A Class Act, Tommy Brooks, Hall of Fame Trainer of Champions, Dies at 71
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Atlantic, City (August 3, 2025)– The very classy International Boxing Hall of Fame elite trainer Tommy Brooks, who learned his training craft from Archie Moore and Eddie Futch, who trained such heavyweight world champion ring notables as Dr. Vitali Kitschko, Dr. Wladimir KLitschko, Iron Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and dominated the sport as a trainer for a quarter of a century, died at age 71 on July 29. 2025. The news of his death was confirmed by promoter Lou DiBella.
According DiBella on X “Got more bad news a little while ago. It was just confirmed by his family esteemed boxing trainer Tommy Brooks died tonight. Too young. Great boxing man and even better person. He was just a solid dude. I shared many memorable nights with Tommy and his wife, Donna Duva, during the glory days of Main Events. My love and prayers to Donna and all their family. This is now a real tough stretch of losing real boxing people. It’s getting to me.”
As an amateur boxer, Brooks defeated future Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight world champion Michael Spinks en route to winning the 1975 AAU Amateur Middleweight title in the United States, then winning amateur boxing championships in the United States Air Force, then going pro with a 7-3 winning record. Brooks coached Evander Holyfield in both wins over Mike Tyson, then coached Tyson through a six bout winning streak, and was in his corner for his title attempt with Lennox Lewis.
Official statement of Ring Magazine: The Ring is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of legendary boxing coach Tommy Brooks. Tommy coached many boxing legends, including Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and the Klitschko brothers. Our sympathies are with Tommy’s friends and family at this time.
According to noted boxing writer and historian Ken Hissner on Brick City Boxing in 2018, besides heavyweight champions Evander Holyfield, Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, Mike Tyson, and Hasim Rahman, Brooks also trained world cruiserweight champion Vassily Jirov, middleweight and light heavyweight Mike McCallum, junior lightweight champion Johnny Bumphus, welterweight champ Meldrick Taylor, junior welter champion Charles Murray, super Feather champion Rocky Lockridge, four division world champ Pernell ‘Sweet Pea’ Whitaker, lightweight champion Fred Pendleton, heavyweights Larry Donald and Michael Grant and Samuel Peter and Courage Tshabalala, world bantam champ Junior ‘Poison’ Jones (who defeated 43-0 Marco Antonio Barrera with Brooks in his corner), junior middle champion Yuri Foreman, junior welter champion Vivian Harris, junior middle champion Vinnie Paz, and other noted fighters such as David Sears, Pawel Wolak, David Price and Shaun George.
As my distinguished colleague Ken Hissner so noted, what a priceless resume! Brooks might as well have been Emanuel Steward’s twin brother. With such a distinguished track record of success in the who’s who of his time, Brooks led his fighters to the highest level of televised performance in the world championship promised land. To have lost names like Steward, Brooks, Gil Clancy, Bert Sugar, Phil Berger, Michael Katz, Colin Hart, Harold Lederman, Don Elbaum, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, and Big George Foreman, these names defined the golden age of boxing in my lifetime.
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