"For the winner by unanimous decision and undisputed heavyweight champion of the world ... Lennox Lewis!"

The estimated 6,500 British spectators roared with joy and serenaded their fellow countryman. For the first time in more than a century, a British fighter had won the (undisputed) heavyweight championship of the world.

	VITAL STATS
	World Boxing Council (WBC)/International Boxing Federation (IBF) Heavyweight Champion Born: September 2, 1965 London, England Height: 6-5 FIGHTS: 42 WINS: 39 LOSSES: 2 DRAWS: 1 KOs: 30

On Nov. 13, 1999, in Las Vegas, Nev., World Boxing Council (WBC) Heavyweight Champion and Linear Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis tattoed World Boxing Association (WBA)/International Boxing Federation (IBF) Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield for 12 rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory and capture the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. Erasing the bitter memory of their March 13, 1999 bout--a bout in which the three ringside judges' inexplicably scored the bout a draw despite Lewis' dominance--Lewis outpunched the three-time world heavyweight champion to become professional boxing's first undisputed heavyweight champion since Riddick Bowe in 1992. Lewis bombarded Holyfield throughout the bout with crippling right uppercuts and thunderous overhand rights. Midway through round nine, Lewis landed a vicious right uppercut that buckled Holyfield's knees and sent him back to his corner at round's end on unsteady legs.

Unable to match Lewis punch-for-punch, Holyfield battled in spurts, flurrying at the end of each round in an attempt to steal the round. However, the tactic failed to sway the judges as Lewis won the bout by the scores 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. HBO Pay Per View analyst Larry Merchant summarized the majority opinion of those who watched the bout: "Lennox Lewis proved that he is the heavyweight champion, the best heavyweight on the planet."

The 6 foot 5 inch, 240-pound Lewis moved to Canada at the age of 12, where he compiled a dominating amateur record of 75-7 with 58 KO's. In 1984, Lewis climaxed his impressive amateur career by knocking out future undisputed world heavyweight champion Bowe to capture the gold medal in the super heavyweight division for Team Canada during the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

In his professional debut on June 27, 1989, Lewis drubbed Al Malcolm in two rounds (KO 2). Following his electrifying debut, Lennox seized 20 straight victories--17 by knockout. Incredibly, 10 of his victims could not survive past the third round.

Undefeated at 21-0, Lewis challenged the ferocious Donovan "Razor" Ruddock on Halloween, 1992. The winner of the bout was expected to battle the winner of the Holyfield- Bowe bout in a heavyweight elimination tournament that had been agreed upon by all four combatants.

Lewis propelled himself to the top of the heavyweight class by flooring the menacing Ruddock three times to earn a second round stoppage. The victory had seemingly assured Lewis of a shot at the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world (TKO 2). However, after Bowe defeated Holyfield on Nov. 13, 1992, to capture the undisputed heavyweight championship, he refused to honor the agreement. Bowe wanted no part of fighting Lewis. Furious, the WBC stripped Bowe of their title, and announced that Lewis would be crowned the WBC heavyweight champion; thus, the dreams of British boxing fans were fulfilled.

Lewis successfully defended the crown three times, defeating Tony Tucker (W 12), Frank Bruno (TKO 7) and Phil Jackson (TKO 8). On Sept. 24, 1994, Lewis suffered his first loss as a professional. In the second round a crushing right hand from the WBC 's No. 1 contender, Oliver McCall, sent Lewis sprawling to the canvas. Lewis rose to his feet, but was not allowed to continue as the referee called a halt to the bout (TKOby 2). Many spectators at ringside argued that the stoppage had been premature and that Lewis should have been allowed to continue. Dejected by the controversial loss, Lewis vowed to regain the title. Lewis returned to the ring with a fury on May 13, 1995, destroying Lionel Butler in five rounds (TKO 5).

At the post-fight press conference, WBC President Jose Sulaiman assured Lewis that he would face the winner of the McCall-Frank Bruno bout. However, any celebrations proved premature as Lewis was skipped over for a title shot again, this time in favor of Mike Tyson.

Undaunted, Lewis worked doggedly to secure a championship fight, annihilating Justin Fortune (TKO 4) and Tommy Morrison (TKO 6). After the impressive destruction of Morrison, Lewis battled one of the fiercest warriors in the heavyweight division: Ray Mercer. On May 10, 1996, Lewis outboxed and outpunched Mercer in front of 16,000 fans at Madison Square Garden to win a unanimous decision (W 10). His punishing left jab and lethal right hand stymied the powerful Mercer, and announced to boxing insiders and fans alike that he was ready to regain his heavyweight belt.

