John Henry Lewis
| John Henry Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | John Henry Lewis |
| Rated at | Light Heavyweight |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
May 1, 1914 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A |
| Died | April 18, 1974 (aged 59) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 117 |
| Wins | 100 |
| Wins by KO | 57 |
| Losses | 11 |
| Draws | 5 |
| No contests | 1 |
John Henry Lewis (May 1, 1914 – April 18, 1974) was a hall of fame American boxer who was the world light heavyweight boxing champion from 1935 to 1938.
Lewis was managed by a gambler and racketeer of the 1930s: Gus Greenlee, a man who became very important to baseball's Negro Leagues as a commissioner and team owner.
Lewis was born in Los Angeles in 1914 and raised in Phoenix, the son of Mattie Drake Foster and John Edward Lewis. Lewis was taught to box at age 4 by his father, a former lightweight who ran a Phoenix gym. Boxing was in the family blood, with John Henry's great-great uncle being the noted bare-knuckle brawler Tom Molineaux.
By the age of 5, Lewis and his brother, Christy, were battling in exhibition "midget boxing" matches. He turned pro at 14, as a welterweight, and gained a reputation for outstanding speed and increasingly superior boxing skills. Three years later, in 1931, Lewis won his first championship, the Arizona middleweight title, and the following year, still in high school, the "Pride of Phoenix" beat future heavyweight champ, "Cinderella Man" James J. Braddock, at San Francisco's Civic Auditorium.
Lewis began his professional career in 1928, beating Buster Grant by a four-round decision, in Phoenix. His first 14 fights were in that city, until 1931, when he travelled to Prescott, to fight Sam Terrain on March 11. This proved to be a tragic event, as Terrain died as a consequence of the blows received during Lewis' fourth round knockout win.
Lewis had nine more wins in a row before facing future world Heavyweight champion, The Cinderella Man, James J. Braddock. He defeated Braddock in a 10th-round decision, but, after two more wins, on November 16, 1932, he lost for the first time to fellow world Light Heavyweight champion Maxie Rosenbloom, by a decision in ten.
Lewis defeated four more men before winning three and withdrawing one, before getting a chance at avenging his loss to Rosenbloom in 1933, and he won a 10-round decision in their rematch, and again in their third match.
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