John Henry Lewis

BORN   May 1 1914; Los Angeles, California
DIED April 18 1974; Berkeley, California
HEIGHT 5-11
WEIGHT 160-186 1/2 lbs
MANAGERS Ernie Lira, Larry White, Frank Schuler, Gus Greenlee
TRAINER Larry Amadee
RECORD 93-8-5 (54 KO)

Lewis was a clever boxer with a decent punch; He possessed good speed and was a fine defensive fighter; John won the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World during his career

He is most famous for his Heavyweight Championship bout against Joe Louis but he defeated many outstanding men such as Jim Braddock, Maxie Rosenbloom, Bob Olin, Al Gainer, "Tiger" Jack Fox, Len Harvey, Jock McAvoy, Red Burman, Al Ettore, Bob Godwin, George Nichols, Donald "Red" Barry, Johnny Risko, Elmer "Violent" Ray, Eddie Simms, Jimmy Adamick, Fred Lenhart, Lou Scozza, Willie Reddish, Yale Okun, Frank Rowsey and Tom Patrick

Herb Goldman ranked Lewis as the #14 All-Time Light Heavyweight; He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994

1931
Jan 30 "Palmleaf" Wright            Phoenix, Az                     KO  2
Feb  6 Bob Richardson               Phoenix, Az                     KO  2
Mar 11 Sam Terrin                   Prescott, Az                    KO  4
          -Terrin died
May 15 Tony Cadena                  Phoenix, Az                     KO  1
May 29 Evans Fortune                Phoenix, Az                     KO  3
Jun 25 Herb Coleman                 Pasadena, Ca                     W  4
Jul  1 Lloyd Phelps                 Mesa, Az                         W  8
Sep 14 Joe Arcienega                Phoenix, Az                     KO  5
Nov 27 Jack "School Boy" Rogers     Phoenix, Az                     KO  3

1932
Mar 23 Sammy Bass                   Oakland, Ca                     TK  1
Apr 22 Yale Okun                    San Francisco, Ca                W 10
Jul 13 Pietro Georgi                San Francisco, Ca               KO  1
Jul 29 Jimmy Hanna                  San Francisco, Ca               TK  6
Sep 21 Jim Braddock                 San Francisco, Ca                W 10
Oct  5 Fred Lenhart                 San Francisco, Ca               TK  4
Oct 26 Lou Scozza                   San Francisco, Ca                W 10
Nov 16 Maxie Rosenbloom             San Francisco, Ca                L 10
Dec  9 Tuffy Dial                   Phoenix, Az                     KO  4

1933
Feb  7 Terris Hill                  San Francisco, Ca               KO  4
Apr  7 Emmett Rocco                 San Francisco, Ca               TK  7
May 15 Tom Patrick                  San Francisco, Ca                W 10
Jun 10 Fred Lenhart                 San Francisco, Ca                D 10
          -Some sources report 6/16/33
Jul 10 Maxie Rosenbloom             San Francisco, Ca                W 10
Jul 31 Maxie Rosenbloom             San Francisco, Ca                W 10
Oct 31 Frank Rowsey                 Los Angeles, Ca                  W 10

1934
Feb  9 "Lowell" Bobby Brown         Tucson, Az                      KO  1
Jun  6 Sandy Garrison Casanova      Fort Hauchuca, Az               KO  3
Jul 12 "Lowell" Bobby Brown         Tucson, Az                      KO  3
Sep  3 Tony Poloni                  Reno, Nv                        TK  1
Sep 12 Norman Conrad                Oakland, Ca                      W 10
Sep 20 Young Firpo                  Portland, Or                     D 10
Oct  3 Donald "Red" Barry           San Francisco, Ca                D 10
Oct 17 Pietro Georgi                Oakland, Ca                     KO  2
Oct 31 Earl Wise                    Oakland, Ca                     KO  3
Nov 16 Jim Braddock                 New York, NY                     L 10
Nov 23 Yale Okun                    New York, NY                    TK  3
Dec 14 Tony Shucco                  New York, NY                     W 10

1935
Jan 29 Don Petrin                   Pittsburgh, Pa                  KO  7
Feb 25 Frank Wojack                 Syracuse, NY                    KO  3
Mar  4 Terry Mitchell               Syracuse, NY                    KO  6
          -Some sources report "KO 7"
Mar 13 Emilio Martinez              Denver, Co                       W 10
Apr 12 Bob Olin                     San Francisco, Ca                W 10
May 10 Frank Rowsey                 San Francisco, Ca                W 10
Jun  3 Tom Patrick                  Pittsburgh, Pa                  KO  1
Jun 24 Izzy Singer                  Paterson, NJ                    KO  1
Jul  8 Lou Poster                   Cleveland, Oh                   TK  5
Jul 17 Maxie Rosenbloom             Oakland, Ca                      L 10
Jul 24 Abe Feldman                  Brooklyn, NY                     L 10
Oct 31 Bob Olin                     St. Louis, Mo                    W 15
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World
Nov 29 Maxie Rosenbloom             San Francisco, Ca                L 10
Dec 11 Georgie Simpson              Oakland, Ca                     TK  2
Dec 19 Coleman Johns                Phoenix, Az                     KO  2
Dec 20 Harold "Dutch" Weimer        Tucson, Az                       W 10

