Lewis Lennox is rightfully on a par with such great heavyweight athletes as Mohammed Ali, George Foreman, Larry Holmes and Michael Tyson. It’s not even that Lennox has won champion belts in all significant associations and is adjacent to the stars of professional boxing in various halls of fame. The first two titans of the British-Canadian heavyweight were united by a successful amateur career, which ended with the highest result - the Olympic gold medal.
Lewis’s sporting destiny has an individual difference: he belongs to the European boxing school and, after a huge temporary break, returned her laurels of superiority over the rest. And most importantly, he managed to leave the ring at the pinnacle of fame - the owner of a champion belt.
Way from England to Canada via Seoul
Lennox was born in September 1965 in the suburbs of London - West Ham, known for its football club. But the black man preferred boxing to a football or rugby career. Lennox Lewis had excellent physical data for the future champion. He quickly waved at 2 meters, was long-armed and never had extra pounds of weight.
British boxing by that time, despite the title of ancestor and centuries-old traditions, had long lost weight in the European amateur arena, where representatives of socialist countries were considered the strongest. Lewis immediately began to speak in the heavy weight category and spent 105 fights in almost 10 years, in 94 of which he won. At one time he was a triumph of the youth world championship, silver medalist of the world championship, medalist of the championship of North America and the Pan American Games. On the second attempt, he received the title of winner of the Olympic Games in Seoul.
Before the competition, the boxer changed his place of residence and citizenship, moving to Canada. Despite the fact that South Korea was boycotted by Cuban boxers, who were considered “trendsetters,” in the final, Lewis Lennox defeated the younger American Riddick Bow, who, recovering from defeat, very successfully began his professional career. Quite quickly, he became a world champion. However, the memory of Lenny's “cast-iron fists” was so strong that after 4 years he refused to enter the ring against Lewis.
Riddick Bow Gift
Having a little rest from the Olympic fights, since 1989 Lewis began a progressive movement to the heights of professional boxing. It was the heyday of the talent of the “iron” Mike Tyson, to which Evander Holyfield had already begun to creep. A whole group of talented youth rushed to the top of the rating, among them were Tyrell Biggs and the same Riddick Bow, who competed with super-veteran George Forman, who discovered a "second wind" in himself. At the same time, 3 competing boxing associations awarded champion titles. A year later, Lewis Lennox knocked out a promising future champion Ossi Okato and fell into the focus of attention of promoters.
In 1992, Lennox wedged himself into the four main contenders and, on his way to the finals, after 12 years, avenged Donovan Raddock by technical knockout for his defeat in the amateur ring. After that, an episode with Bowe's categorical rejection occurred, and Lewis was declared the WBC champion.
Champion's Burden: Lennox Lewis' Best Fights
In May 1993, the first successful defense of the champion title in a battle against the experienced Tony Tucker took place. The battle turned out to be extremely persistent. Twice an account was opened for Tucker, but 3 times Lewis himself “sailed” and was close to knockdown. The next battle with fellow Briton Franco Bruno was even more stubborn. The hall unanimously supported the applicant. Inspired Franco made a real meat grinder in the “square” and had an undeniable advantage, but in the 7th round he missed the most powerful Lennox “two”.
Long-armed Lewis Lennox always tried to use this advantage and scored points from a distance with jabs, while approaching, powerfully punching the left side and right cross. But in the battle with the Pole Andrzej Golota, he was simply unrecognizable and resembled Tyson's young years with his indefatigable aggressiveness. From the first seconds, he stifled the opponent’s will with pressure. Lenny met with the “iron” himself in 1996 and knocked him out in the 10th round.
Two fixed misfires
During his professional career, Lennox Lewis was defeated in only two fights - against Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman. The first, surprisingly, quickly knocked out the British-Canadian, the second had to spend 2 times more time on the victory over the champion. In both cases, Lewis immediately demanded revenge and won. McCall in the second meeting, most of the time he ran away from the opponent, dropped his hands and, according to eyewitnesses, even cried, but in the 5th round, reckoning in the guise of a technical knockout overtook him. Rahman for a long time avoided a second meeting and entered the ring, obliged to do so by court order. In the 4th round, he woke up lying on the canvas of the ring, and the final blow of Lewis received the title of “Knockout of the Year”.
Lewis is the absolute champion
Lennox had to take this peak on the second attempt. The first was a rare draw for boxing. Veteran Evander Holyfield, who successfully opposed Tyson and lost part of his ear while doing this, very prudently spent both fights, but in the second relative youth prevailed over unconditional experience, and this decision of the match referee was not certain. Holyfield looked just great, the fight was equal. In November 1999, the world recognized the name of the new absolute champion.
The last chord: the fight "Vitali Klitschko - Lennox Lewis"
In 2003, challenger Kirk Johnson, due to an injury a few weeks before the scheduled date of the fight, was replaced by Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko. Lewis entered the ring in a relaxed state - lack of motivation, a little-known opponent, and his age began to affect his physical condition. The first 2 rounds he was only able to fight off the attacks of Vitali. Mobilizing, Lennox was able to level the course of the fight, but the outcome of the battle was still unpredictable. A strong cut did not allow Vitaly to work out the 12 rounds set for the champion battle. Standing on a canvas filled with his own blood, he immediately demanded revenge, but Lennox showed wisdom and did not begin to tempt a changeable fate. After this fight, he forever hung gloves on a nail.
Lennox Lewis has never been scandalous and extravagant behavior. His world fame is based on outstanding talent, enormous capacity for work and perseverance - components of success for any athlete.