym was led by legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, the "Godfather of Detroit Boxing." Aside from being a boxer and trainer, Steward was also a commentator for HBO Boxing.

Get our free mobile app

According to Wikipedia, Steward trained 41 world champion fighters throughout his career, most notably Thomas Hearns, through the famous Kronk Gym and later heavyweights Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko.

The training facility opened in 1921 and remained open until thieves stole copper piping, cutting off the supply to the building in 2006. The incident crippled the gym and recreation center which forced the closure on November 28, 2006.

Kronk Gym re-opened in 2015 at another location and remains open today.

In 2017, the building went up in flames. The roof was destroyed along with the gym itself. The building was demolished in 2018.

It's heartbreaking that they were unable to bring this historic building back to life.

The photos were taken in 2011 by Detroit Unseen.