Lennox Lewis is a three-time world heavyweight champion and the last undisputed champion. He won Olympic gold and is considered one of the greatest boxers.
Lennox Lewis, a former professional boxer, became a three-time world heavyweight champion during his boxing career. He held the undisputed championship and is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.
In 1983, Lennox Lewis won the gold medal at the Junior World Championships as an amateur boxer.
At the age of 18, Lennox Lewis represented Canada in the super-heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He reached the quarter-finals but lost to Tyrell Biggs.
Valeriy Abadzhyan from the Soviet Union was the only opponent to defeat Lewis in amateurs by stopping him in October 1986.
Lennox Lewis represented Canada at the 1988 Olympics and won a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division. This victory marked a significant achievement in his amateur boxing career.
Lewis won the European heavyweight title in 1990 by defeating Frenchman Jean Maurice Chanet.
In March 1991, Lewis won the British heavyweight title by defeating undefeated Gary Mason.
On 31 October 1992, Lewis knocked out Canadian Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock in two rounds, establishing himself as one of the world's best heavyweights.
On 14 December 1992, Lennox Lewis was declared the WBC heavyweight champion after Riddick Bowe relinquished the title to avoid a mandatory defense against him.
The fight between Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno was significant as it was the first time two British-born boxers fought for a version of the world heavyweight title in the modern era.
In a surprising upset, Lennox Lewis lost his WBC title to Oliver McCall after being knocked down by a powerful right cross in the second round at Wembley Arena in London.
In October 1995, Lennox Lewis defeated former WBO Champion Tommy Morrison, winning the minor IBC title.
In May 1996, Lennox Lewis won a close majority decision against Olympic gold medallist and former WBO champion Ray Mercer.
On February 7, 1997, Lennox Lewis faced Oliver McCall in a rematch for the WBC title. McCall's unusual behavior led to Lewis being declared the winner and regaining the title.
In 1998, Lennox Lewis knocked out lineal champion Shannon Briggs to retain the WBC world title.
In a controversial bout in New York City, Lennox Lewis faced Evander Holyfield for the heavyweight unification title. Despite landing more punches and dominating the fight, it was declared a draw, sparking much debate.
In a rematch in Las Vegas, Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in a more entertaining fight, showcasing a shift in tactics. Lewis won unanimously and became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
In April 2000, Lennox Lewis successfully defended his WBC, IBO, and IBF titles against Michael Grant with a second-round knockout victory in Madison Square Garden.
Later in 2000, Lennox Lewis won a 12-round decision against David Tua in Las Vegas, after knocking out Francois Botha in two rounds in London.
On 21 April 2001, Lennox Lewis was unexpectedly knocked out by Hasim Rahman in South Africa, in a bout where Rahman was a 20-to-1 underdog.
Lennox Lewis regained his title by knocking out Hasim Rahman in the fourth round of their rematch on 17 November 2001, after a legal battle to enforce the rematch clause.
On 8 June 2002, Lennox Lewis defended his title against Mike Tyson at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee, winning the fight with a knockout in the eighth round.
In June 2003, Lennox Lewis faced Vitali Klitschko in a highly anticipated boxing match at the Staples Center in California. The fight ended in a TKO victory for Lewis due to a severe cut above Klitschko's eye, with Klitschko leading on all three judges' scorecards.
In February 2004, Lennox Lewis announced his retirement from boxing to pursue other interests, including sports management and music promotion. He vacated the title and stated he would not return to the ring.
In 2006, Lennox Lewis mentioned that his fight with Željko Mavrović was the most awkward win of his career.
In 2008, Riddick Bowe antagonized Lennox Lewis, prompting Lewis to jokingly mention that he would come out of retirement to beat him up for free. This response was triggered by Bowe's call-out after Lewis had retired.
In 2009, Lennox Lewis was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
In 2011, Riddick Bowe confronted Lennox Lewis over Twitter, challenging him to a fight for the gold medal. Lewis responded by recalling their past interactions, indicating that he thought they had already settled matters.
In 2012, Lennox Lewis was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.
Boxing News ranked Lennox Lewis as the second best British fighter of all time in 2017, following Jimmy Wilde. This recognition solidified Lewis's status as a legendary figure in British boxing history.
On May 24, 2018, Lennox Lewis participated in an Oval Office ceremony to announce the pardon of boxer Jack Johnson.