On Feb. 7, 1997, Lewis challenged McCall, not only to regain the WBC heavyweight championship, but also to avenge the sole blemish on his record. In a contest in which McCall sobbed profusely and refused to fight, Lewis was awarded a fifth-round technical knockout (TKO 5).

On July 12, 1997, Lewis retained his WBC heavyweight championship by defeating the intimidated, overmatched Henry Akinwande (WbyDSQ 5). Akinwande clutched Lewis from the opening bell and was disqualified by referee Mills Lane in round five after ignoring several warnings and a point deduction.

After defeating Akinwande, Lewis annihilated Andrew Golota in one round on Oct. 4, 1997, in what may have been his finest performance as a professional (TKO 1). Lewis floored Golota midway through round one with a blitzkrieg of right hands. Golota managed to climb to his feet, but only to be pummeled further, forcing referee Joe Cortez to halt the bout. On March 28, 1998, in a bout that received consideration as 1998's "Fight of the Year," Lewis dismantled Shannon Briggs to successfully defend his crown for the third time and capture the Linear Heavyweight Championship. Shaking off the effects of being staggered in round one, Lewis stormed through Briggs in rounds three through five, flooring the Brooklyn, N.Y., native four times en-route to a fifth-round stoppage (TKO 5).

Six months later on Sept. 26, 1998, Lewis fulfilled his mandatory defense requirement by dominating the WBC's No. 1 heavyweight contender Zeljko Mavrovic to capture a unanimous decision (W 12). Lewis pounded the durable, gutty Croatian challenger for 12 rounds, opening numerous gashes across his face, including one slice under the chin that required five stitches.

On March 13, 1999, Lewis outboxed WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, but was robbed of a victory--and of the undisputed heavyweight crown--when the judges scored the bout a draw (D 12). Lewis utilized his stiff left jab and his clubbing overhand right to dominate the 12-round heavyweight unification bout.

The majority of the 20,000 spectators who filled the sold out "Mecca of Boxing" expected to leave the arena that evening proclaiming Lennox Lewis to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Instead, to their dismay, and to the dismay of the more than one million pay-per-view television spectators, the fight was ruled a draw (D 12).

On Nov. 13, 1999, Lewis defeated Holyfield to capture the undisputed heavyweight crown (W 12). In January 2000, Lewis signed to defend his undisputed heavyweight crown on April 29 against North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Heavyweight Champion Michael Grant. On April 12, following a lawsuit by Don King Productions, a federal judge ruled that the WBA could not sanction the Lewis-Grant bout and that Lewis must surrender the WBA title if he fought Grant. Lewis refused to cancel the Grant fight, and surrendered the WBA crown upon entering the ring on April 29. On April 29, 2000, Lewis pummeled undefeated heavyweight contender Grant, flooring the giant, 6-7 Norristown, Pa., contender four times in two rounds to successfully defend his IBF/WBC crowns and his Linear Heavyweight Championship. Lewis' overwhelming performance solidified his position as "the best heavyweight on the planet."

Three months later on July 15, 2000, Lewis slaughtered "The White Buffalo," blasting Francois Botha with a three-punch combination late in round two that lifted Botha off the canvas and sent him sailing through the ropes and nearly onto the laps of ringside observers (TKO 2). The victory was Lewisí 13th straight.

On April 21, 2001, Lewis surrendered his world heavyweight crown to Hasim Rahman (KOby 5). An overhand right late in the round dropped Lewis to the canvas where he was unable to beat the 10-count.

In his last bout on Nov. 17, 2001, Lewis obliterated Hasim Rahman with a single punch to regain his world heavyweight crown (TKO 4). New York Post sports writer George Willis described the impact of the blistering overhand right as follows: "The force of the punch sent Rahman crashing to the canvas, his head hitting with such a thud it could be heard over the roaring crowd." Rahman valiantly attempted to climb to his feet, but fell helplessly into the ropes, forcing referee Joe Cortez to end the bout at the 1:29 mark of round four. Lewis is now recognized as the WBC, IBF, and IBO heavyweight champions.