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Lennox Claudius Lewis (born 2 September 1965) is a British-Canadian boxing commentator and former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division from 1989 to 2003. He was a three-time world champion, a two-time lineal champion, and held the undisputed championship. Holding dual British and Canadian citizenship, Lewis represented Canada as an amateur boxer at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, winning the super-heavyweight gold medal in 1988. Lewis is regarded by many as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, and one of the greatest Canadian boxers of all time.
In his first three years as a professional, Lewis won several regional heavyweight championships, including the European, British, and Commonwealth titles. After winning his first 21 fights, he defeated Donovan Ruddock in 1992 to take over the number one position in the World Boxing Council (WBC) rankings. He was declared WBC heavyweight champion later that year after Riddick Bowe gave up the title, refusing to defend it against Lewis. He defended the title three times before an upset knockout loss to Oliver McCall in 1994. Lewis avenged the loss in a 1997 rematch to regain the vacant WBC title.
Two fights against Evander Holyfield in 1999 (the first ending in a controversial draw while the rematch was won via unanimous decision) saw Lewis become undisputed heavyweight champion by unified champion his WBC title with Holyfield's World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles. In 2000, the WBA stripped Lewis of his title when he chose to face Michael Grant in April instead of mandatory challenger John Ruiz. Similarly, the IBF stripped Lewis of their title in 2002 when he chose not to face their mandatory challenger Chris Byrd.
Lewis was knocked out by Hasim Rahman in an upset in 2001, but this defeat was avenged later in the year, with Lewis regaining the WBC and IBF titles. In 2002, Lewis defeated Mike Tyson in one of the most highly anticipated fights in boxing history. Prior to the event, Lewis was awarded the Ring magazine heavyweight title, which had been discontinued in the late 1980s. In what would be his final fight, Lewis defeated Vitali Klitschko by stoppage in 2003. He eventually vacated his remaining titles and retired from boxing in February of 2004.
Lewis moved to Kitchener, Ontario, Canada with his mother in 1977 at the age of 12. He attended Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute for high school, where he excelled in Canadian football, soccer, and basketball. In the 1982–83 school year, he helped the school's AAA basketball team win the Ontario provincial championship. OFSAA Past Champions Boys' Basketball OFSAA. Accessed on 28 December 2015. Boxer Lennox Lewis to receive honorary doctorate Share. Accessed on 28 December 2015.
Lewis chose not to turn professional after the Olympics, and instead fought four more years as an amateur, hoping for a second chance to win a gold medal. At the 1986 World Championships, he lost in the preliminary round to [[Petar Stoimenov]] of Bulgaria. Later that year, Lewis won gold at the Commonwealth Games. He had a close fight against Cuban Jorge Luis González at the 1987 Pan American Games super-heavyweight finals: the American judge scored the bout in favour of Lewis 60–57, while the judges from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Uruguay scored the bout 59–58 for González.[https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-aug-24-1987-p-37/ In the Arena: Canada closed off the 10th Pan American Games with a silver medal in the boxing ring], ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 24 August 1987, p. 37. He avenged the loss shortly thereafter, boxing for the North American amateur title eight days later.
After winning several more amateur titles in the following years, he travelled to Seoul, South Korea, for the 1988 Summer Olympics and achieved his goal. In the gold medal final, Lewis defeated Riddick Bowe with a second-round referee stopped contest (RSC). Lewis became the first super-heavyweight gold medallist to become world heavyweight champion as a professional. In the Games' closing ceremony, Lewis was Canada's flag bearer. Lewis became the first Canadian to win boxing gold in 56 years. All The Games Are Over, Medicine Hat News, 3 October 1988, p. 1.
Lewis, upon turning professional, had registered an amateur record of 85–9. Lennox Lewis at the International Boxing Hall of Fame Web-site. HBO Boxing credited him with a shorter amateur record of 75 wins (58 by knockout) and 7 losses. Of all losses on the record, Valeriy Abadzhyan of the Soviet Union was the only opponent to stop Lewis in amateurs, in October 1986. Valeriy Abadzhyan Partial Record – Amateur Boxing Results
After winning the Olympic gold, Lewis was approached immediately by big-time American , including Bob Arum. However, he was not overly impressed by their contract offers and thought about signing a professional contract with a Toronto-based promotion group. "I feel like a basketball player being scouted by scouts down in the States. I don't want anyone controlling me. These (offers) coming to me after the Olympics are mainly because I won the gold." Sports by Martin Clean, The Ottawa Citizen, 25 October 1988, p. 68.
