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Follow Lennox Lewis as he rises through the ranks of heavyweight contenders, combating not only the other fighters, but the American system of promoters and even judges. Against all odds, Lennox fulfills his vision to become one of the greatest Undisputed Champions in Heavyweight History.
"The hero feels just as frightened as the coward, but it's what he does that makes him different."
-Cus D'Amato
It was supposed to be the fight of the century, the biggest box office success between two of the greatest heavyweight titans that anyone had ever seen. Former undisputed champion Mike Tyson, the favorite to win, taunted the current champ, Lennox Lewis, but every time the fight was set to happen, Tyson refused to fight.
“Tyson just doesn’t want to fight yet.”
– Larry Merchant
Throughout his career, Lennox overcame obstacle after obstacle, from fighters like Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe refusing to step into the ring, to promoters like Don King, who manipulated refs and judges to keep Lennox down. Where did Lennox Lewis get the strength to stand up for himself when the entire boxing establishment wanted to tear him down?
“The nature of sport… is that you have triumphs, and you have reverses.”
–Nelson Mandela
Lennox grew up in a rough neighborhood in London’s East End and was fostered in Canada by his mother, friends like Courtney Shand, who would later become his physical trainer, and coaches like Gene Heesaker.
“The offense wasn’t complicated. I’m not exaggerating! It was pitch the ball to Lennox...”
-Gene Heesaker, High School Football Coach
“The offense wasn’t complicated. I’m not exaggerating! It was pitch the ball to Lennox...”
-Gene Heesaker, High School Football Coach
“We lost the championship… and everyone is crying… and I’m like ‘How come you’re not crying?’ He said, ‘Cause I got bigger things to come.”
–Courtney Shand, High School Friend
Lennox met Mike Tyson as a sparring partner in the Catskills while training for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. While Tyson failed to qualify to fight in the Olympics, Lennox made it to the semi-finals against American Tyrell Biggs. After a hard fought three rounds, Lennox failed to medal, sending him on a four year journey of personal redemption.
Lennox took his time, continued training, and won the Gold Medal against Riddick Bowe at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Tyson turned pro and became the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
After winning Olympic gold for team Canada, Lennox returned to his native London, where he turned professional. His chess-like moves in the ring led to an undefeated streak of wins, thrusting him to the top of Heavyweight contenders. Outside of the ring, Lennox made smart decisions as well, avoiding offers from Don King and other American promoters who wanted to control his career. After being spurned by Lennox, Don King time and again dodged him and kept him from fighting Mike Tyson for a decade. In the meanwhile, Lennox became a three-time undisputed heavyweight world champion.
Lennox’s success in the ring was complemented by his conduct outside of it where he exemplified acceptance and tolerance, qualities not typically associated with the gruff and grim world of boxing. Lennox’s longtime promoter Frank Maloney, arguably the most macho boxing promoter in the UK, struggled with his gender identity throughout his life, fighting against the urge to become a transgender woman.
After years of hiding who he really was, Frank, with the love and acceptance of his family and his former undisputed champ, Lennox made the decision to become Kellie, despite the backlash he feared would come from the boxing community.
“I just knew I was different since the age of 3 or 4… and after I attempted suicide, my daughter said to me, ‘I’d rather see my father in a dress than in a pine box’.”
-Kellie Maloney
Finally, two decades after sparring with each other in the Catskills, the fight between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson, one of the most anticipated events in boxing history, was closer to reality than ever before. In Las Vegas, the two titans met at a press conference where Tyson charged Lewis and bit him in the leg. Las Vegas responded by revoking Tyson’s boxing license, as did many other cities, once again throwing the epic battle into doubt.
“Before the press conference, Lennox said to me, ‘If Mike makes one move at me, forget all the money... I’m not backing down from him, I’m not backing up from him!’”
–Courtney Shand, Physical Fitness Trainer
Although the press conference antics postponed the fight, eventually Tennessee granted a license to make Lewis vs. Tyson a reality. At the time, it was the highest grossing pay per view event in the history of the sport. But the fight was about more than just the two men: Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson. The bout was also a struggle between the forces guiding these two men, and the outcome would determine which was more powerful: the good guy or the bad boy; calculated dilberance or vicious speed; some would even say... good vs. evil.
“If you trace those two threads, you can see the difference between the two lives… Mike who had to serve other masters… Lennox did everything he did for himself.”
–Jim Lampley