'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lennox Lewis is one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, possessing a stellar record of 41 wins, one draw, and just two losses across 44 fights. He is a former Olympic gold medalist and a former unified heavyweight champion, with notable wins over Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Vitali Klitschko.
Furthermore, Lewis is known for having avenged every single loss he's ever been dealt. While his professional career is one that many continue to celebrate to this day, two decades after his last boxing match, his personal life has been struck by tragedy, as on Thursday, he took to Instagram to reveal his mother's passing.
Lennox Lewis' mother, Violet Blake, is remembered in a lengthy caption penned by the former heavyweight, along with a photo collage showing him in her company. The post drew countless messages of condolences to the comment section of his post, with fans wishing the all-time great pugilist well in such a difficult time.
One fan praised Lewis for the beauty of the message he wrote for his late mother:
"Beautiful words for an amazing woman thinking of you and your family"
Another comment offered to keep Lewis in their thoughts:
"So sorry to hear this, Lennox. Thoughts are with you"
Similarly, another fan offered his thoughts to Lewis:
"So sorry to hear this - we all knew how much of a close bond you had with your Mother. My condolences and best wishes are with you and your family. RIP"
Others kept their comments shorter but no less well-meaning:
"My condolences champ."
A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:
What did Eric Nicksick say about Lennox Lewis?
A little over a month ago, on October 28, Francis Ngannou shocked the world with a stunning performance in his boxing match against Tyson Fury. However, Eric Nicksick, the Cameroonian's coach, who also serves as Sean Strickland's coach, described meeting Lennox Lewis (at 13:07 minutes) as the highlight of his evening:
"I damn near started crying. Cause he's, like, one of my idols when it came to boxing, and I was actually making a point to somebody before I even knew Lennox was even there. I was like 'You know, I think Tyson is, yes, right up there, but Lennox is my number one, you know, as far as the best heavyweights to ever do it.'"
According to Nicksick, he regards Lewis as the greatest heavyweight in boxing history, which is no small compliment given that the weight class has given fans the likes of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, who Lennox Lewis famously knocked out.
