| Birth date | 13 February 1968 |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Hunedoara, Romania |
| Death date | 1 July 2025 (aged 57) |
| Death place | Bucharest, Romania |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Weight | Welterweight |
| Height | 5 ft 7+1/2 in |
| Reach | 64 in |
| Style | Orthodox |
| Total | 28 |
| Wins | 28 |
| Ko | 10 |
| Losses | 0 |
Mihai Leu (13 February 1968[1] – 1 July 2025), also known as Michael Löwe, was a Romanian professional boxer who competed between 1991 and 1997. He held the WBO welterweight title in 1997.
Leu retired after one title defense, against Michael Carruth, becoming the third European boxer to retire as an undefeated world champion, after Jack McAuliffe and Terry Marsh. Due to an injury, he was forced to abandon boxing but unwilling to give up the world of sports, he turned to be a rally driver. He later became a national rally champion.
Amateur career
Leu started boxing in 1977 at local club Constructorul Hunedoara. In 1981, he transferred to Metalul Hunedoara, and in 1982 he moved on to Dinamo Bucharest. During his time with Dinamo, he won the national championship four years in a row (1983–1986). In 1986, he joined Steaua Bucharest and also became a member of the national team. In 1987, he became World Junior Champion in Havana, Cuba.
In 1987, after becoming World Junior Champion, he fled communist-ruled Romania, risking severe consequences, and moved to West Germany.[2] There, he competed for Bayer Leverkusen, with whom he became German champion twice, in 1989 and 1990.[3]
In total he fought 200 amateur matches, out of which he won 190.
Professional career
In 1991, Leu became a professional boxer in Germany (using the name Michael Löwe). He would go on to win the vacant WBO welterweight title in 1997 by defeating Santiago Samaniego.[4] He would defend the title once against Irish challenger Michael Carruth,[5] before officially retiring in 1998.
Rally career
He made his debut in 1994 at the Banat Rally, driving a Volkswagen Golf GTI. In 1998, Leu started his new career at the wheel of a Ford Ka and after only three years, he managed to become Romania's rally vice-champion.
Five years later, in 2003, he became Romania's national champion, driving a Hyundai Accent WRC with co-driver Ciprian Solomon. After failing to win another race following his championship-winning year, Leu retired from competitive rallying in 2008, only to return in 2010 as team manager of the Jack Daniel's Rally Team, in the Romanian National Rally Championship (CNR).
Personal life, illness and death
Leu was the son of Nicolae Leu, a well-known Romanian rally driver of the 1970s and 1980s. His brother, Victor, also made his debut in car racing in 1999, as his co-driver.[6]
Leu was married to Anna, an Italian woman he met in Germany, and the couple had one son named Marco.[7]
Leu was involved in politics along with the Partidul Conservator, despite failing to secure a place in the European Parliament, in the 2007 national elections. He worked part-time as assistant at the Tibiscus University in Timișoara.[8]
In 2014, Leu had colon cancer and received surgery in Bucharest and treatment in Vienna.[9]
Leu died aged 57, in Bucharest on 1 July 2025, following a long illness.[10]
Professional boxing record
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Win | 28–0 | Michael Carruth | MD | 12 | 20 September 1997 | Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany | Retained WBO welterweight title |
| 27 | Win | 27–0 | Santiago Samaniego | UD | 12 | 22 February 1997 | Alsterdorfer Sporthalle Hamburg, Germany | Won vacant WBO welterweight title |
| 26 | Win | 26–0 | Eric Jakubowski | TKO | 5 (10) | 16 November 1996 | Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany | |
| 25 | Win | 25–0 | Jorge Ramirez | PTS | 8 | 19 October 1996 | Zoo-Gesellschaftshaus, Frankfurt, Germany | |
| 24 | Win | 24–0 | Dwayne Swift | KO | 4 (10) | 8 June 1996 | Deutz Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany | |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Freddy Demeulenaere | PTS | 8 | 4 May 1996 | Sport und Erholungszentrum, Berlin, Germany | |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Jose Brand | PTS | 8 | 14 April 1996 | Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany | |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Miguel Ángel Peña | PTS | 8 | 10 June 1995 | Europahalle, Karlsruhe, Germany | |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Craig Houk | TKO | 11 (12), 2:24 | 1 April 1995 | Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Germany | Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Bobby Butters | UD | 8 | 28 January 1995 | Sporthalle, Berlin, Germany | |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Harold Bennett | PTS | 8 | 17 December 1994 | Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Stefan Schramm | PTS | 10 | 3 December 1994 | Atelier Bruno Bruni, Hamburg, Germany | Won vacant German International welterweight title |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Benjamin Felix | TKO | 2 (?) | 13 November 1994 | Universum Gym, Hamburg, Germany | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Lloyd Ratalsky | TKO | 4 (?) | 22 October 1994 | Hansehalle, Lübeck, Germany | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Attila Veres | PTS | 8 | 3 September 1994 | Domplatz, Wiener Neustadt, Austria | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Gejza Stipak | TKO | 4 (?) | 10 April 1994 | Universum Gym, Hamburg, Germany | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Pave Turic | KO | 2 (?) | 19 March 1994 | Lugner City, Vienna, Austria | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Antonio Daga | PTS | 8 | 19 February 1994 | Sportshalle, Hamburg, Germany | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Hector Omar Luque | PTS | 6 | 5 February 1994 | Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Nestor Jesus Gil | PTS | 8 | 15 October 1993 | Sporthalle, Berlin, Germany | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Marino Monteyne | PTS | 6 | 2 October 1993 | Barbarossa Halle, Kaiserslautern, Germany | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Farid Bennecer | TKO | 4 (?) | 11 September 1993 | Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Miroslav Strbak | KO | 4 (?) | 26 June 1993 | Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Oscar Washington | PTS | 6 | 22 May 1993 | Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Miroslav Strbak | PTS | 6 | 3 April 1993 | Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Wayne Green | PTS | 4 | 13 February 1993 | Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Jan Mazgut | KO | 2 (?) | 13 December 1991 | Minden, Germany | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Gejza Stipak | PTS | 6 | 16 September 1991 | Legien Center, Berlin, Germany |
See also
References
- ^ Mihai Leu a împlinit 49 de ani. Povestea emoţionantă a campionului mondial la box profesionist
- ^ Guţă, Daniel (13 September 2014). "Mihai Leu, fost campion mondial la box: "Am fugit din ţară în 1987, deşi aveam totul aici, mai puţin libertate. Plângeam de dorul de casă" (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- ^ "Boxen Erfolge" (in German). TSVBayer04.de. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "Devers bounds past Torrence in 60m dash". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Arizona's Olson to Receive 2-Year Extension". Los Angeles Times. 21 September 1997. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Nazare, Daniel (8 July 2025). "Conducerea Federației Române de Box nu-l uită pe Mihai Leu! "Va avea o competiție cu numele lui". EXCLUSIV" (in Romanian). ProSport.ro. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
- ^ Ifrim, Dora (3 July 2025). "Cine este Anna, soția lui Mihai Leu. Este italiancă și are un fiu cu regretatul campion la box" (in Romanian). Viva.ro. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Rusu, Sorin (2 July 2025). "A murit Mihai Leu. Primul campion mondial din istoria boxului profesionist românesc avea cancer" (in Romanian). Euronews.ro. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ Lungu, Mia (1 July 2025). "A murit Mihai Leu. Fostul campion mondial de box avea 56 de ani" (in Romanian). Antena3.ro. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ^ "Mihai Leu a murit » Fostul mare campion de box a pierdut lupta cu boala la 56 de ani" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
External links
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