Via Ken Hissner: This writer recently did an article on Ten Heavyweight contenders that should have featured Lennox “The Lion” Lewis, Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe, Vitali “Dr. Ironfist “Klitschko, and Wladimir” Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko, together with Gene“The Fighting Marine”Tunney, make it “lucky number 13”.
Start with Lewis, who hits 80-11 among other records given and won the Super Heavyweight Olympic Gold Medal at the Seoul Olympics, South Korea and he will turn pro in his birthplace in London, United Kingdom, in June 1989, scoring five wins. decommissioning and a DQ for the rest of the year.
In June 1990, Lewis defeated former WBA Cruiserweight champion Ossie “Jaws” Ocasio, 22-9-1 over eight rounds. In March 1981, after winning the EBU title, he defended and stopped Jamaican-born Gary Mason, 35-0, in seven innings, bringing his record to 15-0.
In the next bout for Lewis, he stopped former WBA heavyweight champion Mike “Hercules” Weaver, 35-15-1, on his US debut. Next, he added the British title stopping former IBF Cruiserweight champion Glenn McCrory, 28-6. In late 1991, he prevented the 1984 Super Heavyweight Olympic Gold Medalist Tyrell Biggs, 19-4, in the United States.
In 1992, Lewis added the Commonwealth title, stopping Derek “Sweet D” Williams, 19-4. In October, he stopped Donovan “Razor” Ruddock, a Canadian resident of Jamaican descent, 27-3-1. Because WBC Champion Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe refused to defend him, Lewis was declared the WBC World Champion.
Lewis scored a double knockout in his first defense, defeating former WBA World Champion Tony “TNT” Tucker, 48-1, in the United States. He then stopped future WBC champion Frank Bruno, 36-3, in Wales. In September, Lewis first lost to Oliver “The Atomic Bull” McCall, 24-5, being stopped in the second round. When he got up, it looked like the referee had already waved his hand.
Lewis is back with four wins, including past two former WBO World champions Tommy “The Duke” Morrison, 45-2-1, by stoppage time and Ray “Merciless” Mercer, 22-3-1 , by majority decision, both in the United States. This eventually earned him a long-awaited rematch with McCall, now a former WBC champion for the vacant WBC title. Between rounds 4 and 5, McCall refused to fight, burst into tears and forced the referee to stop the match.
In March 1999, in his fifth defense since regaining his title, Lewis was held to a draw by WBA and IBF world heavyweight champion Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, 36-3-1 , at Madison Square Garden, New York. Eight months later, in a rematch, Lewis scored two more titles held by Holyfield, defeating him in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lewis’ three wins, followed by Michael Grant, 31-0, Frans Botha, 40-2-1, in extra time, and against David “Tuaman” Tua, 37-1, all in 2000. In May 4 in 2001 in South Africa, Lewis lost his title being stopped in the fifth round. Seven months later, Lewis regained the title, stopping Rahman in Las Vegas, Nevada, for four rounds.
In June 2002, Lewis stopped former “Iron” world champion Mike Tyson, 49-3, in eight rounds. In June 2003, in his final match in five rounds, he stopped former WBO World Champion Vitali “Dr. Ironfist” Klitschko, 32-1, during the sixth inning on the cut at Staples Center in LA, CA. His final record was 41-2-1, with 32 saves.
Let’s learn about Klitschko’s career at this point. In June 1999, he won the WBO belt, stopping Herbie “Dancing Destroyer” Hide, 31-1, in London. After two defenses, he lost to Chris Byrd due to a shoulder injury in the front nine rounds at the time in Berlin, Germany.
Two matches later, Klitschko would win the vacant WBC belt, stopping WBU champion Corrie “Sniper” Sanders, 39-2. After the defeat to Lewis, he won his remaining thirteen games, including against Samuel “Nigerian Nightmare” Peter 33-1, former WBO champion Shannon “The Cannon” Briggs, 51-5-1 , 2004 Olympic gold medalist, Olanier Solis, Cuban, 17-0, and in his final match stop Mahmoud “Diamond Boy” Charr, 21-0, in Moscow, Russia, in September of 2002. His final record was 45-2 with 41 saves.
