Two fights against Evander Holyfield in 1999 (the first ending in a controversial draw) saw Lewis become undisputed heavyweight champion by unifying his WBC title with Holyfield's WBA and IBF titles, as well as the vacant IBO title. Lewis avenged the loss in a 1997 rematch to win back the vacant WBC title. He defended the title three times before an upset knockout loss to Oliver McCall in 1994. He was declared WBC heavyweight champion later that year after Riddick Bowe gave up the title to avoid defending it against Lewis. After winning his first 21 fights, he defeated Donovan Ruddock in 1992 to take over the number one position in the WBC rankings.
In his first three years as a professional, Lewis won several regional heavyweight championships, including the European, British, and Commonwealth titles. Holding dual British and Canadian citizenship, Lewis represented Canada as an amateur at the 19 Olympics in the latter, he won a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division. He is a three-time world heavyweight champion, a two-time lineal champion, and the last heavyweight to hold the undisputed championship. Lennox Claudius Lewis CM CBE (born 2 September 1965) is a boxing commentator and former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2003.
