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Ted Kid Lewis (gershon Mendeloff), World Famed Boxer, Dies at 76

October 21, 1970
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Ted Kid Lewis, one of the top boxers of the 1920’s and a multi-title holder, died here today at the age of 76. Lewis, whose original name was Gershon Mendeloff, turned pro in 1909 and subsequently became British welterweight and featherweight champion in 1913, European welterweight and featherweight champion in 1914, world welterweight king during 1915-16 and 1917-19, and British middleweight champ from 1920 to 1924. (In New York, a spokesman for Ring Magazine, the boxing journal, called Lewis “pound for pound, one of the real great ones.” In 1964, the fighter was elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame, maintained by Ring.) Lewis, who retired in 1929, compiled a record of 155 victories and 24 losses in 253 fights. Among his opponents were the Jewish boxers Benny Leonard, Soldier Bartfield and Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom. In all four of his welterweight championship fights his opponent was Jack Britton. In 1922, Lewis lost European heavyweight title bid to Georges Carpentier in a first-round knockout. For the past decade Lewis ran a stylish haberdashery here.

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