5 things you didn’t know about Lennox Lewis!

Today at BoxingGuru we celebrate another recent legend of the sport. Lennox Lewis is commonly referred to as the last undisputed heavyweight champion so, for his birthday, we have compiled some facts not everyone does know about the 55-year-old.

5) He is undefeated in fights against Hall-of-Famers:

This should come as no surprise as Lewis has beaten every opponent he’s faced. Complimentary to his star-studded resume, ‘The Lion’ fought three Hall-of-Famers throughout his career: Mike Tyson, Vitali Klitschko, and Evander Holyfield. The latter was the only one to go the distance twice with Lewis, yet this was the most defining win for the Brit as his unanimous decision victory in the rematch saw him become the undisputed heavyweight champion.

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4) He won 9 Gold Medals as an amateur:

Throughout boxing history, we have witnessed the boxers with the stellar amateur backgrounds to usually replicate that success in the paid ranks. That is exactly what Lewis did as his fanbase, comprised of two continents, had high expectations after he impressed countless times as an amateur. The self-proclaimed ‘pugilist specialist’ won nine gold medals before he turned pro, representing Canada on any world stage. His last medal being the commendable one of all as it was won on the biggest stage of them all, the Olympics. Lewis triumphed in this global competition in Seoul in 1988.

3) He trained at Kronk gym under Emanuel Steward:

Older fans who had the privilege of watching Lewis perform throughout the ’90s will remember this change vividly. After hall-of-fame trainer ‘Manny’ Steward coached Oliver McCall to cause an upset, handing ‘The Lion’ his first professional loss and with it his WBC belt in 1994, The Kronk owner ended up jumping ship to help the Londoner regain his title. This was an alliance five years overdue as Steward wanted to train the three-time champ when he turned pro in 1989. Lewis stayed under the wing of the late great coach throughout his next two title reigns until his retirement. The 6’5 man-mountain maximized his potential, utilizing his range and power with the Kronk style and defeated a brother of the Detroit gyms’ very own students in Vitali Klitschko.

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2) He avenged his only 2 losses:

In 1994, the undefeated WBC champion Lennox Lewis’ suffered the first loss of his career against Oliver McCall in a huge upset. It took 2 and a half years for the rematch to be agreed with Don King but the wait was worth it as Lewis humiliated a troubled McCall to the point where he stopped fighting – forcing Mills Lane to stop the fight in the 5th. 13 wins and 4 years later, Lewis took on American Hasim Rahman who held a record of 34-2. In round 5, Rahman produced a devastating right hand that sent Lewis to the canvas and the champion was unable to recover. An immediate rematch was ordered and Lewis got his redemption with perhaps the best knockout of his career. The win meant he became one of only 3 heavyweights in history who have achieved the distinction of winning the heavyweight championship three times.

1) The official Lennox Lewis documentary is in the works:

Tough Love: The Lennox Lewis Documentary, narrated by Dr. Dre will include extensive interviews with Lewis, his family and entourage, and some of his toughest opponents, including Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. The movie is about overcoming obstacles, passion, forgiveness, and Lennox’s compassion, but it also questions who we heroize.

Lennox explained, “This is a story that needed to be told. It’s a long time overdue. I’m very glad we were able to do it. A lot of people were telling me I should do a movie biopic but I thought a documentary would be better. I was inspired by the great documentaries about boxers like Muhammad Ali. There isn’t much information out there about me. I’m not like a Mike Tyson, so it’s a look behind the curtain at things that took place in my past. There are sad stories out there about kids of single parents – or maybe even no parents at all – who may feel like they can’t make it in life. But I am proof that you can.”

Watch the official trailer below…