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Lewis Lennox is a famous boxer. Biography, achievements, best battles

Lewis Lennox is on the same level with such great heavyweight athletes as Mohammed Ali, George Foreman, Larry Holmes and Michael Tyson. It's not even that Lennox has won the champion belt in all meaningful associations and is next to the stars of professional boxing in various halls of fame. With the first two "titans" of British-Canadian heavyweight, the successful amateur career, which ended with the highest result - the gold medal of the Olympic Games, united.

The sporting fate of Lewis is an individual difference: he belongs to the European boxing school and after a huge time break returned her the laurels of superiority over the rest. And most importantly, he managed to escape from the ring at the height of glory - the owner of the championship belt.

The road from England to Canada through Seoul

Lennox was born in September 1965 in a suburb of London - West Ham, known for his football club. But a football or rugby career black boy chose boxing. Lennox Lewis had excellent physical data for the future champion. He quickly waved under 2 meters, was long-legged and never had extra pounds of weight.

British boxing by that time, despite the title of ancestor and age-old traditions, long lost weight in the European amateur arena, where the strongest were considered representatives of the socialist countries. Lewis immediately began to compete in the heavyweight division and spent 105 fights in almost 10 years, 94 of which he won. At one time he was a triumphant youthful world championship, silver medalist of the World Championship, prize-winner of the championship of North America and the Pan-American Games. On the second attempt, he won the title of the 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, considered "fashion legislators," in the final, Lewis Lennox with obvious advantage defeated a younger American Riddick Bow, who, recovering from defeat, very successfully began his professional career. Quite quickly he became the world champion. However, the memory of the "cast iron fists" Lenny from Bowe was so strong that in 4 years he refused to enter the ring against Lewis.

Gift of Riddick Bowe

A little rest from the Olympic battles, since 1989, Lewis began to move forward to the heights of professional boxing. It was the heyday of the talent of the "iron" Mike Tyson, to which Evander Holyfield was already creeping up. To the top of the rating was torn a whole group of talented young people, among whom were Tyrell Biggs and the same Riddick Bowe, who competed with super-veteran George Foreman, who discovered a "second wind". At the same time, the championship titles were assigned to 3 competing boxing associations. A year later, Lewis Lennox knocked out a great hope for the future of Ossi Okato and won the attention of promoters.

In 1992, Lennox wedged into the top four of the contenders and on approach to the finals, in 12 years, took revenge on Donovan Ruddoku by technical knockout for his defeat in the amateur ring. After that, there was an episode with Bow's categorical refusal, and Lewis was declared the WBC champion.

The heavy burden of the title: the best fights Lennox Lewis

In May 1993, the first successful defense of the championship title in battle against the experienced Tony Tucker took place. The battle turned out to be extremely stubborn. Twice Tucker opened an account, but 3 times Lewis himself "floated" and was close to knockdown. The next fight with the compatriot-Briton Franco Bruno was even more stubborn. The hall unanimously supported the applicant. Inspired by Franco arranged in the "square" a real meat grinder and had an indisputable advantage, but in the 7th round he missed Lennox's powerful "deuce."

Long-armed Lewis Lennox always tried to use this advantage and gained points from the distance with jabs, when approaching powerfully punching the left side and right cross. But in the battle with the Pole Andrzej Golota he was simply unrecognizable and reminded Tyson of the young years with his irrepressible aggressiveness. From the first seconds, he overwhelmed the will of the opponent with pressure. With the "Iron" Mike, Lenny met in 1996 and in the 10th round sent him to a knockout.

Two fixed misfires

In 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 to win over the champion. In both cases, Lewis immediately demanded a revenge and won. McCall in the second meeting most of the time running away from the opponent, dropped his hands and, according to eyewitnesses, even cried, but in the 5th round the payment in the guise of a technical knockout overtook him. Rahman for a long time avoided re-meeting and went into the ring, obliged to do so by a court decision. In the 4th round he woke up lying on the canvas of the ring, and Lewis's final shot was called "Knockout of the Year".

Lewis - the absolute champion

Lennox had to take this top on the second attempt. In the first was recorded a rare for boxing draw. Veteran Evander Holyfield, who successfully confronted Tyson and lost part of his ear, very prudently held both battles, but in the second the relative youth took over the unconditional experience, and this decision of the referee of the match was not indisputable. Holyfield looked just great, the fight was equal. In November 1999, the world learned the name of the new absolute champion.

The last chord: fight "Vitali Klitschko - Lennox Lewis"

In 2003, challenger Kirk Johnson was replaced by Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko due to injury several weeks before the scheduled date of the fight. Lewis came to the ring in a relaxed state - lack of motivation, little-known rival, and age began to affect his physical condition. The first 2 rounds he was able only to fight off the attacks of Vitali. Mobilized, Lennox was able to level the course of the fight, but the outcome of the fight was still unpredictable. Strong dissection prevented Vitali from practicing the 12 rounds set for the championship battle. Standing on the flooded canvas of his own blood, he immediately demanded a rematch, but Lennox showed wisdom and did not tempt the changing fate anymore. After this fight, he forever hung the gloves on the nail.

Lennox Lewis never had a scandalous character and extravagant behavior. His world-wide fame is based on extraordinary talent, tremendous efficiency and perseverance - components of success for any athlete.

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