Lennox Lewis
A long jab, a heavy right, and every loss avenged.
- Born
- September 2, 1965, West Ham, London, England
- Nationality
United Kingdom
Canada- Height
- 196 cm (6′5″)
- Reach
- 213 cm (7′0″)
- Stance
- Orthodox
- Style
- Upright out-boxer
- Weight
- Heavyweight
- Active
- 1989–2003
- Status
- Retired · age 61
The record
Professional; matches IBHOF record
1988 Olympic gold for Canada (super heavyweight)
The story
orn in West Ham, London, Lennox Lewis moved to Kitchener, Ontario, at 12 and boxed for Canada at two Olympics, winning super heavyweight gold in Seoul in 1988 by stopping Riddick Bowe in the final. He turned pro in London in 1989, won British, European and Commonwealth titles and became WBC champion in 1992 when Bowe gave up the belt rather than face him. Shock knockouts by Oliver McCall in 1994 and Hasim Rahman in 2001 each cost him the title, and he won both rematches by stoppage. He became undisputed champion by beating Evander Holyfield in 1999 and knocked out Mike Tyson in 2002. His last fight was a 2003 stoppage of Vitali Klitschko, and he retired having beaten every man he faced.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- Undisputed heavyweight champion (1999–2000)
- WBC heavyweight champion (3 reigns)
- Lineal heavyweight champion (2 reigns)
- British, European and Commonwealth heavyweight champion
- International Boxing Hall of Fame (2009)
- Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (2008)
- BWAA Fighter of the Year (1999)
- CBE and Member of the Order of Canada
Defining fights
- 1992WINvs Donovan Ruddock (TKO 2)
- 1994LOSSvs Oliver McCall (TKO 2, lost WBC title)
- 1999WINvs Evander Holyfield (UD 12, undisputed heavyweight title)
- 2001WINvs Hasim Rahman (KO 4, regained titles)
- 2002WINvs Mike Tyson (KO 8)
Make the jab your range-finder: under Emanuel Steward, Lewis turned a pawing jab into the weapon that set up his straight right. Drill jab-jab-right hand at long range and learn to keep opponents on the end of it.
