John Henry Lewis (May 1, 1914 – April 18, 1974) was an American boxer who held the World Light Heavyweight title from 1935 to 1938. A Hall of Fame member, he was named the 16th greatest light heavyweight of all time by boxing magazine The Ring. His trainer was Larry Amadee, and his managers included Ernie Lira, Larry White, Frank Schuler and Gus Greenlee.
Early life Lewis was born in Los Angeles on May 4, 1914, to Mattie Drake Foster and John Edward Lewis. The family settled in Phoenix, Arizona,Finding Your Roots, February 16, 2016, PBS where he grew up and was taught to box at an early age by his father, a former lightweight who ran a Phoenix gym. Lewis claimed a great-uncle was the noted bare-knuckle brawler Tom Molineaux.
Lewis battled in exhibition "midget boxing" matches at the age of five. Turning professional as a welterweight at 14, he gained a reputation for speed and rapidly improving scientific boxing skill.
Early career Lewis began his professional career in 1928, beating Buster Grant by a four-round decision in Phoenix, where he fought his first fourteen bouts. In 1931, he traveled to Prescott, to fight Sam Terrain on March 11. This proved to be a tragic event, as Terrain later died from the blows received during Lewis' fourth round knockout win.
On July 1, 1931, he won his first title, the USA Arizona State Middleweight Championship, in an eight-round points decision against Lloyd Phillips, in Mesa, Arizona. The crowd violently resented the ruling, possibly as a result of racial basis, but the Arizona Republic called the ruling "eminently just".
Lewis faced future World Heavyweight champion, James J. Braddock on September 21, 1932, defeating him in a ten-round points decision at Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. Though only eighteen and still in school at the time of the fight, he took nine of the ten rounds by wide margins. Braddock forced the fighting to take the seventh round."Lewis Triumphs", Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, Arizona, p. 6, September 22, 1932
Taking a break from his high school studies, Lewis won a ten-round decision over Lou Scozza, a veteran Light Heavyweight contender, on October 26, 1932, in San Francisco. He was awarded six of the ten rounds, despite a half-inch cut over his right eye received in the second.Only five rounds in "Lewis Wins Bout in San Francisco", Santa Cruz Sentinel, Santa Cruz, California, p. 4, October 27, 1932 According to most accounts, Scozza had an edge in the fourth and tenth, while the third and ninth were even."John Henry Lewis Trims Lou Scozza", The Bakersfield Californian, Bakersfield, California, p. 17, October 27, 1932 Lewis landed cleaner punches and in three rounds sent Scozza back on his heels with strong rights to the jaw. Lewis nearly dropped Scozza in the seventh, and in the eighth scored a terrific right to the jaw that landed him on the ropes."Lewis Captures Brisk Contest", Reno-Gazette Journal, Reno, Nevada, p. 6, October 27, 1932"Lewis Beats Buffalo Boy", Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, p. 12, October 27, 1932
In 1934, Lewis had 12 bouts, going 9–1–2. On September 20 of that year, he made an unsuccessful attempt at the Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight title in Portland, Oregon, but drew with Young Firpo in ten rounds. The first six rounds were extremely close, but in the seventh, eighth, and ninth, Firpo gained a moderate points margin.Lewis used both fists in round ten in "Late Sports", Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, p. 1, September 21, 1934 In the seventh, Firpo used his unorthodox punches to pull ahead, and in the eighth and ninth, he used aggressive rights and lefts to Lewis's body and chin. In round ten, Lewis rallied with a two-fisted attack to secure the draw decision. When John Henry unexpectedly lowered his punches, a tiring Firpo succumbed to a body attack. Two lefts and a stiff right to the head gained Lewis a slight lead, but Firpo recovered, and the brisk fighting looked even at the final bell."John Henry Fails to Beat Firpo For Title", Reno Gazette, Reno, Nevada, p. 18, September 21, 1934
Light Heavyweight contender Yale Okun became Lewis's third-round technical knockout victim in Madison Square Garden on November 23, 1934. In the first two rounds, Okun made a fair showing and prevented Lewis from gaining a points margin. Okun was first staggered by a whizzing right to the face in the third, and after another of Lewis's rights dropped him for a nine-count, the referee called the fight.Hughes, Ed, "Lewis Flattens Okun", Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, p. 6, November 24, 1934 This bout, and a previous victory against Lewis, were two of Okun's most important career matches.Okun's most important in Silver, Mike, "Stars in the Ring", (2016), Rowman and Littlefield, Guilford, Connecticut, p. 208
Facing Frank Rowsey in San Francisco on May 10, 1935, Lewis won a decisive ten-round points decision in San Francisco. Rowsey, outweighed by eight pounds, lost all but the fourth, but nearly knocked Lewis out in the eighth with a clean right to the jaw. The blow staggered Lewis and spun him around, but he recovered and delivered more than he received by the closing bell. Lewis showed superior ring craft, and aggression in the win.Ward, Alan, "Lewis Whips Rowsey; Road Ahead Blocked", Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, p. 8, May 11, 1935Spun him in "John Henry Lewis Defeats Rowsey", The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California, p. 4, May 11, 1935
Lewis quickly knocked out Tom Patrick at Hickey Park in Millvale in the first of a ten-round bout on June 4, 1935. The Pittsburgh audience watched Lewis knock Patrick to the mat within the first minute of fighting for a count of three, and shortly after he arose, he went down for the full count from a left and right to the jaw."Sports, Celebron is Deprived", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, p. 12, June 4, 1935First knockdown for count of three in "Gee! That Bout Went By Quick!", The Pittsburgh Post, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, p. 30, June 4, 1935
Taking the World Light Heavyweight Championship, October 1935 Lewis took the World Light Heavyweight Title from Bob Olin on October 31, 1935, in a fifteen-round unanimous decision at the Arena in St. Louis. Due to the Depression and a lack of interest in the Light Heavyweight class, Olin's manager had a difficult time finding a promoter or an audience for the fight, finally settling on a payment of $15,000 to fight Lewis in St. Louis. The meager audience of 9,219 that showed on fight day could not provide enough in receipts to pay Olin half of what he was promised. Olin's trainer, Ray Arcel, later wrote that his boxer lost the nerve to fight Lewis and had to be encouraged to change his mind up to the day of the match.
