Hedgemon Lewis was an American professional boxer and trainer.
16 Facts About Hedgemon Lewis
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Hedgemon Lewis held the NYSAC welterweight world title in 1972 and challenged for welterweight world championships on three occasions; the unified WBA, and WBC titles twice in 1971 and 1974; and the WBC title in 1976.
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Hedgemon Lewis fought out of Detroit initially, before basing himself in Los Angeles.
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Hedgemon Lewis bounced back to win his next five fights, including defeating highly rated contender Oscar "Shotgun" Albarado over ten rounds.
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In December 1971, Hedgemon Lewis took on Cuban fighter Jose Napoles for the WBC and WBA World Welterweight titles.
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The bout was tightly contested, with Hedgemon Lewis pushing the world champion for the full 15 rounds.
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Still at a relatively young age of 25, Hedgemon Lewis returned to winning ways, racking up 11 straight wins on the bounce.
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Hedgemon Lewis traveled to Syracuse, New York, the home town of Backus, for the first bout in June 1972.
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In what turned out to be one of the fights of the year, Hedgemon Lewis dropped his rival in round 4 on his way to a decision victory.
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In defeating Backus, Hedgemon Lewis picked up the New York version of the World Welterweight title.
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Hedgemon Lewis gained the admiration of the New York boxing scene.
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Hedgemon Lewis was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.
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Not yet finished with the sport, Hedgemon Lewis became a noted coach and cornerman in the world of boxing.
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Hedgemon Lewis worked the corners with legendary figures such as Eddie Futch, Thell Torrence and Freddy Roach.
15.
Hedgemon Lewis appeared as a craps gambler in the Ryan O'Neal 1985 movie, Fever Pitch.
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Hedgemon Lewis died on March 31,2020, at the age of 74, of COVID-19 on top of other health issues.