# Mihai Leu

Mihai Leu also known as Michael Löwe (born 13 February 1969, in Hunedoara) is a Romanian former 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

He 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. He would defend the title once against Irish challenger Michael Carruth, before retiring in 1998.

## Professional boxing record

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

## Rally career

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

He is 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 is married and has a son Marco, born in 1993, who is a winter sportsman.
He is involved in politics along with the Partidul Conservator, despite failing to secure a place in the European Parliament, in the 2007 national elections. He works 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.