Harry Lewis (boxer)
| Harry Lewis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Henry Besterman |
| Rated at | Welterweight |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Reach | 67 in (170 cm) |
| Nationality |
American 
|
| Born |
September 16, 1886 New York, New York |
| Died | February 22, 1956 (aged 69) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 173 |
| Wins | 108 |
| Wins by KO | 48 |
| Losses | 39 |
| Draws | 25 |
| No contests | 1 |
Harry Lewis (Harry Besterman; September 16, 1886 – February 22, 1956), was an American boxer, generally credited with holding the Welterweight Championship of the World from April 1908 to March 1911. He defeated "Young Joseph", the reigning Welterweight Champion of England in London on June 27, 1910, but was not credited with the British Welterweight championship as the fight was sanctioned as a World, and not English title. Boxing writer Nat Fleischer rated Lewis the sixth greatest welterweight of all time. He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008.
Lewis was born Harry Besterman in New York city on September 6, 1886. While a young child his family moved to Philadelphia. Besterman took his ring name "Lewis" from a local fight manager. In Lewis's early fighting career, his father Jake often gave advice to Harry at ringside during fights. According to Ken Blady, Lewis's father turned out to be a "thorn in the flesh of Harry's professional managers." With a strong jaw, and an impressive defensive style, Lewis was knocked out only twice in his career.
Lewis's future rival, Willie Lewis once told Ring Magazine that Harry "specialized in knocking out guys who were never knocked out before. Harry was an artist in feinting and countering. His punches only went a few inches, but boy what authority they carried." He was also known for a powerful left hook to the midsection that characterized his early and mid-career.
In 1903, at the age of seventeen, Lewis turned professional. His father Jake Besterman helped manage many of his early fights and was an ardent supporter. According to author Ken Blady, he lost only three times in his first fifty professional bouts. Proving his status as a contender, Lewis fought accomplished boxer Tommy Lowe on January 2, 1905 in a fifteen round draw in Philadelphia. He had an important 15 round bout with featherweight Kid Herman on April 28, 1905 in Baltimore which ended in a draw.
On May 19, 1905, in only his second year of boxing, he met Benny Yanger, an exceptional featherweight, whom he defeated in a first round TKO at the armory in Baltimore. Three doctors at ringside reported Yanger had broken his arm during the bout. Partly accounting for his legendary reputation, three years earlier in 1902 Yanger had been one of the few boxers to ever defeat Abe Attell during his early reign as featherweight champion.
Moving up from featherweight in 1905, Lewis fought leading lightweight contender Young Erne six times, losing only twice, though drawing the remainder of his fights. He fought Unk Russell twice in October and November 1905, winning decisively in two six round bouts in Philadelphia, and further demonstrating his potential as a serious contender.
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