PERSON: Lennox Lewis

Self-employed

Professional boxer

Lennox Lewis has accomplished more in one boxing career than most people can imagine. He is known for his calculated fighting style and grace in the ring. Muhammad Ali famously said to Lewis, “You’re the greatest one there is, like me.” George Foreman has described Lewis as “beyond doubt, the greatest heavyweight of all time.” Lewis’ decision to retire as the reigning heavyweight champion of the world in 2004 re-affirmed his reputation as a man who makes decisions for himself and sticks to his principles.

Lewis retired with an impressive record of 41 wins – 2 losses – 1 draw, 32 wins by knockout. Before turning pro, Lewis held a remarkable amateur record of 85-9, which he capped with a gold medal for Team Canada at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

After turning professional in 1989, Lewis went on to gain the European title in 1990 and the British Commonwealth Heavyweight title in 1992. He was officially crowned the WBC Heavyweight Champion in January of 1993. In November 1999 Lewis and Evander Holyfield met once again in the ring after their earlier fight ended in a controversial draw. This time Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield to become the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World, unifying the WBC, WBA, IBO and IBF titles.

Along with Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield before him, Lewis is one of three boxers in history to have won the heavyweight championship three times. The crowning moment in his career came in June 2002 when Lewis ceremoniously defeated Mike Tyson. The Lewis/Tyson 2002 fight was the highest grossing pay-per-view professional boxing fight for five years.

Lewis’s athletic accomplishments have been acknowledged with numerous international honors. In 1988 his adopted home of Canada awarded him a CM – Member of the Order of Canada . The Order of Canada is the centrepiece of Canada ’s honours system and recognizes a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.

In 2002 he was honored by his birth country of England when Queen Elizabeth II awarded him a CBE – Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire . The CBE is an esteemed honor for a British citizen, just one rank below knighthood. In 2008, Lewis was inducted into Canada ’s Sports Hall of Fame, the World Boxing Council’s Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. In June 2009, Lewis was also inducted in his first year of eligibility into the revered International Boxing Hall of Fame.