Lennox Lewis facts for kids

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Lennox Lewis

Lewis in 2010

Statistics

Real name

Lennox Claudius Lewis

Nickname(s)

The Lion

Rated at

Heavyweight

Height

6 ft 5 in

Reach

84 in

Nationality

British
Canadian

Born

2 September 1965 (age 59)
London, England

Stance

Orthodox

Boxing record

Total fights

Wins

Wins by KO

Losses

Draws

Medal record

Men's amateur boxing

Representing Canada
Olympic Games
Gold	1988 Seoul	Super-heavyweight
Commonwealth Games
Gold	1986 Edinburgh	Super-heavyweight
Pan American Games
Silver	1987 Indianapolis	Super-heavyweight
North American Championships
Gold	1985 Beaumont	Super-heavyweight
Gold	1987 Toronto	Super-heavyweight
World Cup
Silver	1985 Seoul	Super-heavyweight
Junior World Championships
Gold	1983 Santo Domingo	Super-heavyweight

Lennox Claudius Lewis (born 2 September 1965) is a famous boxing commentator and former professional boxer. He competed in the heavyweight division from 1989 to 2003. Lennox Lewis was a three-time world champion. He was also a two-time lineal champion, meaning he was seen as the true champion by beating the previous one. He held the undisputed championship, which means he held all the major world titles at the same time.

Lewis has both British and Canadian citizenship. He represented Canada as an amateur boxer in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. In 1988, he won the gold medal in the super-heavyweight division. Many people consider Lewis one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever. He is also seen as one of the best British fighters of all time.

In his first three years as a professional, Lewis won several regional heavyweight titles. These included the European, British, and Commonwealth titles. After winning his first 21 fights, he beat Donovan Ruddock in 1992. This made him the top contender in the World Boxing Council (WBC) rankings. He became the WBC heavyweight champion later that year. This happened after Riddick Bowe gave up the title instead of fighting Lewis.

Lewis defended his WBC title three times. However, he lost it in a surprising knockout to Oliver McCall in 1994. Lewis got his revenge in a 1997 rematch. He won back the WBC title, which was then empty.

In 1999, Lewis fought Evander Holyfield twice. The first fight ended in a controversial draw. After the second fight, Lewis became the undisputed heavyweight champion. He did this by combining his WBC title with Holyfield's World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles. In 2000, the WBA took away Lewis's title. This was because he chose to fight Michael Grant instead of their required challenger, John Ruiz. Similarly, the IBF took their title from Lewis in 2002. This happened when he chose not to fight their required challenger, Chris Byrd.

Lewis was knocked out by Hasim Rahman in a big upset in 2001. But he got his revenge later that year. Lewis won back the WBC, IBF, and heavyweight titles. In 2002, Lewis defeated Mike Tyson in one of boxing's most anticipated fights. Before this event, Lewis was given The Ring magazine heavyweight title. This title had not been used since the late 1980s. In what would be his last fight, Lewis beat Vitali Klitschko in 2003. He gave up his remaining titles and retired from boxing in 2004.

Early Life and Moving to Canada

Lennox Lewis was born on 2 September 1965 in West Ham, London. His parents were from Jamaica. His mother said he often got into fights with other children when he was young. At birth, he was a big baby, weighing 4.8 kilograms (10 pounds, 10 ounces). The doctor gave him the name Lennox, saying "he looked like a Lennox."

In 1977, when he was 12, Lewis moved to Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, with his mother. He went to Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute for high school. There, he was great at Canadian football, soccer, and basketball. In the 1982–83 school year, he helped his school's AAA basketball team win the championship for their province, Ontario.

Amateur Boxing Career

Lewis eventually decided that boxing was his favorite sport. He started boxing around 1978. He quickly became a very strong amateur boxer. In 1983, he won the gold medal at the Junior World Championships.

