How was Michael Grant viewed before facing Lewis?

Like covered earlier, there was a sense at the time that the next dominant heavyweight would most likely be American. Grant at least superficially ticked many of the boxes of what a future heavyweight great might look like.

He wasn't hyped out of nothing, but the hype was not proportionate to what he had shown in the ring.

He was a product of his unique time, the last vestiges of American heavyweight hegemony that had existed for the previous century. A decade or so later, and the hype based on being the hottest American prospect wouldn't be the same. A decade or so earlier, and there would be better American prospects taking the limelight.

 

I remember that fat neckbrace wearing simp, Michael Katz, declaring Grant to be the future of the division, starting his lame Ring or KO editorial with "A colossus bestrides the boxing world..."

F'ing embarrassing that some boxing veteran couldn't see what a kid like myself could. Yet another reason I have so little respect for "boxing historians"...

 

He was imo looked at as the guy who was going to bring the belts back to the USA, alot of people were excited about Michael Grant. He was bigger than Lennox, had the heart, had solid fundamentals and just came off of a great performance against Golota. I think alot of people gave him a serious chance, but ultimately he just didn't have the experience and chin to beat a great champion like Lennox. This was probably the biggest rise and fall for an American Heavyweight prospect/contender we've seen in the last 24 years.