"Influential personality": Boxing mourns world champion trainer Michael Timm

"Formative personality" Boxing mourns world champion trainer Michael Timm 04.09.2025, 08:32

Felix Sturm and Jürgen Brähmer owe their world championship titles to him: Michael Timm. The trainer and former amateur boxer has now passed away at the age of 62. His former protégés are mourning.

German boxing coach Michael Timm has died at the age of 62. Timm once trained stars such as Felix Sturm and Jürgen Brähmer, and he led numerous of his protégés to world and European championship titles and other major successes. In August, it was announced that Timm was suffering from cancer.

Former world champion Brähmer announced the death of the former amateur fighter on Instagram: "Today we lost a wonderful person," he wrote. "Timi enriched my life with his kindness, his laughter, and his warmth. I am infinitely grateful for the time we spent together and will forever carry you in my heart. Rest in peace, dear trainer."

Boxing has lost "one of its great personalities, who left a lasting mark through skill, fairness, and passion," said the German Boxing Association (DBV). Its president, Farid Vatanparast, said: "He was not only an outstanding coach, but also a formative figure in German boxing. His commitment, passion, and successes will remain unforgettable."

"Why do the best leave first?"

Uzbek boxer and two-time WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev also mourned on social media. He captioned a photo of him and his former trainer: "Why do the best go first? Timmy, you were a man with capital letters, you were a friend, you were a great trainer."

Before developing stars as a trainer, Timm was a successful boxer himself. During his amateur career, Timm won 95 of his 100 fights, won several East German championship titles, and became European light middleweight champion in 1985. He later moved to the Universum boxing stable and trained five world champions and two world champions. He also coached the German national team for many years.