‘Sixhead’s’ death sends shock waves through sporting community

'I lost a son, i lost a good friend, it is really sad' - Bazilio

Andrew Lewis
Andrew Lewis

Guyana’s first world boxing champion, Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis died yesterday in a motor vehicle accident on the public road of Friendship, East Bank Demerara. He was 44.

His untimely passing has sent shockwaves through the sporting fraternity, the Diaspora and worldwide.

Lewis was most remembered for a seventh round stoppage of American, James Page on February, 17, 2001 in Las Vegas to win the WBA welterweight title, the nation’s first.

Andrew Lewis
Andrew Lewis
During his professional career which spawned 15 years (1993-2008), the skillful southpaw compiled a record of 23 wins, four losses and two draws with 20 of his wins coming by way of knockout.

The local hero grew up in Albouystown and also lived in Brooklyn, New York. For the past 14 years, he resided at Hutsonville on the E.B.D.

He was introduced to boxing at the age of nine when he walked into a gym on Callendar Street.

“I lost a son, I lost a good friend. It is really sad,” said his manager Keith Bazilio yesterday.

“Boxing has lost a good friend, he grew up around me. I knew him since he was a baby. Words can’t explain how I’m feeling, from the time he started boxing you knew he would be something special.”

The grieving Bazilio added “My stomach is heavy. I’m upset about it.

My sympathy goes out to his family and also Cecil Henry’s. Henry was one of Guyana’s best boxing referees who died last week. Boxing has lost two great individuals in less than two weeks.”

‘Sixhead’ first rose to prominence in 1996 with a round two TKO win over Terrence Ali to lift the national welterweight title.

President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control, Peter Abdool told Stabroek Sport yesterday that “Lewis had given me the proudest moment of my life when he won the world title.”

“He is a true national hero and a treasure to Guyana, it is a terrible loss for us. He was the single person that placed Guyana on the boxing map.”

In his prime, Lewis fought former world raters, Ricardo Mayorga, Antonio Margarita, Larry Marks and Howard Eastman.

President of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle covered the Lewis/Page fight for this daily and spoke of his friendship with ‘Sixhead’.

“Andrew has always held a special place in my heart. I have always told people that regardless of whatever he will always remain Guyana’s first world champion and as a journalist I remembered when I was in Las Vegas I was the only journalist from this country and we shared a very special relationship.”

“It’s a real blow because I don’t look at ‘Sixhead’ as a boxer, we were very good friends and it’s a real blow to me.

That is an upper cut that the boxing fraternity will not soon get over, we are deeply saddened and condolences go out to his family and his children.”

Lewis’ survivors include six children.

Ninvalle added: “On behalf of the Guyana Boxing Association we want to say how exactly how saddened we are at the untimely death and impromptu snuffing out of the life of Mr. Lewis.”

The fallen hero had a boxing gym built and named after him following his world title success.

Lewis will surely be missed by the sporting fraternity.

Funeral arrangements to be announced later.