British boxing legend Lennox Lewis is a true character of the sport, with multiple impressive wins on his resume.
As one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, Lewis ended his career with an impressive run of wins against Hasim Rahman, Mike Tyson, and Vitali Klitschko.
Ending his career with an impressive 41-2-1 record, Lewis was able to avenge the only two losses in his career against Rahman and Oliver McCall.
After Riddick Bowe vacated the WBC World Heavyweight title in 1992, Lewis was promoted to champion as he was the number one contender. For his first title defense, he earned a unanimous decision victory over Tony Tucker.
His second title defense would not be Lewis’ best performance, however, he still earned a victory.
Lennox Lewis defeated Frank Bruno in 1993 via knockout
Aiming to make the second defense of his WBC World Heavyweight title, Lewis fought fellow countryman Frank Bruno in October 1993.
The heavyweights would meet in Cardiff, Wales, as Lewis looked to extend his 24-0 record. As for Bruno, he would have a record of 36-3. He was riding a four-fight win streak, having suffered a defeat to Tyson in 1989.
In what was described as an unimpressive performance by Lewis, he was able to find the victory. Scoring a seventh-round knockout, Lewis saved his blushes as the champion was a significant favorite.
The scorecards at the time of the stoppage would see two judges score the bout a draw, while one scored it 59-55 for Bruno. However, a counter-left hook for Lewis would spell the beginning of the end for Bruno.
As Lewis sensed Bruno was hurt, he poured on the pressure, before the referee eventually stopped the bout. ‘The Lion’ retained his title thanks to the 21st knockout of his career.
Lennox Lewis dropped his heavyweight title one year after Bruno victory
Despite proving to be an elite heavyweight, Lewis would drop his heavyweight crown just one year after his win against Bruno.
Lewis made one further defense of his title before facing Oliver McCall. Meeting in Wembley Arena in September 1994, ‘The Lion’ suffered a shock loss.
A remarkable second-round knockout would dethrone Lewis, who said he didn’t even know what punch hit him.
Although the loss for Lewis was a huge upset, he would not get his chance at redemption for another three years. Meeting again in 1997, a fifth-round TKO for Lewis would see him reclaim the WBC World Heavyweight title.