Tommy Brooks (born June 6, 1954 in Knoxville, Tennessee) was a legendary boxing trainer and former fighter, best known as the guiding force behind world champions like Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and the Klitschko brothers. Brooks’s sharp boxing mind and kind heart made him a beloved figure in the sport until his passing in July 2025.
Tommy Brooks – Early Life
Tommy Brooks born on June 6, 1954 in Knoxville, Tennessee. He raised in Knoxville, Brooks developed his boxing skills early. He claimed the prestigious 1975 U.S. National AAU Middleweight Championship, establishing himself as one of America’s top amateurs. This success paved the way for a brief professional career.
Tommy Brooks – Career
Professional Boxing Career
In 1977, Brooks had a short but solid run with a career record of 7 wins and 3 losses. After three successive defeats, he retired from the ring to begin a new chapter as a trainer—choosing to share his ring wisdom rather than continue fighting .
Trainer and Coaching
He started training Evander Holyfield, helping him secure multiple world titles including his stunning wins over Mike Tyson in 1996 and 1997. The relationship earned him widespread acclaim.
Soon after, Tyson brought Brooks onboard during his comeback phase, where Brooks helped orchestrate six knockout victories between 1998 and 2001. Their professional split came before Tyson’s 2002 bout with Lennox Lewis.
Tommy’s coaching roster extended well beyond: he mentored heavyweights such as Michael Grant, Samuel Peter, and the Klitschko brothers Vitali and Wladimir, and even British Olympian David Price. He was known as the trainer of Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Michael Grant, Larry Donald, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko, Vassiliy Jirov, Mike McCallum, Johnny Bumphus, Meldrick Taylor, Charles Murray, Freddie Pendleton, Rocky Lockridge, Junior Jones, Shaun George, Yuri Foreman, Tony Jeffries, and
David Price.
Tommy Brooks – Death
On July 30, 2025, Tommy Brooks passed away at age 71, after a courageous battle with aggressive cancer. His death was confirmed by friends and boxing peers, including Lou DiBella, who shared condolences on behalf of Brooks’s family, especially Donna Duva.
Lou DiBella (Hall-of-Fame Promoter) said,
“It was just confirmed by his family that esteemed boxing trainer Tommy Brooks died tonight, after having fought a very aggressive cancer. Too young. Great boxing man and even better person, he was just a solid dude.”
“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 fam.”
My name is Vijay Kumar. I work as content writer and founder of this website. I am studying BSC IT. I has been writing content since 2022. I also learn about journalism.
