Longtime trainer, amateur and Olympic boxer, Kenny Adams will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame next week along with the Class of 2024. Known for his transformative influence on boxers such as Edwin Valero and Vince Phillips, as well as his pivotal role on the 1984 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, Adams has coached numerous champions and Olympians, earning him iconic status among boxing insiders and enthusiasts. In a recent conversation with Boxing Scene, Adams spoke about his unique boxing journey and illustrious coaching career.
Boxing Scene: When did you know you were going to be inducted?
Kenny Adams: Yeah, I knew that early on because I had been very successful in boxing as a fighter, I had been to two Olympic Games by the time I became a trainer, I had received a lot of accolades through boxing, so yeah, I knew that was going to happen, for sure.
BS: Do you remember one moment in particular?
Adams: I guess the most exciting thing was being an assistant coach on the 1984 Olympic team, which was one of the best boxing teams in U.S. history. The coach at the time was Pat Nappi, and I was his assistant. He was my coach in the Army.
BS: What do you think about modern boxing? It's changed a lot, especially with the social media environment. How do you think boxing has evolved and what do you think about professional boxing today?
Adams: I think the game has changed. I think it's probably the type of fighters we have today that have caused the change. There are great fighters, but they're not getting the opportunities they need. I think what we need is for the trainers to step up to bat. That's what we need. The trainers need to step up to bat. They need to be guided in the right direction. That's very important. That's what we need to do.
BS: What do you remember about the Vince Phillips vs. Kostya Tsiu fight?
Adams: “Phillips was strong, tough, lean and mean. He was hard to beat. He took it to the next level.” [Tszyu] He was a really good fighter, but Vince was just too strong. Not only was he strong, he was also very well conditioned. Anyway, that was one of the traits I've always had. Vince was with me most of the time during that period and always kept him in top condition. All my fighters are always in good condition. The best thing that can happen for a fighter to get to the next level is to be in good condition and in good shape. All my fighters were always in that direction.
BS: Do you remember anything about Edwin Valero? I'm sure you coached him.
Adams: Hey! Edwin Valero was a monster. A real monster. This guy could punch. He could hit shots. This guy you're talking about is from Venezuela. He was the best in the business. Really, really the best in the business. He asked me out one time. It's funny, he said, “Kenny.” I said, “What?” And he said, “Give me some Viagra so I can punch. So I can really get the job done.” So I gave it to him. I gave him the Viagra and he got the job done. He got the job done. He got the job done.
BS: Who is the hardest puncher you've ever worked with?
Adams: Ray Mercer.
BS: Were Mercer's powers different from anyone else he'd worked with before?
Adams: I think fighters like Kennedy McKinney and Eddie Cook have power, but a lot of that is down to the strength and conditioning that we put in. [worked on]Early in their careers, we were working with strength and conditioning guys from other parts of the world, where there was this explosion of strength and conditioning coming from Russia, and they were very enthusiastic about it.
BS: Which fighter would you have liked to work with?
Adams: Who would you have liked to have trained with? Honestly, the one person I would have liked to have spent more time with would have been Pernell Whittaker. We trained together when we traveled and stuff, but overall I think I would have liked to have spent the majority of my time with him. Pernell Whittaker was a dynamite fighter, left-handed, did it all. He had speed, power, quick punching power. He was very good. But there were guys who were very similar to him. Two guys I benefited from, Kennedy McKinney and Eddie Cook. They both had hard punches, one was left-handed, the other was right-handed, and were very explosive. They were great fighters.
BS: Now, who is the most talented fighter you have ever worked with?
Adams: “Sweat Pea” Whittaker was explosive and would be one of those guys I'd put on the list, but I'd have to put McKinney in the latter category. There was Kennedy McKinney. Diego Corrales would be in that category too. He had power, but he wasn't a boxer like a lot of other boxers.
BS: Who is the hardest working person you have ever worked with?
Adams: It's kind of hard to differentiate or say who was the hardest worker because I played the “my way or my way” game. I didn't take anyone who didn't work. So all my fighters worked hard. I'll start with Brian London at 106 pounds, Kennedy McKinney, and Eddie Cook at 112 pounds. All the others went on to the next level.
They all trained hard, they were focused, they did their job well. There were a lot of fighters who really wanted to be fighters. For me, it was really important to have a positive impact on them going to the next level. It's hard to separate or pick out someone in particular because they all trained so hard. We worked on strength and conditioning. That was a big part of what I did. I studied strength and conditioning in the Bavarian Alps in Germany. That's where I first learned about strength and conditioning. That's where all the strength and endurance and stamina comes from. I was running and training on top of that.
BS: Any other thoughts or advice?
Adams: The big challenge for all of them was to push them to the next level. It was very important for them to work hard and not play around. That's the way it is. The other biggest role, I would say, is strength and conditioning, which I learned from the guys who started over in Germany. Strength and conditioning plays a very important role in how you train and work with these guys. For me, that's the key to going to the next level and being the best. [a fighter] That could be the case, and that is the situation.