Lewis signed with boxing promoter Frank Maloney and his early professional career was filled with knockouts of journeymen, as well as fighters such as Osvaldo Ocasio.
On 31 October 1992, Lewis knocked out Canadian Donovan Ruddock in two rounds for the number one contender's position in the WBC rankings. It was Lewis's most impressive win to date and established him as one of the world's best heavyweights. Sportscaster Larry Merchant declared, "We have a great new heavyweight."
Lewis defended the belt three times, defeating Tony Tucker, whom he knocked down for the first time in Tucker's career, and Frank Bruno and Phil Jackson by knockout. The Lennox Lewis vs. Frank Bruno fight was the first time two British-born boxers fought for a version of the world heavyweight title in the modern era. Bruno vs. Lewis: A Personal Battle of Britain. Nytimes.com (10 August 1993). Retrieved on 25 November 2011.
After the fight, Lewis decided he needed a new trainer to replace Pepe Correa, who had become increasingly difficult to work with. Correa denounced Lewis in public after being fired. Renowned trainer Emanuel Steward, who had been McCall's trainer during their fight, was Lewis's choice. Even before the fight with McCall, Steward had seen much potential in Lewis and immediately expressed a desire to work with him. He corrected several of Lewis's technical flaws, which included maintaining a more balanced orthodox stance, less reliance on his cross, and a focus on using a strong, authoritative jab; the latter of which would become a hallmark of Lewis's style throughout the rest of his career. Their partnership lasted until Lewis's retirement.Evans, Gavin (19 September 2005). Mama's Boy: Lennox Lewis and the Heavyweight Crown. Highdown Publishing. .
Lewis had the number 1 contender's slot in the WBC rankings when he knocked out Australian Justin Fortune, then defeated former WBO Champion Tommy Morrison in October 1995, winning the minor IBC title. This was followed by a close majority decision win over Olympic gold medallist and former WBO champion Ray Mercer in May 1996. Lewis successfully sued to force Tyson to make a mandatory defence of the WBC title against him. Lewis was offered a $13.5 million guarantee to fight Tyson to settle the lawsuit, but turned it down. This would have been Lewis's highest fight purse to date. Lewis accepted $4 million from Don King to step aside and allow Tyson to fight Bruce Seldon instead, with a guarantee that if Tyson defeated Seldon, he would fight Lewis next. After winning the WBA title from Seldon, Tyson relinquished the WBC title to fight Evander Holyfield instead. The WBC title was declared vacant. This set up a rematch between Lewis and McCall, who met on 7 February 1997 in Las Vegas for the WBC title.
In one of the strangest fights in boxing history, McCall, who had lost the first three rounds, refused to box in the fourth and fifth rounds. He then began crying in the ring, forcing the referee to stop the fight and award Lewis the victory and the title. As newly recrowned WBC champion, Lewis successfully defended the title in 1997 against fellow Briton and former WBO world champion Henry Akinwande, who was disqualified after five rounds for excessive clinching. Lewis then met Poland's Andrew Golota, whom he knocked out in the first round. Lewis retained the WBC world title in 1998 when he knocked out lineal champion Shannon Briggs, who had recently outpointed George Foreman in a controversial fight to win the lineal title in five rounds, and beat formerly undefeated European champion Zeljko Mavrovic from Croatia in a 12-round unanimous decision. Lewis stated in 2006 that his fight with Mavrovic was the most awkward win of his career. SecondsOut Boxing News – UK Features – Lennox Lewis: Consummate Cool. Secondsout.com (27 October 2006). Retrieved on 25 November 2011.
Lewis did not view either bout with Evander Holyfield as among his most difficult, but conceded Holyfield tested his limits more than any other boxer.
Lewis proceeded to fight the 203 cm (6 foot 7 inch) American Michael Grant, whom he considered the best contender available. He successfully defended his WBC, IBO and IBF titles against Grant with a second-round knockout victory in Madison Square Garden in April 2000.
Later that same year, Lewis knocked out South African Francois Botha in two rounds in London, before winning a 12-round decision against New Zealander and IBF mandatory opponent, David Tua in Las Vegas.
By the end of the seventh round Tyson was tired and sluggish, his face swollen and his eyes cut. He was knocked out in the eighth by a right cross. After the fight, George Foreman declared, "He Lewis is, no doubt, the best heavyweight of all time. What he's done clearly puts him on top of the heap." Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson – Part 5/5. YouTube. Retrieved on 25 November 2011. This was the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history, generating US$106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the US, until it was surpassed by De La Hoya-Mayweather in 2007. Both fighters were guaranteed US$17.5 million.
