LONDON, England - Rewind to September 20, 2002 and you will find one particular amateur bout, which was settled by just two points, that continues to shape the professional boxing landscape to this day.

The boxer dumped out in one of the 71kg semi-finals that day had been hailed as a potential future star of boxing and certainly a favourite to win gold at those championships. Crucially, he was also sponsored by none other than Emanuel Steward.

But, try as he might, Jesus Gonzalez simply could not find a way to beat his southpaw opponent in Havana, exiting the tournament as a result of a 19:17 defeat.

Steward could not believe that somebody had beaten Gonzalez that day, much less that an Irish kid he had never heard of had done it. Then in a strange twist of fate, on watching the tape back to find out more, Steward noticed a coach in the winner’s corner was wearing a Kronk t-shirt.

Tony Dunlop, the Irish team coach at the time, was also the man behind the Belfast Kronk and was proudly wearing the colours as the technically gifted and hard-punching Andy Lee saw off Gonzalez. He had already stopped Ondrej Molnar and Marco Antonio Periban as well as outpointing Ismail Syllakh before booking his place in the final.

Steward needed to find out more about the kid and eventually got his phone number. He made the call on Christmas Day that year and the rest is history. Lee would turn over with Steward in 2005 and begin his career that was eventually punctuated by the WBO middleweight title, which he won in December 2014.

His mentor and trainer was gone by then, dying in October 2012, but due to the impact made by him and The Kronk on Lee, the Limerick southpaw is often described as Steward’s final world champion.

Lee, now 41, retired back in 2017 with a record of 35-3-1, 24 KOs and is now passing on the knowledge he gained from all those years in Detroit onto the next generation. And, one of Steward’s most famous world champions, Lennox Lewis, can see the influence of that fabled gym all over Lee’s current fighters, who he trains in Dublin, Ireland.

Paddy Donovan is the next out of the gate, boxing for the IBF welterweight title against Lewis Crocker in Belfast on September 13, but Lewis could spot the Kronk influence when Hamzah Sheeraz knocked out Edgar Berlanga on the Ring III card in Queens earlier this month, too.

"I see a lot of the Kronk style in Andy Lee’s coaching style,” Lewis said. “A lot.”

Lewis and Steward formed one of the most formidable partnerships in heavyweight history once they linked up in 1994 following the heavyweight’s defeat to Oliver McCall. Together they reclaimed the world heavyweight title in 1997 before Lewis became undisputed in 1999. Now, due to his work with Joseph Parker, Lee is also in the heavyweight business.

“I think he’s a great trainer and I’m happy that Joseph Parker is actually with him," Lewis added. "I think Joseph needs a great trainer like him.”

Parker, who won the WBO heavyweight title during his time training with Kevin Barry in Henderson, Nevada, decided he needed a change back in 2021 and has been with Lee ever since.

He is currently The Ring’s No.3-ranked heavyweight, mandatory challenger with the WBO and one of the most in-form fighters in the division with wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole in his last three fights.

“He’s got that Kronk style now, there’s no doubt about it,” Lewis added. “Andy Lee and Joseph Parker are carrying on the Kronk tradition in that sense.”