Last Updated on 1 month ago by Vijay Kumar
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.
He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee
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.
He was a boxer, trainer and coach
He was a boxer
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.
He was a trainer and coach
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.
He passed away at 71
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) wrote on X,
“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.”
Got more bad news a little while ago. 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…
— Lou DiBella🥊 (@loudibella) July 30, 2025
Olympic Medalist Tony Jeffries Boxing Coach wrote on Instagram,
“Sad day for me and the boxing world. A legend has passed, my pro boxing coach, Tommy Brooks at just 71 years old 😞 Tommy was a top trainer and a great fella. Laid back, easy going, and one of the first to really drill head movement into my game, the same stuff I teach now thanks to him. He trained legends like Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield (I trained alongside Holyfield with Tommy), Pernell Whitaker, the Klitschko brothers, and loads more. He used to tell me wild stories from some of those camps with famous fighters, ones I’ll never forget. They don’t make them like him Tommy anymore. I’ve got very fond memories. RIP my friend ❤️”
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.
