Heavyweight contender Alex Stewart dies at 52
Alex Stewart, a heavyweight contender who fought Mike Tyson and nearly beat George Foreman, has died. He was 52.
Stewart died last week after being rushed to a hospital in Mount Vernon, N.Y., said Mike Gilberg, a close friend of the former fighter. He had a blood clot in his lung, Gilberg said.
“One day he wasn’t feeling good, the next this happened,” Gilberg said.
Stewart fought in a golden time for heavyweight boxing, and he fought almost all the big names of his time.
Stewart lost twice to Evander Holyfield, and was knocked out in the first round of his fight with Tyson. But it was his 1992 fight with Foreman that was the highlight of his career..
Foreman knocked Stewart down twice in the second round and was battering him in the third, when Foreman motioned to referee Richard Steele to stop the fight. But Steele let it continue, and Stewart began pummeling Foreman. Stewart lost a controversial majority decision.
He retired with a record of 43-10 with 40 knockouts.