Retired boxing promoter Frank Maloney, the flamboyant, tough-talking manager who guided Lennox Lewis during his reign as heavyweight champion, has revealed undergoing gender reassignment to become a woman.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mirror, Maloney said he had been dealing with a host of issues since he retired from the sport in October last year. He now lives in London, known as "Kellie" to people.

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"What was wrong at birth is now being medically corrected," she told the Sunday Mirror.

Kellie shared that she has had countless hours of counseling, hair removal electrolysis, and voice coaching, as well as going through hormone replacement therapy over the years.

She considered telling his wife Tracey the ordeal he was going through as the turning point in her struggle.

Twice married with three daughters, Kellie came out to Tracey, who thought that she was the only one in the relationship having problems.

One morning in 2012, Kellie said to Tracey: "The problem with this marriage is not you. The problem with this marriage is me."

She packed his bags, left their house and went abroad, and for the first time, he had actually been honest.

"I was not happy when the relationship ended," Kellie continued. "But it was the first step of me starting a new life as a woman."

Kellie she remained friends with Tracey who was very supportive of her gender reassignment.

The National Health Service (NHS) in England states that before a transsexual could undergo a sex change operation, she must live out two years as a female. Kellie is in the transition period for over a year now.

"I did not wake up one morning and say I'm going to put a dress on and become a woman," Kellie said.

Lewis is the most celebrated heavyweight boxer in Britain and Maloney guided him to his first title in 1992. Back then, he was first British titleholder for almost a century.

Lewis knocked out Donovan Ruddock on the second round in 1992 to become the Number 1 in the World Boxing Council (WBC) rankings. He was declared the heavyweight champion in December of that same year after Riddick Bowe was stripped of the title.

TagsLennox Lewis, Donovan Ruddock, Riddick Bowe, Kellie Maloney