Mihai Leu

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Mihai Leu also known as Michael Löwe (13 February 1968 – 1 July 2025) 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 highlights

Leu started boxing in 1977 at the Hunedoara Constructorul club. In 1981, he moved to the Hunedoara Metalul from where in 1982 he moved on to Dinamo Bucharest. During his time with Dinamo, he won the national championship four consecutive years: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986. In 1986, he moved to Steaua Bucharest and also became part of the national team.

In 1987, he became World Junior Champion.

In total he fought 200 amateur matches, out of which he won 190.

Professional career

In 1991, he 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.[1] He would defend the title once against Irish challenger Michael Carruth,[2] before retiring in 1998.

Professional boxing record

Template:BoxingRecordSummary

No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
28 Win 28–0 Michael Carruth MD 12 20 Sep 1997 Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Retained WBO welterweight titleScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
27 Win 27–0 Santiago Samaniego UD 12 22 Feb 1997 Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Won vacant WBO welterweight titleScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
26 Win 26–0 Eric Jakubowski TKO 5 (10) 16 Nov 1996 Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
25 Win 25–0 Jorge Ramirez PTS 8 19 Oct 1996 Zoo-Gesellschaftshaus, Frankfurt, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
24 Win 24–0 Dwayne Swift KO 4 (10) 8 Jun 1996 Deutz Sporthalle, Cologne, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
23 Win 23–0 Freddy Demeulenaere PTS 8 4 May 1996 Sport und Erholungszentrum, Berlin, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
22 Win 22–0 Jose Brand PTS 8 14 Apr 1996 Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
21 Win 21–0 Miguel Ángel Peña PTS 8 10 Jun 1995 Europahalle, Karlsruhe, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
20 Win 20–0 Craig Houk TKO 11 (12), 2:24Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 1 Apr 1995 Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight titleScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
19 Win 19–0 Bobby Butters UD 8 28 Jan 1995 Sporthalle, Berlin, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
18 Win 18–0 Harold Bennett PTS 8 17 Dec 1994 Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
17 Win 17–0 Stefan Schramm PTS 10 3 Dec 1994 Atelier Bruno Bruni, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Won vacant German International welterweight titleScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
16 Win 16–0 Benjamin Felix TKO 2 (?) 13 Nov 1994 Universum Gym, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
15 Win 15–0 Lloyd Ratalsky TKO 4 (?) 22 Oct 1994 Hansehalle, Lübeck, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
14 Win 14–0 Attila Veres PTS 8 3 Sep 1994 Domplatz, Wiener Neustadt, AustriaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
13 Win 13–0 Gejza Stipak TKO 4 (?) 10 Apr 1994 Universum Gym, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
12 Win 12–0 Pave Turic KO 2 (?) 19 Mar 1994 Lugner City, Vienna, AustriaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
11 Win 11–0 Antonio Daga PTS 8 19 Feb 1994 Sportshalle, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
10 Win 10–0 Hector Omar Luque PTS 6 5 Feb 1994 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
9 Win 9–0 Nestor Jesus Gil PTS 8 15 Oct 1993 Sporthalle, Berlin, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
8 Win 8–0 Marino Monteyne PTS 6 2 Oct 1993 Barbarossa Halle, Kaiserslautern, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
7 Win 7–0 Farid Bennecer TKO 4 (?) 11 Sep 1993 Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
6 Win 6–0 Miroslav Strbak KO 4 (?) 26 Jun 1993 Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
5 Win 5–0 Oscar Washington PTS 6 22 May 1993 Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
4 Win 4–0 Miroslav Strbak PTS 6 3 Apr 1993 Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
3 Win 3–0 Wayne Green PTS 4 13 Feb 1993 Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
2 Win 2–0 Jan Mazgut KO 2 (?) 13 Dec 1991 Minden, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
1 Win 1–0 Gejza Stipak PTS 6 16 Sep 1991 Legien Center, Berlin, GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Rally career

File:Raliul Clujului - Cora - 2007 (Mihai Leu) (611832153).jpg
Leu at the 2007 Romanian Rally Championship

In 1998 he 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. He had already participated in rallying before, having made his debut in 1994, at the Banat Rally, in a Volkswagen Golf GTI.

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 after his championship winning year, Mihai Leu gave up competitive rallying in 2008, only to return in 2010, as team-manager of Jack Daniel's Rally Team, in the Romanian National Rally Championship (CNR).

Personal life and death

Leu was the son of Nicolae Leu, a well-known Romanian rally driver of the `70s–`80s. His brother, Victor, also made his debut in car racing in 1999, as his co-driver.

He was married and had a son Marco, born in 1993, who is a winter sportsman.

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.

In 2014, he had colon cancer and received surgery in Bucharest and treatment in Vienna.

Leu died after a long illness in Bucharest, on 1 July 2025, at the age of 56.[3] He is survived by his wife Anna, and their son, Marco.

See also

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References

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External links

Sporting positions

Template:S-text

Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check German International
welterweight champion
3 December 1994 – 2 February 1997
Won world title Template:S-ttl/check 		Vacant
Title next held by
Alpaslan Aguzum
New title WBO Inter-Continental
welterweight champion
1 April 1995 – 1996
Vacated Template:S-ttl/check 		Vacant
Title next held by
Larry Barnes

Template:S-text

Vacant
Title last held by
José Luis López 		WBO welterweight champion
22 February 1997 – 1998
Retired Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
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