Reigning champ Lennox Lewis is retiring

LONDON (AP) -- Lennox Lewis announced his retirement today, becoming the first active world heavyweight champion to quit in nearly 50 years.
The 38-year-old Lewis confirmed at a packed London news conference that he was leaving the sport after a 14-year career.
After months of deliberation, Lewis decided to retire rather than defend his World Boxing Council title in a rematch against Vitali Klitschko.
Lewis leaves with a 41-1-2 record, and is the first reigning world heavyweight champion to quit since Rocky Marciano in 1956. Muhammad Ali retired with the WBA title in 1978, but came back to lose fights to Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick.
Lewis leaves a legacy of big wins over Tyson and Evander Holyfield, but also a reputation for aloofness that never allowed him to connect with boxing fans outside of Britain and Canada, where he grew up.