Lewis scheduled a fight with Kirk Johnson for June, but when Johnson suffered an injury in training, Lewis fought Vitali Klitschko, the WBC's No. 1 contender and former WBO champion. Lewis had planned to fight him in December, but since Klitschko had been on the undercard of the Johnson fight anyway, they agreed to square off on 21 June. Lewis entered the ring at a career high 116 kg (256 pounds). Lewis was dominated in the early rounds and was wobbled in round two by solid Klitschko punches. Lewis opened a cut above Klitschko's eye with a right cross in the third round and gave a better showing from the fourth round onwards. With both fighters looking tired before the start of round seven, the doctor advised that the fight should be stopped because of a severe cut above Klitschko's left eye, awarding Lewis victory by TKO. Klitschko was leading 58–56 on all three judges' scorecards when the fight was stopped. Lewis was guaranteed US$7 million and Klitschko US$1.4 million. The gate was US$2,523,384 from an attendance of 15,939 at the Staples Center in California. The fight aired live on HBO's World Championship Boxing with approximately 7 million viewers.
Interviewed about the fight by HBO, Dr. Paul Wallace explained his decision to stop the fight:
When he raised his head up, his upper eyelid covered his field of vision. At that point I had no other option but to stop the fight. If he had to move his head to see me, there was no way he could defend his way against a punch.Klitschko's face required sixty stitches. "BOXING; 60 Stitches for Klitschko", The New York Times, 25 June 2003, retrieved 23 December 2010. "National Conference Call Transcript: Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko, Cut Man Joe Souza, Dr. Pearlman Hicks, Attorney Ron DiNicola" , eastsideboxing.com, retrieved 23 December 2010. "Relief for Lewis, stitches for Klitschko", BBC, 22 June 2003 retrieved 23 December 2010.
Because Klitschko had fought so bravely against Lewis, boxing fans soon began calling for a rematch. The WBC agreed, and kept the Ukraine as its No. 1 contender. Lewis initially was in favour of a rematch:
I want the rematch, I enjoyed that fight. It was just a fight. We went at it. You have to play dollars and cents but I'm opting more for the rematch.Negotiations for the rematch followed but Lewis changed his mind. Instead, Klitschko fought and defeated Kirk Johnson on 6 December in WBC Eliminator, setting up a mandatory rematch with Lewis. Lewis announced his retirement shortly thereafter in February 2004, to pursue other interests, including sports management and music promotion, and vacated the title. Lewis said he would not return to the ring. At his retirement, Lewis's record was 41 wins, two losses and one draw, with 32 wins by knockout.
In 2011, Bowe again confronted Lewis, this time over Twitter, demanding he "put his gold medal on and let's fight for that!!", where Lewis remarked "I thought we already did."
Lewis worked as a boxing analyst for HBO on Boxing After Dark from 2006 until 2010.
While struggling to achieve popularity and respect earlier in his professional career, Lewis's standing has increased since his retirement in 2003, and he is now considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Struggling to win the affection of the British public and facing indifference from an American audience, Lewis's body of work eventually established him as the dominant heavyweight of his time. He was the last undisputed heavyweight champion, until May 2024, when Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury.
Lewis became one of only two boxers in history, and the first since Ken Norton in 1978, to have been awarded the heavyweight championship without actually winning a championship bout when the WBC awarded him their title in 1992. This was due to Riddick Bowe relinquishing the title after failing to agree to defend the title against Lewis, who had become the mandatory challenger by defeating Donovan Ruddock a few weeks earlier. In 2001, Lewis became the fourth boxer (after Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield and Michael Moorer) to have held the world heavyweight championship on three occasions.
Lewis defeated 15 boxers for the world heavyweight title, the fifth-most in history. His combined three reigns tally 3,086 days (8 years, 5 months and 13 days), which ranks as the fourth-longest cumulative time spent as world heavyweight champion. His total of fourteen successful defences ranks as the fifth-highest in heavyweight history. At four years, two months and fifteen days, Lewis has the twelfth-longest reign in heavyweight championship history. As of December 2024, BoxRec ranks Lennox as the 55th greatest fighter of all time, pound for pound.
In 2018, Boxing News ranked Lewis as the third-greatest heavyweight of all time, behind Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis. While acknowledging that he could occasionally be vulnerable, the magazine stated that at his best, Lewis was as unbeatable as any heavyweight in history. In 2017, Boxing News also ranked Lewis as the second best British fighter of all time, after Jimmy Wilde. In the same year, The Ring magazine ranked Lewis as both the greatest heavyweight of the last thirty years and the joint-eleventh greatest heavyweight of all time (alongside Evander Holyfield), describing him as "a giant who fought with finesse" who beat every available contender. Thomas Hauser stated that the idea of Lewis having no chin was a myth, citing his rising from the powerful punch from Oliver McCall which floored Lewis for the first knockdown of his career, and suggesting that he was perhaps stopped prematurely. He also contended that the knockout punch from Hasim Rahman in their first fight would have knocked out anyone. In 2003, The Ring ranked Lewis 33rd in their list of greatest punchers of all time.
