IN the lineal period, John Henry Lewis was one of many best world light-heavyweight champions. He dominated the division throughout the mid-Thirties in the same approach that Bob Foster did within the early Nineteen Seventies. 

Like Foster, he defended his title recurrently and like Foster, he got here unstuck when stepping as much as struggle 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 towards the good 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 study his commerce the exhausting approach, scrapping many instances within the small halls of Phoenix and the encompassing space. Certainly one of these small halls was named after essentially the most well-known venue in boxing, Madison Sq. Backyard.  

It could take Lewis 5 years and almost 50 contests earlier than he stepped into the actual Backyard, in New York Metropolis, and when he did so, he went down on factors in a 10-rounder to Jimmy Braddock, who on the time was on skid row. The next 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, shedding two of them. That is the way in which that champions made a refund then, significantly in an retro weight division. They went on the highway 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 profitable a 10-rounder towards Eddie Simms in St Louis, Lewis was again at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York, to tackle Rochdale’s Jock McAvoy (each males pictured beneath) for the title. As I acknowledged 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 struggle was his simply reward. 

The distinction in peak between the 2 males can clearly be seen within the accompanying {photograph} and this proved to be a significant factor on the evening, with Lewis utilizing his further peak and attain to do exactly sufficient to win a lot of the rounds by a small margin. McAvoy was at all times within the struggle, significantly in the previous few rounds when he knew he needed to cease his man, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient.

Eight months later, Lewis came visiting to the UK to defend towards 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 previous, 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 competition with Lewis passed off on the Empire Pool, Wembley, in entrance of a full home of 11,800. Harvey got here in at 12st 4lbs, three kilos beneath the championship restrict. There was far much less concern again within the Thirties for fighters to return in simply ounces beneath the load like they do right this moment. A boxer educated exhausting and regardless of the weight that he felt greatest at, was the load that he fought at.

As soon as once more, Lewis was simply too good for his British opponent. Beneath the title ‘Britisher’s Daring and Valiant Bid for the World’s Mild-Heavyweight Crown,’ BN reported that Lewis needed to bear a stern wrestle earlier than he got here out on high.

Lewis boxed on till 1939, when, as undefeated light-heavyweight king, he stepped in with Joe Louis for the final word prize. He lasted solely a few minutes because the Brown Bomber blasted him out with some murderous punching. It was John’s final contest. He retired instantly with eye hassle and died in 1974, aged simply 59.