At 18, Lewis represented Canada in the super-heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was ranked sixth in the world by the AIBA at that time. He reached the quarter-finals but lost to Tyrell Biggs of the US. Biggs went on to win the gold medal. Even though Lewis was tall (6'5") and had a powerful punch, his coaches had to push him to be more aggressive. His amateur coaches, Arnie Boehm and Adrian Teodorescu, helped him win the Olympic title in 1988.

Lewis chose not to become a professional boxer after the 1984 Olympics. Instead, he boxed for four more years as an amateur. He hoped to get another chance to win a gold medal. In 1986, he won gold at the Commonwealth Games. He had a very close fight against Cuban boxer Jorge Luis González at the 1987 Pan American Games. Lewis got his revenge just eight days later, winning the North American amateur title.

After winning more amateur titles, he went to Seoul, South Korea, for the 1988 Summer Olympics. There, he achieved his goal. In the gold medal final, Lewis defeated Riddick Bowe. The referee stopped the fight in the second round, giving Lewis the win. This made Lewis the first super-heavyweight gold medalist to become a world heavyweight champion as a professional. Lewis was also Canada's flag bearer in the Games' closing ceremony. He was the first Canadian to win boxing gold in 56 years.

When Lewis turned professional, he had an amateur record of 85 wins and 9 losses. Some sources say he had 75 wins (58 by knockout) and 7 losses.

Professional Boxing Journey

After winning the Olympic gold, Lewis decided to become a professional boxer. He moved back to England, the country where he was born. He always felt British, but some fans saw him as Canadian because he represented Canada. Lewis explained that he moved to the UK because Canada didn't have the right support for professional boxers back then.

Lewis signed with boxing promoter Frank Maloney. His early professional career was full of quick wins against less experienced fighters.

Becoming a Champion in Europe and Britain

Lewis signed with American promoter Main Events. In 1990, he won the European heavyweight title. In March 1991, Lewis won the British title. In April 1992, he won the Commonwealth title. During this time, Lewis was one of the top five heavyweights in the world. He beat former champions and strong opponents.

On 31 October 1992, Lewis knocked out Donovan "Razor" Ruddock in just two rounds. This win made him the number one contender for the WBC title. It showed everyone that Lewis was one of the best heavyweights in the world.

First Time as WBC Heavyweight Champion

The win over Ruddock meant Lewis was next in line to challenge Riddick Bowe for his heavyweight championship. However, Bowe held a press conference and threw his WBC title belt into a trash can. He gave up the title to avoid fighting Lewis. So, on 14 December 1992, the WBC announced Lewis as its champion. This made him the first British-born world heavyweight champion in the 20th century.

Lewis defended his title three times. He beat Tony Tucker, Frank Bruno, and Phil Jackson by knockout. The fight between Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno was special. It was the first time two British-born boxers fought for a version of the world heavyweight title in modern boxing.

Losing and Regaining the Title

Lewis lost his WBC title to Oliver McCall on 24 September 1994. This was a big surprise. In the second round, McCall landed a powerful punch that knocked Lewis down. Lewis got up, but he was unsteady. The referee stopped the fight, giving McCall the win by technical knockout. Lewis and his team felt the fight was stopped too soon.

After this loss, Lewis decided he needed a new trainer. He chose Emanuel Steward, who had trained McCall. Steward helped Lewis improve his boxing style. He taught Lewis to use his strong jab more effectively. This jab became a key part of Lewis's fighting style for the rest of his career. Their partnership lasted until Lewis retired.

In his first fight back, Lewis won a chance to fight for the WBC title again. However, another boxer, Mike Tyson, got the first shot at the title instead. Lewis had to wait. He won other fights, including beating former WBO Champion Tommy Morrison. Lewis then successfully sued to make Tyson defend the WBC title against him. Lewis was offered a lot of money to fight Tyson. But he accepted less money to step aside, allowing Tyson to fight Bruce Seldon first. After winning the WBA title from Seldon, Tyson gave up the WBC title to fight Evander Holyfield. This made the WBC title empty again.

