Lennox Lewis out American contender Lionel Butler. However, at the behest of promoter Don King, the WBC bypassed him and gave Mike Tyson the first chance at the title recently won by Briton Frank Bruno from Oliver McCall. Bruno had previously lost to both Lewis and Tyson. Lewis had the number 1 contender's slot in the WBC rankings when he knocked out Australian Justin Fortune, then defeated former WBO Champion Tommy Morrison in October 1995, followed by Olympic gold medalist and former WBO champion Ray Mercer in a close majority decision in May 1996. Lewis successfully sued to force Tyson to make
Julio Gervacio title, Gervacio nevertheless reeled off ten straight wins after that defeat. Among the boxers he beat during that streak were some top ranked fighters such as Julio Soto Solano, Pepillo Valdez, Lee Cargle and Lorenzo Tiznado, among others. When given another chance to win a world title on March 11 of 1995, he lost to WBC Super Bantamweight incumbent Hector Acero Sanchez by a twelve round unanimous decision. His next fight on March 25, 1996 against Sergio Pena was his debut in his birth country and it was for the Dominican Super Bantamweight title. It resulted in a lost after