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Home » In Jimmy’s Corner: Remembering Mr. Glenn – a boxing icon

In Jimmy’s Corner: Remembering Mr. Glenn – a boxing icon

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Last month, sadly, boxing lost one of its most popular, respected, and beloved individuals, iconic New York City trainer/cut-man Jimmy Glenn, who died at the age of 89 due to COVID-19 complications.

Glenn moved from his native South Carolina to New York City in the 1940s, where he became a 14-2 amateur boxer, beaten in the Golden Gloves by future world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson.

As a coach, Glenn guided countless amateur boxers out of a PAL gym into the New York Golden Gloves Championships over the years. The revered Glenn later owned the famed Times Square Boxing Gym, where Muhammad Ali trained whenever “The Greatest” fought in New York City during the 1970s.

Despite his expertise as a trainer and cut-man, Glenn may be even better known for owning and operating Jimmy’s Corner, the Times Square dive bar located on 44th Street, for the past 47 years. Beer and whiskey were cheap and boxing fans flocked there as sort of a mecca. Anybody who has attended fights at Madison Square Garden or Barclay Center for the past half-century has probably paid homage to Jimmy’s Corner, admiring all the boxing memorabilia on the walls and, of course, talking boxing.

“Jimmy was an icon for the boxing community not just in New York City, but for boxing fans across the country,” said Chris Cugliari, USA Boxing Alumni Association Director. “He showed the importance of being a part of something greater than oneself and fostered an environment that showcased the best of both boxing and humanity. The USA Boxing Alumni Association is extremely grateful for everything he has done for the sport.”

Terrence Ali, Jameel McCline and Monte Barrett are three of his better known, most successful boxers who he trained in the pro ranks.

Nobody ever said a bad word about Jimmy Glenn. He is already missed by many, but he will always be remembered as a strong, gentle man, who considered and treated his many boxers as family.