Next, Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe, with an amateur record of 104-18, lost to Lennox “The Lion” Lewis in the final at the 1988 Olympics. He turned pro in June 1989, winning the his 19th straight win over former WBC champion Pinklon “Pink” Thomas, 30-4-1, in September 1990. In his thirty-second match, the undefeated Bowe won the WBC, WBA, and championship. IBF World Champion, defeating Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, 28-0, in November 1992 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In Bowe’s first defense, he stopped former WBA champion Michael “Dynamite” Dokes, 50-3-2, in the first round. Two games later, he lost the first and only game of his career in a rematch against Holyfield, 29-1, in November 1993 in Las Vegas, Nevada, by majority decision.
After being undefeated in his next match against Buster Mathis, 14-0, he won the remaining nine matches against opponents like Larry “The Legend” Donald, 16-0, Herbie Hide, 26-0, Jorge Luis Gonzalez, the Cuban, 23-0, and in the third game against Holyfield, 31-2.
A strange DQ back-to-back match against Poland’s Andrew Golota, 28-0; he retired in December 1996. He will return to the ring with victories over three club fighters in 2004, 2005 and 2008. His final record was 43-1 with 33 saves.
Gene “The Fighting Marine” Tunney turned pro in July 1915. The next four wins were a draw, the next ten before another draw, in France while in the Marines.
In May 1922, Tunney lost for the first and only time of his career to future Middleweight world champion Harry “The Pittsburgh Windmill” Greg, 194-10-18, at Madison Square Garden, New York, for American light heavyweight belt.
Tunney would win the next nine matches before winning a rematch against Greb nine months later. In five skirmishes, Tunney beat Greb 3-1. Before the final win over Greb, he beat Jeff “The Bayonne Globetrotter” Smith, 135-27-5, and after the final win over Greb, he stopped Tommy Gibbons, 96-4-4.
The next four heavyweight victories went to Tunney as he defeated NBA heavyweight champion Jack “The Manassa Mauler” Dempsey, 57-4-9, in September 1926 in front of 120,557 attendees at Sesquicentennial Stadium. in Philadelphia, PA, over ten rounds.
In the rematch a year later, almost to this day, Tunney survived the Long Earl” as Dempsey stood five seconds ahead of him to win over ten innings. Tunney would have one more fight to end his career, stopping Tom “The Hard Rock from Down Under” Heeney, 32-8-5, New Zealander, in July 1928 for 11 innings, at Yankee Stadium, New York. His final record was 65-1-1 with 48 saves.
Finally, Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko won the 1996 Olympics Gold Medal at the Atlanta Olympics in Georgia. In November 1996, he turned pro and won his seventeenth consecutive win for the vacant WBC International title, defeating Marcus McIntyre, 15-1, in February 1998 in Germany.
In his twenty-fifth match against Klitschko, he lost to Ross “The Boss” Purity, 24-13-1, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Five games later, he won the EBU title, stopping Axel Schulz, 26-3-1, who in two of those losses, by majority decided to “Big” George Foreman, 73 -4, and a division decision for the vacant IBF title. for Michael “Double MM” Moorer, 36-1.
In October 2000, Klitschko defeated Chris “Rapid Fire” Byrd, 31-1, for the WBO belt in which Byrd defeated his brother Vitali. Five title defense wins would follow before losing to Corrie “Sniper” Sanders, 38-2, in March 2003, by goal.
The next two victories came after Klitschko lost a vacant WBO title match to Lamon “Relentless” Brewer, 29-2, in April 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In September 2005, he defeated Samuel “Nigerian Nightmare,” 24-0, in a knockout match. In April 2006, he will fight Byrd again, 39-2-1, as the IBF title leaves him in seventh place in Germany.
Eighteen wins in the title fight will follow Klitschko before losing to Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury, 24-0, in November 2015, in Germany. In April 2017, in his next and final fight, he lost to Anthony “AJ” Joshua, 18-0, in London. His final record was 64-5 with 53 stops.
There you have it — five “forgotten” world champions.
