Lennox Lewis Biography - Introduced To Boxing, Success As Amateur Boxer, Turned Professional As A Boxer, Won First Professional Title - CONTACT INFORMATION
england champion heavyweight world
1965-
British boxer
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Lennox Lewis was the boxing heavyweight champion of the world. He was Great Britain's first heavyweight champion since 1897 when he became the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion in 1993. After not posting a loss in his 109 amateur bouts, Lewis had a professional record of 40-2-1 through 2002. While Lewis had a great right, he often played it safe in fights, which drew criticism from observers who believed that he never unleashed his full potential as a boxer.
Lewis was born on September 2, 1965 in the East End of London, the son of Violet Lewis and her then boyfriend Carlton Brooks. Both were natives of Jamaica. Lewis's father worked in an auto plant, but was not involved in the upbringing of Lewis or his older brother Dennis. Lewis was raised in tough, working class neighborhoods.
When he was nine years old, Lewis moved with his mother to Canada. After a year or so, he went back to England to live with an aunt. In the two years he spent in England, he began getting in trouble, picking fights, among other problems. His mother brought him back to Canada when he was twelve years old, where he spent the rest of his youth.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Address: c/o Office of Lennox Lewis, Gainsborough House, 81 Oxford St., London W1D 2EU England. Online: www.lennox-lewis.com.
Additional Topics
While Lewis's mother worked in a Styrofoam factory, he attended schools in Kitchener, Ontario. A hyperactive child, he began getting into fights in Canada as well. Lewis told Pat Putnam of Sports Illustrated, "That's when I became a fighter. All the kids made fun of my accent, and I punched out the lot. After my third strapping with the belt, my teacher advised I take my aggre…
In 1989, Lewis turned professional, but instead of remaining in Canada, he returned to Great Britain. He did this, in part, because a group of British backers, including manager Frank Maloney, gave him big signing bonus. There were also accusations that he was being used in Canada and his boxing career was not moving forward. Lewis also picked up a new trainer, American John Davenport, who emphasi…
In 1992, Lewis defeated Donovan Ruddock, making him the best challenger for a world heavyweight champion. Lewis had been an underdog in the fight, but Lewis knocked Ruddock down once in the first round and twice in round two. While Lewis did become a champion, he did not have to fight for it.
In December 1992, World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe (who defeated Evander …
Lewis's reputation as a boxer took a big hit in 1994 when he lost his WBC title to Oliver McCall in an upset. Lewis wanted the fight, but lost by technical knockout. McCall was the underdog, and a former sparring partner of heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. McCall got Lewis with his use of a quick overhand right. For his next fights, Lewis looked to put himself in a position to be eligible a…
Lewis fought Holyfield again in November 1999, and this time, he won the fight to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. Lewis won by decision over twelve rounds, and while many believed that he out-fought Holyfield, there was some division among ringside observers. Lewis used his tactical abilities to win, instead of fighting, and was criticized for not knocking Holyfield out. As Hoffer wrot…
Lewis suffered the second defeat of his professional career when he had a title defense fight against Hasam Rahman in South Africa in April 2001. Rahman was a 20-1 underdog in his second title fight ever. Lewis essentially
Lennox Lewis, right
did not take the fight seriously enough. Lewis did not train that hard and came to the bout at his highest fighting weight ever. Rahman knocked out Le…
Lewis again showed his power as a fighter when he finally got the chance to fight Tyson in June 2002. Lewis had wanted this fight for years, but Tyson had avoided him. The pair even got into a scuffle at the press conference announcing the fight in February 2002. Tyson charged Lewis and bit him in the leg. The fight took place at the Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee, because Tyson had problems gettin…
Page, James. Black Olympian Medalists. Englewood, CO: 1991. Parry, Melanie, ed. Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Chambers, 1997. Associated Press (October 10, 2002). "Boxing: IBF Axed by Lewis." Birmingham Evening Mail (September 6, 2002): 83. "Boxing: Lewis Lines Up Title Defence in US Vitali Klitschko." Birmingham Evening Mail (December 21, 2002): 45. "Boxing:…
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