This led to a rematch between Lewis and Oliver McCall on 7 February 1997. In a very strange fight, McCall refused to box in the fourth and fifth rounds. He then started crying in the ring. The referee had to stop the fight, and Lewis won the title back. As the new WBC champion, Lewis defended his title against Henry Akinwande and Andrew Golota. He also beat Shannon Briggs and Željko Mavrović.

Becoming the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion

Lewis vs. Holyfield Fights

On 13 March 1999, Lewis faced Evander Holyfield in New York City. Holyfield held the WBA and IBF titles. This fight was meant to combine all the major heavyweight titles. Lewis fought smartly, using his long jab to keep Holyfield off balance. He landed many punches. Most people thought Lewis clearly won the fight. However, the fight was called a draw, which caused a lot of debate. Statistics showed Lewis landed 348 punches compared to Holyfield's 130.

The boxing organizations ordered a rematch. Eight months later, on 13 November 1999, they fought again. This time, the fight was more exciting. Lewis still landed more punches. All three judges scored the fight in favor of Lewis. He became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the World. This meant he held the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles at the same time. The British public voted Lewis the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1999.

Lewis said that Holyfield was his toughest opponent, even if not his toughest fight.

First Time as Unified Heavyweight Champion

After Lewis defeated Holyfield, the WBA told Lewis to defend his title against John Ruiz. Lewis was allowed to fight Michael Grant first, as long as he fought Ruiz next. Lewis agreed. However, a promoter challenged this in court. Because of this, the WBA took away Lewis's WBA belt.

Lewis went on to fight Michael Grant in April 2000. He successfully defended his WBC, IBO, and IBF titles with a knockout win in the second round. Later that year, Lewis knocked out Francois Botha in London. He then won a 12-round decision against David Tua in Las Vegas.

Losing and Regaining Titles Against Rahman

On 21 April 2001, Lewis was surprisingly knocked out by Hasim Rahman. Rahman was a big underdog, meaning few people expected him to win. This fight took place in South Africa.

Second Time as Unified Heavyweight Champion

Lewis vs. Rahman Rematch

Lewis immediately wanted a rematch with Rahman. However, Rahman tried to fight someone else. Lewis took Rahman to court to make him honor their rematch agreement. Rahman was ordered to fight Lewis next. During a TV show promoting the rematch, the two fighters got into a brawl. Lewis won back his WBC, IBF, and IBO heavyweight titles on 17 November. He outboxed Rahman and knocked him out in the fourth round.

Lewis vs. Tyson: A Historic Fight

On 8 June 2002, Lewis defended his title against Mike Tyson. This was one of the biggest boxing events at the time. Tyson had to pay Lewis money for biting him at a news conference before the fight. The fight was originally planned for Las Vegas, but it was moved to Memphis, Tennessee, due to Tyson's licensing issues.

By the end of the seventh round, Tyson looked tired. Lewis knocked him out in the eighth round with a right punch. After the fight, George Foreman, another boxing legend, said Lewis was "no doubt, the best heavyweight of all time." This fight made a lot of money, becoming the highest-grossing pay-per-view event in history at that time.

Lewis vs. Klitschko: The Final Battle

Lewis had to give up his IBF title in 2002 because he refused to fight Chris Byrd, the required challenger. In May 2003, Lewis planned to fight Kirk Johnson. But Johnson got injured. So, Lewis fought Vitali Klitschko instead. Klitschko was the WBC's top contender. Lewis had planned to fight Klitschko later in the year, but they agreed to fight on 21 June.

Lewis weighed his heaviest for this fight. Klitschko started strong and landed many punches in the early rounds. Lewis got a cut above Klitschko's eye in the third round. Lewis fought better from the fourth round on. Before the start of the seventh round, the doctor stopped the fight because of Klitschko's severe cut. Lewis won by technical knockout. Klitschko was ahead on all judges' scorecards when the fight was stopped.