The fight, however, was spectacular, with Olin showing gameness throughout the fifteen rounds, though outmatched by Lewis. Many in the crowd urged the referee to end the fight in the twelfth, but Olin gamely continued. He came out charging and won the first two rounds with a significant margin in points. In the third, finding his range, Lewis battered Olin with precision lefts to the head and straight rights to the body. Both boxers punched with precision and skill, until the thirteenth when Lewis, struggling for a knockout, inadvertently struck Olin after the bell sounded. Faced with the "machine-like precision" of Lewis, Olin lost twelve rounds, while managing to keep two even. Olin, with the will of a former champion, courageously remained on his feet through the entire fifteen rounds, refusing to suffer a knockdown."Defending Champion Outclassed Puts Up a Courageous Battle", McGoogan, W. J., St Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, p. 28, November 1, 1935Lewis battered Olin in the third in "Negro Lifts Olin's Title", The Kokomo Tribune, Kokomo, Indiana, p. 16, November 1, 1935McGoogan, W. J., "Bob Olin Lost His Title Here", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, p. 27, December 17, 1956
In his next fight on November 29, 1935, Lewis lost to Maxie Rosenbloom in a close, dull, 10-round non-title decision at Dreamland Auditorium in San Francisco. Lewis may have taken the fifth, but for his low blow penalties. One reporter scored five for Rosenbloom, three for Lewis, and two even. Rosenbloom's cautious strategy of striking a blow and then clinching bored many ringside, but demonstrated experience as he adjusted for the talent of his younger opponent. Lewis's strategy centered on a body attack, which he executed most effectively in the second, eighth and ninth rounds. In the tenth round, Lewis tried for a knockout, but was rebuffed by the scientific skill of Rosenbloom, who blocked his attacks and showered him with blows. Maxie gained his winning points advantage in the final round,Showered him with his own punches in "Max Rosenbloom Wins Verdict", The Evening Herald, Klamath Falls, Oregon, p. 2, November 30, 1935 though the resulting decision failed to please the crowd.Crowd displeased with decision in "Rosenbloom Given Unpopular Victory", Wilmington Daily Press Journal, Wilmington, California, p. 2, November 30, 1935 Lewis's handlers may have been wise to insist both boxers enter the ring overweight to forgo the risks of a title match, though each boxer had previously split two wins and two losses in their previous meetings."Champ Unable to Get Over Kayo Blow", Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, p. 8, November 30, 1935
Successful title defenses and boxing highlights, 1936–38 In 1936, Lewis was nearly undefeated with a record of 18–1–1.
Facing "Tiger" Fox, leading contender for his World Light Heavyweight Title, at the Armory in Spokane, Washington on January 10, 1936, Lewis gained a third-round knockout in a non-title bout. Both boxers weighed in above the required Light Heavyweight limit. Carrying the fighting to Lewis in the first round, Fox dominated with an aggressive but unpolished style. In the second, the tide turned, and Lewis let loose with a dozen long-range rights that left Fox on his knees."Lewis Knocks Out Tiger Jack Fox", The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, p. 8, January 11, 1936 In the middle of the third, Lewis uncorked three long-range rights that left Fox off balance, and then sent him to the mat with a powerful left hook to the chin that left him sprawling. His seconds had to carry him to his corner.Carried to his corner in "John Henry Lewis Kayoes Jack Fox in the Third Round", The St. Louis Star and Times, St. Louis, Missouri, p. 6, January 11, 1936
On March 6, 1936, Lewis defeated southpaw Eddie Simms in a thrilling ten-round points decision at Municipal Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri. Though fifteen pounds lighter, Lewis carried five of the ten rounds in the bitter fight. Simms took four rounds, and gave Lewis one of the toughest battles of his life. As so often occurred, Lewis cut his left eye, and had a bruised nose and mouth to show for his night's work. In the close bout, Simms appeared to be the aggressor, which caused some in the crowd of 10,840 to dispute the final ruling, but Lewis waged an exceptional defense and scored with counter punches that were clean and decisive. Lewis used stiff left jabs to throw Simms off balance, and prevented him from using his deadly right. Simms took the first two rounds, but Lewis carried four of the last six. He shone in the tenth, with a dazzling display of punching in the final minute. Though exceedingly close, both judges and the referee scored for Lewis.McGoogan, W.J., "Champion Lewis is Winner Over Simms Before 10,840 Fans", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, p. 9, March 7, 1936"Cleveland Heavy is Hero of Sensational Ten-ROund Struggle", The St. Louis Star and times, St. Louis, Missouri, p. 7, March 7, 1936