Profile: boxing champion Lewis

After much agonising, British heavyweight Lennox Lewis has decided to quit while he is still the king of kings.

As he brings to an end the most glorious boxing reign of any fighter from this country for more than a century, we look back at some key dates in his career.

1965: Born Lennox Claudius Lewis, September 2, London. Moves to Canada at the age of nine.

1982: Aged 17, spars with a boy called Mike Tyson.

1984: Represents Canada in Los Angeles Olympic Games.

1986: Wins Commonwealth Games super-heavyweight gold medal in Edinburgh.

1988: At Olympic Games in Seoul, captures super-heavyweight gold medal, beating American Riddick Bowe in final. Returns to London to become a professional.

1989: Professional debut at Albert Hall. Knocks out Al Malcolm in second round. Five more wins follow in three different countries.

1991: Beats Gary Mason at Wembley for British and European heavyweight titles.

1992: In December, becomes WBC world heavyweight champion after Bowe throws his belt in a bin.

1993: Triumphs over Frank Bruno in Cardiff when referee stops fight in seventh round.

1994: Loses title to Oliver McCall in second round at Wembley.

1997: In February, regains title in extraordinary circumstances after fight against McCall is stopped in fifth round when his opponent appears to lose interest in the bout.

1999: Unification fight with Evander Holyfield ends in a controversial draw on March 13. Lewis claims he was robbed. Lewis wins rematch in November, and is later announced as BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

2001: Lewis dramatically loses his WBC and IBF titles in one of heavyweight boxing's biggest shocks, in April. A mighty right hand from Hasim Rahman catches him flush on the chin and he crashes on his back to be counted out after two minutes 32 seconds of round five. He regains the titles in a November rematch.

2002: A January press conference to announce confirmation of fight with Mike Tyson descends into farce as the duo scuffle in front of the cameras at New York's Millennium Hotel. Lewis convicingly beats Tyson in the fight in June.

2003: Lewis successfully defends his WBC title against Vitali Klitschko when the Ukrainian was stopped on cuts in the sixth round.

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