Kenny Adams
Kenneth Adams (September 25, 1940 – April 7, 2025) was an American professional boxing trainer and onetime Olympic amateur boxer. Adams was a highly respected boxing trainer. Adams was a pioneer in boxing, having been the first American trainer to implement strength training. He was also the first African-American selected as head coach of the American national boxing team. Adams brought such a strict disciplinarian training style that the eight-time, five-division World champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. refused to work with him. In 1999, the multiple-time World champion Wladimir Klitschko asked Adams to assist him in properly turning over his fist on the left hook for power. In 2005, eight-division World champion Manny Pacquiao requested to train with Adams, but Adams declined in order to aid his ill wife at the time.
Adams was the boxing coach of twenty-six professional World champions, thirty four Olympians and a total of fifty-six boxers who became World Champion. This list includes Edwin Valero, Vince Phillips, Diego Corrales, Freddie Norwood, Charles Murray, Kennedy McKinney, Frankie Liles, Michael Nunn, Johnny Tapia, Ruslan Chagaev, Samuel Peter, Cory Spinks, and Michael Bentt. Adams also trained notable boxers Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Roy Jones Jr., and Riddick Bowe in the Summer Olympic Games with Team USA.
Adams is considered a legend among boxing culture, once going 22 straight World championship bouts without a loss.
Adams' last most promising boxer was lightweight contender Sharif Bogere. Adams later retired from the sport due to health issues.
He came out of retirement in 2018 and started training Dee-Jay Kriel while he was a WBC International Champion and went on to win an IBF world title at minimumweight.
Adams was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the Non-Participant category as part of the class of 2024.
Here Am I
- 2016-06-13T00:00:00.000000Z
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