Jack Sharkey the title against Ingemar Johansson, having lost it to the Swede in their first fight. Oliver McCall then became the third such Heavyweight champion when beating Lennox Lewis for the WBC title in 1994, before losing it to Lewis' countryman, Frank Bruno the following year. In recent years, with the proliferation of European Heavyweight champions, fighters such as Chris Byrd and Hasim Rahman have also won and lost their championships against European opposition. Sharkey's distinction is noteworthy, however, as Schmeling and Carnera were, respectively, only the third and fourth Europeans to win the World Heavyweight championship. Later in life, Sharkey
Michael Ayers (boxer) Michael Ayers (boxer) Michael Ayers (born 26 January 1965) is a British former boxer who was British lightweight champion between 1995 and 1997 and IBO world lightweight champion between 1999 and 2001. Born in London in 1965, Michael Ayers had a successful amateur career, winning the ABA lightweight title in 1987, before making his professional boxing debut in May 1989 with a win over Young Joe Rafiu. In June 1991 he beat Wayne Weekes to take the vacant BBBofC Southern Area lightweight title. In October 1992 he stopped Scott Brouwer in the fourth round to take the WBC International title.