Bud Bruner

Bud Bruner (December 7, 1907 - February 21, 1996) was a boxing manager, trainer, and gym proprietor from Louisville, Kentucky.

Bruner's participation in boxing began in the 1930s. While employed by the City of Louisville Recreation Department, he was responsible for playground tournaments, followed by district and city championships.

In 1939, he became coach and athletic director at the Army Post in Fort Knox, Kentucky. His responsibilities included setting up and supervising several boxing gyms, organizing and supervising numerous boxing shows and tournaments, and selecting and accompanying a Fort Knox representative team to state Golden Gloves tournaments.

After seven years in Fort Knox, Bruner resigned and returned to Louisville. Bruner served as matchmaker for the Louisville Golden Gloves program from 1952 to 1959. He also trained fourteen Kentucky State Golden Gloves Champions, eight of whom were named "the best boxer of the tournament."

In 1952, Bruner opened his own gym, Headline Boxing Gym, and started to work with professional boxers. His most notable boxers were welterweight contender Rudell Stitch and future WBA World Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Ellis, who defeated Muhammad Ali as an amateur.

Ali sometimes trained at Bruner's gym. When Ali turned professional, Bruner arranged for Tunney Hunsaker to be Ali's first opponent. Bruner also worked Hunsaker's corner for the fight, which Ali won by decision.

In 1985, Bruner fell down the stairs at his gym. The fall permanently injured his spine. He required a wheelchair and had limited use of his hands. However, his condition didn't stop him from training boxers.