IN the lineal period, John Henry Lewis was one in every of the best world light-heavyweight champions. He dominated the division throughout the mid-Nineteen Thirties in an analogous way that Bob Foster did in the early Seventies.
Like Foster, he defended his title repeatedly and like Foster, he came unstuck when stepping up to combat for the world heavyweight title. Joe Frazier put paid to Bob’s account in a two-round thrashing and, as we will see, Lewis had the misfortune to return up in opposition to the nice Joe Louis, who beat him in a spherical.
Lewis grew up in Arizona and like so many black fighters of that period, he needed to be taught his commerce the hard way, scrapping many instances in the small halls of Phoenix and the surrounding space. One of those small halls was named after the most well-known venue in boxing, Madison Square Garden.
It would take Lewis 5 years and almost 50 contests earlier than he stepped into the actual Garden, in New York City, and when he did so, he went down on factors in a 10-rounder to Jimmy Braddock, who at the time was on skid row. The following 12 months, Braddock hit the jackpot, and so did Lewis.
On October 31, 1935, Lewis decisioned Bob Olin to win the world light-heavyweight title. He then boxed eight instances in three months in non-title 10-rounders, dropping two of them. This is the way that champions made a reimbursement then, notably in an retro weight division. They went on the street for good purses and usually didn’t care in the event that they gained or misplaced. Lewis defended his title twice in 1936 and he picked British fighters on every event.
One week after successful a 10-rounder in opposition to Eddie Simms in St Louis, Lewis was again at Madison Square Garden in New York, to tackle Rochdale’s Jock McAvoy (each males pictured under) for the title. As I said in an article final June, McAvoy had set the boxing world alight in 1935 when he KO’d Babe Risko in a single spherical in his second American contest, and this title combat was his simply reward.
The distinction in peak between the two males can clearly be seen in the accompanying {photograph} and this proved to be a significant factor on the night time, with Lewis utilizing his further peak and attain to just do sufficient to win most of the rounds by a small margin. McAvoy was at all times in the combat, notably in the previous few rounds when he knew he needed to cease his man, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient.
Eight months later, Lewis came over to the UK to defend in opposition to Len Harvey. The Cornishman had held the British title at center, light-heavy and heavyweight in a glittering skilled profession that began when he was simply 12 years outdated, and in 1936 he was at his peak. He had misplaced the heavyweight title to Jack Petersen in January 1936 and had been inactive since.
The contest with Lewis passed off at the Empire Pool, Wembley, in entrance of a full home of 11,800. Harvey came in at 12st 4lbs, three kilos beneath the championship restrict. There was far much less concern again in the Nineteen Thirties for fighters to return in simply ounces beneath the weight like they do right now. A boxer educated hard and no matter the weight that he felt finest at, was the weight that he fought at.
Once once more, Lewis was simply too good for his British opponent. Under the title ‘Britisher’s Bold and Valiant Bid for the World’s Light-Heavyweight Crown,’ BN reported that Lewis needed to endure a stern battle earlier than he came out on prime.
Lewis boxed on till 1939, when, as undefeated light-heavyweight king, he stepped in with Joe Louis for the final prize. He lasted solely a few minutes as the Brown Bomber blasted him out with some murderous punching. It was John’s final contest. He retired instantly with eye bother and died in 1974, aged simply 59.
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