Overview

• Brooks died July 29 at 71 after battling an aggressive cancer, as confirmed by promoter Lou DiBella.
• Peers across the sport paid tribute to his character and impact, with Lou DiBella lauding him as “a great boxing man and even better person.”
• He guided Evander Holyfield to back-to-back victories over Mike Tyson in 1996 and 1997 before coaching Tyson through a six-fight unbeaten streak until 2002.
• Brooks also trained heavyweight champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, pioneering a training approach that blended American fundamentals with modern international techniques.
• After winning the 1975 National AAU middleweight title and compiling a 7-3 professional record, he shifted to coaching and was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.