The Kansas City Royals baseball team recently honored legendary boxing trainer John Brown for his longtime community service as the owner/operator of Turner Boxing Academy in Kansas City. Turner, age 78, received the prestigious Buck O’Neil Legacy Award during a special ceremony at Kauffman Stadium for his contributions during the past two decades to the community, where he has trained more than 1,000 youths. “It was a great day,” Brown said. “I have been a Royals fan for years and loved the George Brett era. I would like to thank everyone with the Kansas City Royals for such a nice honor.”
Brown has led Turner Boxing Academy as director and head coach since founding it in 2005. With more than 60 years of experience in the sport, his involvement spans every level of boxing as an athlete, coach, and trainer. Beyond coaching, John is also a pioneer in boxing equipment. He founded Ringside in 1977, developing and marketing gear that became widely used in the sport. His leadership has extended to national and local organizations, having served as President and Vice President of USA Boxing, held key roles in the local LBC, and acted as franchise delegate and Vice President of KC Golden Gloves.
Brown believes his greatest legacy lies in mentoring young athletes and guiding them to succeed, both inside the ring and beyond. Brown has served as manager/head trainer for only two professionals, the late world heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison and now Marco Romero.
Turner Boxing Academy is promoting “The Homecoming,” a professional/amateur boxing card, on September 6th at Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Olathe, Kansas. Local star Marco “El Tiburon” Romero (9-0, 8 KOs), a 23-time national amateur champion who lives in Olathe, will headline the event in an eight-round middleweight bout.
“The Homecoming” is a fundraiser for the Turner Boxing Academy. The primary sponsor of this event is McCarthy Auto Group, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Safe Kids Johnson County. Tickets are on sale now at www.Eventbrite.com. A USA Boxing-sanctioned amateur card, starting at 6:30 p.m. CT, will precede the pro card.
