New York - Funeral services are still pending for self-made boxing promoter Ronald “Butch” Lewis, who, after years of struggling as a Philadelphia-based used car salesman, transformed himself into one of the most successful and colorful characters the sport has ever known
Lewis, who turned 65 just last month - and flamboyantly celebrated the occasion as only he could in a lavish, Bethany Beach shindig on the grounds of his Delaware estate during which the soulfully rejoicing O’Jays performed - reportedly succumbed to a massive heart attack early Saturday morning at his home.
"R.I.P. Butch Lewis. I met him many times and he was always so generous to me offering fight tickets and support in my career. God Bless," tweeted film star and social activist Hill Harper. Before Saturday night’s super lightweight championship fight between Amir Khan and Zab Judah in Las Vegas, famed ring announcer Michael Buffer led a crowd of thousands in an honorary 10-bell count for Lewis.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Lewis broke into the fight game in the 1970s by befriending fellow local bruiser and eventual heavyweight champ Joe Frazier. He was on hand with Frazier on the night of the famed “Thriller in Manila” fight against Muhammad Ali. Later, he also promoted fights for Ali and is credited with negotiating Michael Spinks’ still record-setting purse of $13.5 million in his bout with Mike Tyson that lasted all of 91 seconds.
Legend has it that on the night of the Tyson fight, Lewis made the calculated move of trying to antagonize and distract Tyson from his game plan, repeatedly storming into his locker room to demand that his hands be rewrapped. So incensed and outraged was Tyson by the opening bell that he had already punched a hole through the wall of his trailer.
“That’s just Butch being Butch,” reflects Spinks. “I’ve got nothing and will always have nothing but love for him. I haven’t been in the ring for over 20 years, and he’s still one of my greatest friends and promoters. That’s just who he was ... when Butch was with you, he’s with you for the whole ride.”
“Boxing,” Lewis once said of that night, “is a risk business. If you’re not willing to take a risk, not willing to push the envelope to get that edge, you’re probably in the wrong business.”
And always, always, it was about business and never personal for Butch Lewis. After Tyson was found guilty of rape and sentenced to six years in prison in 1992, it was Lewis who spoke with, visited and tried to motivate him as much as anyone. Later, when Bernard Hopkins was released from prison, it was Lewis who promoted him early, setting the four-time world champ’s career on a steady course.
Through it all, Lewis was as riveting and vividly expressive outside the ring as any of his fighters were inside. He often sported - and is credited with originating - the so-called “chocolate tuxedo” look, during which he appeared at public events wearing a full tux, collar, bow tie, cuffs with links and no shirt. Often times, longtime friends Denzel Washington and Bob Johnson could be seen sitting at ringside with him for the biggest of fights draped in his trademark garbs.
Lewis also holds the added distinction of being one of the few characters in fight history to have worked with or for legendary promoters Don King and Bob Arum. From day one, his partnership with King made for an uneasy alliance.
The two bombastic figures once formed a promotional company - not so coincidentally called the Dynamic Duo - that ultimately lasted about as long as the Tyson vs. Spinks showdown. Not once during their time together did Lewis even so much as refer to King by name; always, it was “Bushy” in an offbeat, one-upmanship jab at King’s wildly spiked afro.
Lewis eventually sued King, charging that he stole away then red-hot commodity Greg Page, whom he won back in the wake of all the legal wrangling.
Lewis was also the man calling the shots on the night of Feb. 15, 1978, when 24-year-old former Marine and untested heavyweight Leon Spinks upset Ali in a 15-round split decision before a stunned standing-room-only Las Vegas crowd. Ditto for the night six-months later, when Ali won back the crown before a record-setting crowd of more than 63,000 at the Louisiana Superdome.
In more recent years, Lewis had turned his attention to other endeavors, partnering with Johnson to form and develop a talent management company representing minority entertainers in the areas of endorsements, licensing and programming. In 2008, he started the New York-based Voicez Music Group, a joint venture with Def Jam Records, in which his son and daughter both worked side by side with him.
Back in 1991, it was Lewis who embraced and welcomed the godfather of soul James Brown back to the stage following his drug-related incarceration for the dawn of his wildly successful “Living In America” pay-per-view event, which drew more viewers than similarly themed events hosted by the likes of The Who and Grateful Dead.
“A master at everything he did; that’s who Butch was,” said Spinks. “They don’t make guys like him anymore.”
Delaware-based funeral director Sammy Congo said he is expected to meet with relatives of Lewis’ early this week to finalize memorial plans.
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