Along with Ingemar Johansson and Rocky Marciano, Lewis is one of three world heavyweight champions to have retired with victories over every opponent he faced as a professional. Unlike Johansson, who lost twice to Floyd Patterson after winning their first bout, Lewis is the only heavyweight to have avenged all his in-ring defeats. He is also, along with Gene Tunney, Marciano and Vitali Klitschko, one of four heavyweight champions to have ended his career as world champion, and with a world title fight victory in his final fight.
In 1999, he was named Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America, as well as BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In 2008, Lewis was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. In 2009, in his first year of eligibility, Lewis was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
In 2001, Lewis had a role in the film Ocean's Eleven in which he "boxed" against Wladimir Klitschko.
In 2002, Lewis was reportedly offered £5m by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) chairman Vince McMahon to take up professional wrestling in his industry. His camp held discussions over a possible match with Brock Lesnar in February 2003, at the No Way Out pay-per-view event. BBC Sport | Funny Old Game | Fox set to box. BBC News (11 October 2002). Retrieved on 25 November 2011. Prior to the offer Lewis was familiar with wrestling; he was part of the famous match held in the old Wembley Stadium between The British Bulldog and Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam in 1992, representing the Bulldog during his entrance while bearing a Union Flag.
In 2002, Lewis played himself on an episode of The Jersey called "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad Jersey".
In 2003, Lewis made a brief cameo appearance in the Jennifer Lopez and LL Cool J video "All I Have".
In 2006, he appeared in the movie Johnny Was with Vinnie Jones.
Lewis played in the World Series of Poker in both 2006 and 2007, and was knocked out without winning any money.
Lewis appeared on NBC's Celebrity Apprentice in 2008. He came in fourth place (out of 14).
Lewis made a public service announcement against domestic violence for Do Something.
In 2011, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. He also has his own charitable foundation called the Lennox Lewis foundation which helps disadvantaged children in Canada, Jamaica, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Lewis is a supporter of his home town football club, West Ham United. Lennox Lewis would make ring return to fight Wladimir Klitschko... for $100m London 24, 10 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
On 24 May 2018, Lewis was part of an Oval Office ceremony to announce the pardon of boxer Jack Johnson. Trump Pardons Jack Johnson, Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
In 2024, Lewis joined fellow London boxers – Frank Bruno, Nigel Benn, and Chris Eubank – for a mini documentary, Four Kings.
| 44 | Win | Vitali Klitschko | TKO | 6 (12), | 21 Jun 2003 | ||||
| 43 | Win | 40–2–1 | Mike Tyson | KO | 8 (12), | 8 Jun 2002 | |||
| 42 | Win | 39–2–1 | Hasim Rahman | KO | 4 (12), | 17 Nov 2001 | |||
| 41 | Loss | 38–2–1 | Hasim Rahman | KO | 5 (12), | 22 Apr 2001 | |||
| 40 | Win | 38–1–1 | David Tua | UD | 12 | 11 Nov 2000 | |||
| 39 | Win | 37–1–1 | Francois Botha | TKO | 2 (12), | 15 Jul 2000 | |||
| 38 | Win | 36–1–1 | Michael Grant | KO | 2 (12), | 29 Apr 2000 | |||
| 37 | Win | 35–1–1 | Evander Holyfield | UD | 12 | 13 Nov 1999 | |||
| 36 | Draw | 34–1–1 | Evander Holyfield | 12 | 13 Mar 1999 | ||||
| 35 | Win | 34–1 | Željko Mavrović | UD | 12 | 26 Sep 1998 | |||
| 34 | Win | 33–1 | Shannon Briggs | TKO | 5 (12), | 28 Mar 1998 | |||
| 33 | Win | 32–1 | Andrew Golota | KO | 1 (12), | 4 Oct 1997 | |||
| 32 | Win | 31–1 | Henry Akinwande | DQ | 5 (12), | 12 Jul 1997 | |||
| 31 | Win | 30–1 | Oliver McCall | TKO | 5 (12), | 7 Feb 1997 | |||
| 30 | Win | 29–1 | Ray Mercer | 10 | 10 May 1996 | ||||
| 29 | Win | 28–1 | Tommy Morrison | TKO | 6 (12), | 7 Oct 1995 | |||
| 28 | Win | 27–1 | Justin Fortune | TKO | 4 (10), | 2 Jul 1995 | |||
| 27 | Win | 26–1 | Lionel Butler | TKO | 5 (12), | 13 May 1995 | |||
