RIP Emanuel Steward. Or not. (UPDATE: RIP.)

http://www.inquisitr.com/375452/emanuel-steward-not-dead-family-says-tmz-pulls-story/

Pretty crazy situation regarding the boxing trainer. "Credible sources" apparently told TMZ he died of a gastrointestinal disease at age 68. But the family denies that he is dead.

The Detroit Free Press reported the death yesterday, citing Steward's friends, and later apologized.

http://www.freep.com/article/20121025/SPORTS18/121025036/?odyssey=tab%7Cmostpopular%7Ctext%7CSPORTS

I don't remember TMZ getting one of these wrong. Maybe they have, but I consider them spot-on for this kind of stuff.

 

Re: RIP Emanuel Steward. Or not. TMZ and Detroit Free Press pull story.

Yeah they kind of pride themselves on it. Well one way to disprove his death is for Steward to make a statement.

 

Re: RIP Emanuel Steward. Or not. TMZ and Detroit Free Press pull story.

AP has it now, citing his executive assistant.

RIP.

 

Re: RIP Emanuel Steward. Or not. TMZ and Detroit Free Press pull story.

RIP. I guess there won't be a statement.

 

Re: RIP Emanuel Steward. Or not. TMZ and Detroit Free Press pull story.

Sad to hear.

Had Steward scheduled once for a radio interview but he called in late, late as in the final minute of the program. He apologized and appeared either the next day or the next. Seemed like a cool cat.

Guess my first recollection of him was when "Hit Man" Hearns burst on the scene.

RIP to a legend in the fight game.

 

Re: RIP Emanuel Steward. Or not. TMZ and Detroit Free Press pull story.

So did TMZ have it right, or jump the gun?

 

RIP to a legend. I met him a few times and he was always friendly and professional (unlike Tommy Hearns, who tried to grab my ass).

 

What I enjoyed was how genuine he seemed to be. Most of the folks I've dealt with in boxing, but not all, were jerks. Or at least bordered on jerkdom.

Sad few weeks for Motown sports legends.

 

Sounds like it might have been a situation where everyone knew the end outcome and some people choose to define death that way (that's kind of how I do it myself), but maybe the family was keeping him on machines? Probably won't really get much of an answer to that.

 

An absolute legend in Detroit. It was amazing what he did at Kronk Gym in the 1970s and '80s. I've never been a big boxing fan, but I followed Tommy Hearns, Hilmer Kenty, the late Mickey "Sweet Pea" Goodwin and that crew - man were they good. They really caught Detroit's imagination.