Mihai Leu

Last updated
Mihai Leu
Mihai Leu.png
Leu in 2014
Born
Mihai Leu

(1969-02-13) 13 February 1969 (age 55)
Hunedoara, Hunedoara County, Romania
Nationality Romanian
Other namesMichael Loewe
Lion
Statistics
Weight(s) Welterweight
Height5 ft 7½ in (172 cm)
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights28
Wins28
Wins by KO10
Losses0
Draws0
Website mihaileu.ro

Mihai Leu also known as Michael Loewe (born 13 February 1969, in Hunedoara) [1] is a Romanian former professional boxer who competed between 1991 and 1997. He held the WBO welterweight title in 1997.

Contents

Leu retired after one title defense, against Michael Carruth, becoming the third European boxer to retire as an undefeated world champion, after Jack McAuliffe and Terry Marsh. Due to an injury, he was forced to abandon boxing but unwilling to give up the world of sports, he turned to be a rally driver. He later became a national rally champion. [2]

Amateur highlights

He started boxing in 1977 at the Hunedoara Constructorul club. In 1981 he moved to the Hunedoara Metalul from where in 1982 he moved on to Dinamo Bucharest. During his time with Dinamo, he won the national championship four consecutive years: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986. In 1986, he moved to Steaua Bucharest and also became part of the national team.

In 1987, he became World Junior Champion. [3]

In total he fought 200 amateur matches, out of which he won 190. [4]

Professional career

In 1991, he became a professional boxer in Germany (using the name Michael Loewe) and had 28 wins of 28 matches in welterweight, winning the following titles:

Professional boxing record

28 fights28 wins0 losses
By knockout100
By decision180
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
28Win28-0 Michael Carruth MD1220 Sep 1997Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, GermanyRetained WBO welterweight title
27Win27-0 Santiago Samaniego UD1222 Feb 1997Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyWon vacant WBO welterweight title
26Win26-0Eric JakubowskiTKO5 (10)16 Nov 1996Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
25Win25-0Jorge RamirezPTS819 Oct 1996 Zoo-Gesellschaftshaus, Frankfurt, Germany
24Win24-0Dwayne SwiftKO4 (10)8 Jun 1996 Deutz Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany
23Win23-0Freddy DemeulenaerePTS84 May 1996Sport und Erholungszentrum, Berlin, Germany
22Win22-0Jose BrandPTS814 Apr 1996Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
21Win21-0 Miguel Angel Pena PTS810 Jun 1995 Europahalle, Karlsruhe, Germany
20Win20-0Craig HoukTKO11 (12), 2:241 Apr 1995Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, GermanyWon vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title
19Win19-0Bobby ButtersUD828 Jan 1995Sporthalle, Berlin, Germany
18Win18-0Harold BennettPTS817 Dec 1994 Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
17Win17-0Stefan SchrammPTS103 Dec 1994Atelier Bruno Bruni, Hamburg, GermanyWon vacant German International welterweight title
16Win16-0Benjamin FelixTKO213 Nov 1994Universum Gym, Hamburg, Germany
15Win15-0Lloyd RatalskyTKO422 Oct 1994Hansehalle, Lübeck, Germany
14Win14-0Attila VeresPTS83 Sep 1994Domplatz, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
13Win13-0Gejza StipakTKO410 Apr 1994Universum Gym, Hamburg, Germany
12Win12-0Pave TuricKO219 Mar 1994 Lugner City, Vienna, Austria
11Win11-0Antonio DagaPTS819 Feb 1994 Sportshalle, Hamburg, Germany
10Win10-0Hector Omar LuquePTS65 Feb 1994 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany
9Win9-0Nestor Jesus GilPTS815 Oct 1993Sporthalle, Berlin, Germany
8Win8-0Marino MonteynePTS62 Oct 1993 Barbarossa Halle, Kaiserslautern, Germany
7Win7-0Farid BennecerKO411 Sep 1993Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany
6Win6-0Miroslav StrbakKO426 Jun 1993Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
5Win5-0 Oscar Washington PTS622 May 1993Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany
4Win4-0Miroslav StrbakPTS63 Apr 1993Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
3Win3-0Wayne GreenPTS413 Feb 1993Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
2Win2-0Jan MazgutKO213 Dec 1991 Minden, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
1Win1-0Gejza StipakPTS616 Sep 1991Legien Center, Berlin, Germany

Rally career

In 1998 he started his new career at the wheel of a Ford Ka and after only three years, he managed to become Romania's rally vice-champion. He had already participated in rallying before, having made his debut in 1994, at the Banat Rally, in a Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Five years later, in 2003, he became Romania's national champion driving a Hyundai Accent WRC, with co-driver Ciprian Solomon. After failing to win another race after his championship winning year, Mihai Leu gave up competitive rallying in 2008, only to return in 2010, as team-manager of Jack Daniel's Rally Team, in the Romanian National Rally Championship (CNR). [5]

Personal life

He is the son of Nicolae Leu, a well-known Romanian rally driver of the `70s–`80s. His brother, Victor, also made his debut in car racing in 1999, as his co-driver.

He is married and has a son Marco, born in 1993, who is a winter sportsman.

He is involved in politics along with the Partidul Conservator, despite failing to secure a place in the European Parliament, in the 2007 national elections. He works part-time as assistant at the Tibiscus University in Timișoara.

In 2014, he had colon cancer and received surgery in Bucharest and treatment in Vienna. [6]

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References

  1. ↑ "BoxRec". boxrec.com.
  2. ↑ "Google Translate". translate.google.com. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  3. ↑ "worldjuniorchamps1987". amateur-boxing.strefa.pl.
  4. ↑ "Google Translate". translate.google.com. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  5. ↑ eWRC-results.com. "Mihai Leu - rally profile eWRC-results.com". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  6. ↑ "Google Translate". translate.google.com. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
Sporting positions
World boxing titles
Vacant
Title last held by
José Luis López 		WBO welterweight champion
2 February 1997 – 1997
Retired		Vacant
Title next held by
Akhmed Kotiev
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