World heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has announced his retirement from professional boxing. Lewis leaves with a 41-1-2 record, and is the first reigning world heavyweight champion to quit since Rocky Marciano in 1956.
Lennox Lewis dominated heavyweight boxing waving the Union Jack for his native Britain. Canadians will be quick to remind you that he moved to Canada at the age of nine and honed his skills here winning the 1988 Seoul Olympic super-heavyweight gold medal for the True North Strong and Free. I have mixed feelings about this entire situation. Unlike that traitor Greg Rusedski, Lennox Lewis was actually born in England. In fact, he spent nine years there before moving to Canada, so it's hard to fault him for returning home to fight under the flag of his homeland. Still, he learned to box in Kitchener, Ontario and won a Gold medal for Canada. Calling him "Canadian", however, became quite a stretch.
When Canadian Donovon "Razor" Ruddock failed to win his rematch with Mike Tyson, it appeared as if we had missed our chance to have a serious rooting interest in boxing. Then, Iron Mike was sent to the slammer and it appeared as if Razor Ruddock would have as good a shot as anyone. On October 31, 1992 Ruddock faced Lennox Lewis himself with the winner getting an opportunity to take on Evander Holyfield for the belt. Lennox Lewis destroyed "Razor" and he was never the same. Lewis went on to secure the championship and even though I claimed there was a Canadian champion, I never believed the words I was saying. He was, in fact, British.