1936
Jan 10 "Tiger" Jack Fox             Spokane, Wa                     KO  3
Jan 17 Al Stillman                  St. Louis, Mo                   TK  4
Jan 29 Emilio Martinez              Denver, Co                       L 10
Jan 31 Frankie "Cyclone" Lynch      Walsenburg, Co                  KO  1
          -Some sources report "KO 3"
Mar  6 Eddie Simms                  St. Louis, Mo                    W 10
Mar 13 Jock McAvoy                  New York, NY                     W 15
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World
Apr  7 George Nichols               Buffalo, NY                      D 10
Apr 22 Izzy Singer                  Chicago, Il                      W 10
May 27 Charley Massera              Pittsburgh, Pa                   W 10
May 29 Bob Godwin                   New York, NY                    KO  1
Jun  8 John Andersson               Woodhaven, NY                    W 10
Jun 12 Harold "Dutch" Weimer        York, Pa                        TK  5
Jun 17 Tony Shucco                  St. Louis, Mo                   TK  8
Jun 22 Jimmy Merriott               Peoria, Il                      KO  3
Jul 10 Max Marek                    Chicago, Il                      W 10
Jul 30 Al Gainer                    Pittsburgh, Pa                   W 12
Aug 12 George Nichols               St. Louis, Mo                    W 10
Sep 17 Tiger Hairston               Charleston, WV                  KO  1
Oct  2 Red Burman                   Chicago, Il                     TK  2
Nov  9 Len Harvey                   London, Eng                      W 15
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World

1937
Jan  4 Al Ettore                    Philadelphia, Pa                 D 10
          -At first, Ettore was declared the winner but the
           verdict was changed later by the Pennsylvania Boxing
           Commission
Jan 11 Art Sykes                    Pittsburgh, Pa                  KO  6
          -Some sources report 1/21/37
Jan 28 Chester Palutis              Scranton, Pa                    TK  7
Feb  8 Al Ettore                    Philadelphia, Pa                 W 15
Mar 15 Hans Birkie                  Philadelphia, Pa                 W 10
Apr  2 Donald "Red" Barry           St. Louis, Mo                   TK  5
Apr  9 Babe Davis                   Indianapolis, In                KO  3
Apr 13 Harold "Millionaire" Murphy  Omaha, Ne                       TK  4 
Apr 19 Pret Ferrar                  Des Moines, Ia                  KO  6
          -Some sources report "Petit Ferrarer"
May  4 Emilio Martinez              St. Louis, Mo                    W 10
May 14 Patsy Perroni                New York, NY                     W 10
May 21 Jack Kranz                   Kansas City, Mo                 KO  3
Jun  3 Bob Olin                     St. Louis, Mo                   TK  8
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World
Jun 15 Al Ettore                    Philadelphia, Pa                 W 15
          -Some sources report "W 10"
Jun 28 Willie Reddish               Washington, DC                   W 10
Aug 19 Italo Colonello              Pittsburgh, Pa                   W 12
Oct 15 Isadore Gastanaga            Detroit, Mi                      L 10
Nov 26 Salvatore Ruggirello         Minneapolis, Mn                 TK  4
Dec 12 Isadore Gastanaga            St. Louis, Mo                   TK  9
Dec 17 Johnny Risko                 Cleveland, Oh                    W 10

1938
Jan 10 Leonard Neblett              Nashville, Tn                   TK  8
Jan 18 Marty Gallagher              St. Louis, Mo                   KO  3
Jan 31 Emil Scholz                  Pittsburgh, Pa                   W 10
Feb 11 Fred Lenhart                 St. Paul, Mo                    KO  3
          -Some sources report "St. Louis, Mo"
Mar 25 Bud Mignault                 St. Paul, Mn                     W 10
Apr  4 Bob Tow (Jack Tunney)        Philadelphia, Pa                 W 10
Apr 25 Emilio Martinez              Minneapolis, Mn                 KO  4
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World
May  5 Domenico Ceccarelli          Baltimore, Md                    W 10
May 19 Elmer "Violent" Ray          Atlanta, Ga                     KO 12
Aug 25 Domenico Ceccarelli          Nutley, NJ                      KO  3
Sep 15 Jimmy Adamick                Philadelphia, Pa                 W 10
Oct 28 Al Gainer                    New Haven, Ct                    W 15
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World

1939
Jan 25 Joe Louis                    New York, NY                    LK  1
          -Heavyweight Championship of the World
       Len Harvey                   London, Eng                    SCH   
          -This bout was tentaviely scheduled but cancelled;
           Lewis failed to pass the physical due to his eyesight
Jun    -Lewis announced his retirement from the ring


*** The Following Bouts Are Reported But Not Confirmed ***
1928
       Buster Grant                 Phoenix, Az                      W  4
       Kid Tapia                    Phoenix, Az                     KO  2

1929
       Jake Henderson               Phoenix, Az                      W  2

1930
       Dynamite Hunter              Phoenix, Az                      D  4
       Louis Pete                   Phoenix, Az                     KO  4
       Roy Gunn                     Phoenix, Az                     KO  3
       Kid Val Don                  Phoenix, Az                     KO  3
       Sammy Bass                   Phoenix, Az                     KO  1
       Roy Imm                      Phoenix, Az                     KO  4
       Jake Henderson               Phoenix, Az                     KO  4
       "Young" Tiger Flowers                                         W  6
       "Young" Tiger Flowers                                         W  6

Undated (1930-1932)
          -Lewis knocked out five unnamed opponents
       an unnamed opponent                                           W   


Record courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
 
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