| 26 | Loss | 25–1 | Oliver McCall | TKO | 2 (12), | 24 Sep 1994 | |||
| 25 | Win | 25–0 | Phil Jackson | TKO | 8 (12), | 6 May 1994 | |||
| 24 | Win | 24–0 | Frank Bruno | TKO | 7 (12), | 1 Oct 1993 | |||
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Tony Tucker | UD | 12 | 8 May 1993 | |||
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Donovan Ruddock | TKO | 2 (12), | 31 Oct 1992 | |||
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Mike Dixon | TKO | 4 (10), | 11 Aug 1992 | |||
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Derek Williams | TKO | 3 (12), | 30 Apr 1992 | |||
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Levi Billups | UD | 10 | 1 Feb 1992 | |||
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Tyrell Biggs | TKO | 3 (10), | 23 Nov 1991 | |||
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Glenn McCrory | KO | 2 (12), | 30 Sep 1991 | |||
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Mike Weaver | KO | 6 (10), | 12 Jul 1991 | |||
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Gary Mason | TKO | 7 (12), | 6 Mar 1991 | |||
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Jean-Maurice Chanet | TKO | 6 (12), | 31 Oct 1990 | |||
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Mike Acey | KO | 2 (10), | 11 Jul 1990 | |||
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Ossie Ocasio | 8 | 27 Jun 1990 | ||||
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Dan Murphy | TKO | 6 (8), | 20 May 1990 | |||
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Jorge Dascola | KO | 1 (8), | 9 May 1990 | |||
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Michael Simuwelu | TKO | 1 (8), | 14 Apr 1990 | |||
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Calvin Jones | KO | 1 (8), | 22 Mar 1990 | |||
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Noel Quarless | TKO | 2 (6), | 31 Jan 1990 | |||
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Greg Gorrell | TKO | 5 (8), | 18 Dec 1989 | |||
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Melvin Epps | 2 (6), | 5 Nov 1989 | ||||
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Steve Garber | KO | 1 (6) | 10 Oct 1989 | |||
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Andrew Gerrard | TKO | 4 (6), | 25 Sep 1989 | |||
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Bruce Johnson | 2 (6) | 21 Jul 1989 | ||||
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Al Malcolm | 2 (6), | 27 Jun 1989 |
| Evander Holyfield vs. Lennox Lewis | Sky Box Office | 400,000 | ||
| Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson | Sky Box Office | 750,000 | ||
British Columbia Golden Gloves (91 kg), [[Toronto]], Ontario, May 1982:
Canada Winter Games (+81 kg), Chicoutimi, Quebec, February 1983:
II Junior World Championships (+91 kg), Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, June 1983:
USA–Canada Duals (+91 kg), Edmonton, Alberta, February 1984:
Canadian Senior Championships (+91 kg), Trois Rivieres, Quebec, April 1984:
Canadian Senior Championships (+91 kg), Medicine Hat, Alberta, March 1985:
XI Albena Open Tournament (+91 kg), Albena, Bulgaria, June 1985:
North American Championships (+91 kg), Beaumont, Texas, August 1985:
III World Cup (+91 kg), [[Seoul]], South Korea, November 1985:
Canadian Senior Championships (+91 kg), Cornwall, Ontario, March 1986:
XIII Commonwealth Games (+91 kg), Edinburgh, Scotland, July 1986:
Quebec Cup (+91 kg), [[Montreal]], Quebec, December 1986:
Stockholm Open (+91 kg), [[Stockholm]], Sweden, January 1987:
Canadian Senior Championships (+91 kg), Oromocto, New Brunswick, April 1987:
French Open (+91 kg), [[Saint-Nazaire]], [[France]], April 1987:
Pan American Games (+91 kg), [[Indianapolis]], Indiana, August 1987:
North American Championships (+91 kg), [[Toronto]], Ontario, August 1987:
Feliks Stamm Memorial (+91 kg), Warsaw, Poland, November 1987:
Canadian Senior Championships (101 kg), [[Edmonton]], Alberta, March 1988:
Intercup (+91 kg), [[Karlsruhe]], [[West Germany]], April 1988:
Canada Cup (+91 kg), [[Ottawa]], Ontario, June 1988:
XXIV Summer Olympics (+91 kg), [[Seoul]], South Korea, September–October 1988:
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