THE RUSSIAN WHO KNOCKED OUT LENNOX LEWIS IN THE AMATEURS

[loaded_gloves]

Gents, who was the man who KOd Lennox in the 80s in the amateurs? And what tournament was it a part of? Does anybody know?

[orbtastic]

Vyacheslav Yakovlev? Beat him on pts in the World Cup in '85.

[JC]

I remember reading on a forum a while back that it was Alexander Miroshnichenko http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Miroshnichenko

Never seen it verified from a reliable source though.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Aleksandr Miroshnichenko beat him three times if I remember rightly.

[orbtastic]

I'd never heard of him previously, but just reading now I see conflicting reports, none of which are verified anywhere?

There's also another guy called Ulli Kaden who beat and lost to Lewis, who I'd never heard of either.

Does anyone have a legit ama record for Lenny?

[loaded_gloves]

There's a lot of misinformation out there. I had Lennox's crappy mid-90s autobiography and even he admitted he was stopped one time in the amateurs, by a Russian. I 'think' he named him in that, but I can't remember and the book itself was too dull to hold onto.

In 'Mama's Boy', basically a propaganda piece, the writer loves Lennox so much he cannot even bring himself to afford the man the respect of giving him a name. Lewis was simply 'stopped by a Russian'.

I have read the name in reliable sources before, magazines from the 90s, I will have it somewhere but just seeing if anyone knows 100% who it was.

[orbtastic]

I have the book, it says he lost to him and Ulli, but it also says that he was never stopped.

Who knows, ama records are sketchy.

[iamasadlittleboy]

Looking on Strefa Amateur Boxing Valeriy Abadzhyan seems to have stopped him in the quarter final of the 1986 TSC Tournament...though I wouldn't take that on any great authority.

[hurlock]

Thing is the Russians are fully fledged heavyweight men boxing bandy skilled teenagers like Lewis I don't see why it's so surprising??

[loaded_gloves]

I have the book, it says he lost to him and Ulli, but it also says that he was never stopped.

Who knows, ama records are sketchy.

Which book? 2004s Mama's Boy certainly admits he was stopped by a Russian. I seem to recall the mid-90s autobiog also mentioning it and even giving the man his name. Are you sure it says he was 'never stopped'? Perhaps I have confused the mid-90s book with a magazine article?

[loaded_gloves]

http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Records ... leriy.html

Berlin in 86, at least according to his record. Sounds about right to me.

[iamasadlittleboy]

http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Records ... leriy.html

Berlin in 86, at least according to his record. Sounds about right to me.

I got that right but put the names (first and surname) the wrong way around

[loaded_gloves]

Okay, from Mama's Boy, page 50:

"Adrian's expertise did not prevent the 19 year old Lennox Lewis's first and only amateur stoppage defeat after a body punch from a highly experienced Russian super heavyweight. "He was up against their top guy and he was caught with a huge uppercut to the body"..."

Can you believe that? The writer does not even bother to name the guy. He doesn't bother to name many of Lewis's Olympic opponents. If anyone is considering buying this book I would strongly recommend they don't.

[loaded_gloves]

The ages don't match up though - Lewis in 86 would be 21 years old. Of course it would be consistent with the writers habit of altering fact slightly to make Lewis look better. He does it repeatedly throughout the 400 pages, perhaps this was another example.

[orbtastic]

I have the book, it says he lost to him and Ulli, but it also says that he was never stopped.

Who knows, ama records are sketchy.

Which book? 2004s Mama's Boy certainly admits he was stopped by a Russian. I seem to recall the mid-90s autobiog also mentioning it and even giving the man his name. Are you sure it says he was 'never stopped'? Perhaps I have confused the mid-90s book with a magazine article?

I have two versions of the same book - both almost the same, word for word. One says it's "with" Ken Gorman and the other is Joe Steeples. Page 66 & 62 respectively - "he was never badly beaten. No one ever knocked him over" says Arnie Boehm..."every time he's had a rematch with someone who's beaten him, Lennox has got his revenge".

I guess the exact wording doesn't rule out a RSC result, with standing counts, but it's not a Knockout per se.

[loaded_gloves]

It says he went down from the bodyshot in Mama's Boy. I know Reg Gutteridge referred to a knockdown in the amateurs.

Lennox didn't revenge all the men who beat him in the amateurs - I think we can dismiss that first book as even more nonsensical than the continuously unreliable Mama's Boy.

[orbtastic]

Yeah, it doesn't read particularly well.

Technically he beat Biggs, albeit in the pros.
Ulli he beat
Miroshnichenko, possibly.

Maybe it's just a carefully worded passage and quoted at a particular point in time.

[JLP]

if you want objectivity and fact, stay away from autobiographies.

[orbtastic]

I doubt he actually wrote a single line in either book. Not once does a sentence start off with "I", which is weird, given his propensity for talking in the third person. All his quotes are just that, quotes.

[loaded_gloves]

Well, a sports hack openly writes Mama's Boy - he just goes to Lennox for the odd quote. It is presented as a biography, unfortunately it's a terrible one.

I disagree with JLP's assessment of autobiogs, although I understand the logic. Foreman, Holmes and Frazier released wonderful, high quality autobiographies. Foreman's is painfully honest.

[JLP]

I disagree with JLP's assessment of autobiogs, although I understand the logic. Foreman, Holmes and Frazier released wonderful, high quality autobiographies. Foreman's is painfully honest.

I am being a bit of a cynic, I admit. I have always preferred biographies, though. There's the occasional autobiographies that I read, it all depends who the ghost-writer is and how much of a sycophant they are.

[hurlock]

Eric guy might have the video

[Londonirish]

Eric guy might have the video

Just thinking THE SAME THING

[loaded_gloves]

I disagree with JLP's assessment of autobiogs, although I understand the logic. Foreman, Holmes and Frazier released wonderful, high quality autobiographies. Foreman's is painfully honest.

I am being a bit of a cynic, I admit. I have always preferred biographies, though. There's the occasional autobiographies that I read, it all depends who the ghost-writer is and how much of a sycophant they are.

I do know what you mean - the majority are selective and self serving and the ones I cited are exceptions to the rule. Unforgivable Blackness and King of the World are outstanding examples of biography.

[Old bones Ian]

I must recommend Lance Armstrongs biography for his honest account of how to win without cheating.