Because Klitschko fought so bravely, fans wanted a rematch. Lewis initially liked the idea of a rematch. However, negotiations for the rematch didn't work out. Lewis announced his retirement in February 2004. He wanted to do other things, like sports management and music. Lewis said he would not return to the ring. When he retired, Lewis's record was 41 wins, two losses, and one draw. He had 32 wins by knockout.

Life Outside the Boxing Ring

Lewis in 2008

After retiring, Lewis has been involved in many activities.

In 2001, he appeared in the movie Ocean's Eleven, where he "boxed" against Wladimir Klitschko.
In 2002, he played himself on an episode of the TV show The Jersey.
In 2003, Lewis made a short appearance in a music video for Jennifer Lopez and LL Cool J.
In 2006, he was in the movie Johnny Was.
Lewis played in the World Series of Poker in 2006 and 2007.
He appeared on NBC's Celebrity Apprentice in 2008, finishing in fourth place.
Lewis made a public service announcement against domestic violence.
In 2011, he received an honorary doctorate from Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada.
He has his own charity, the Lennox Lewis Foundation. It helps disadvantaged children in Canada, Jamaica, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Lewis supports his hometown football club, West Ham United.
In 2018, Lewis was part of a ceremony at the White House to announce the pardon of boxer Jack Johnson.
In 2024, Lewis joined other famous London boxers for a mini-documentary called Four Kings.

Personal Life

Lennox Lewis is a Christian. He enjoys playing chess and even funded an after-school chess program for kids. One of these kids earned a university chess scholarship. Lewis has both British and Canadian citizenship. He married Violet Chang in 2005 after he retired from boxing. They have four children.

Lennox Lewis's Boxing Style

Lewis was known for his classic, upright boxing style. He used his long reach (213 cm or 84 inches) to keep opponents away and hit them from a distance. Early in his career, his jab was not very strong. But under trainer Emanuel Steward, his jab became a powerful weapon. He used it to set up his main punch, the straight right hand.

With Steward's help, Lewis became a more complete boxer. He was less dependent on just his right hand. Sometimes, people said he was too patient or not good at fighting up close. But Lewis was best when he boxed from a distance. He was also very strong physically. He could move opponents into punching range, especially taller ones. Lewis became one of the most well-rounded heavyweights. He could box from far away or fight aggressively when needed. He was also a hard puncher.

Lennox Lewis's Legacy in Boxing

Lennox Lewis was the seventh Olympic gold medalist to become a world heavyweight champion. He was the first professional heavyweight champion to win a gold medal in the super-heavyweight category. This category was only created in the 1984 Summer Olympics. He is also the only boxer to represent Canada in the Olympics and then win a professional world title. Lewis was the first boxer to hold the British heavyweight title and then win a world title.

Lewis became more popular and respected after he retired in 2003. Now, he is considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. He was the last undisputed heavyweight champion until May 2024.

Lewis is one of only two boxers in history to be given the heavyweight championship without winning a championship fight. This happened in 1992 when the WBC gave him their title. Riddick Bowe gave up the title instead of fighting Lewis. In 2001, Lewis became the fourth boxer to hold the world heavyweight championship three times.

Lewis defeated 15 boxers for the world heavyweight title, which is the fifth-most in history. His three reigns as champion lasted a total of 3,086 days (over 8 years and 5 months). This is the fourth-longest time as world heavyweight champion. He successfully defended his title 14 times, which is the fifth-highest in heavyweight history.

In 2018, Boxing News magazine ranked Lewis as the third-greatest heavyweight of all time. They said that at his best, Lewis was unbeatable. The Ring magazine ranked Lewis as the greatest heavyweight of the last thirty years. They called him "a giant who fought with finesse." Lewis is one of only three world heavyweight champions to retire with wins over every opponent he faced. He is also the only heavyweight to have gotten revenge for all his losses in the ring.

In 1999, he was named Fighter of the Year. He also won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. In 2008, Lewis was put into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Images for kids

Lewis in 2008