Was Michael Grant an underrated contender?

Yep total HBO hype job. They owned him. Amazing he was able to win some of the fights he did, more proof of how limited the mid 90's contenders really were. He had like 7 or 8 amatuer fights.

 

I agree with you, in the McCline fight it was said Grant went in cold, no warming up, and paid the price. I don't think Grant was all that bad he was a solid contender, we saw what Galota did to Bowe and also what Lewis did to Ruddock and Galota, Grant would have really got the hype if he was a contender today.

 

He was a worthy contender. He beat Izon, Sullivan and Abdin to get in the top ten, then Savarese and Golota to get in the top 5 and title contention. He had a thudding jab, excellent stamina and conditioning, and busy workrate.

However he was not a champion, and when he hit that glass ceiling he hit it hard and was never really the same again. The youthful confidence has gone for good. The Grant of 98-99 would've wiped the mat with any Grant from '02 onwards.

If Grant at his peak was around today he could be a contender still, but you'd never pick him to beat either Klitschko or anything.

The worst thing is that such a friendly guy and decent contender has been reduced to a punchline. Grant didn't deserve that.

 

Before the Lewis fight he was way over rated, after it he was just a little over rated. Overall his size was his greatest asset.

 

Michael Grant lacked the killer instinct to be a champion. I am a god fearing man, but I could never understand why he said "god bless you" to Lewis during the fight instructions. Was he unconsciouslly asking Lennox for mercy? I also think his lack of killer instinct came from his late start in boxing.

 

It's not like he said "God bless me". He was probably saying because he thought he would be putting the hurt on Lewis, without wanting Lewis to get seriously injured of course, but instead he was the one who ended up getting knocked around the ring.

I do think that Grant was more of an athlete than a fighter though. Lewis was a fighter and didn't mind bending the rules a bit.

 

He was a tremendous athlete and a real study when it came to the theory of being able to train any old guy who was at over 6ft, 200 lbs to beat the HW champion of the world. For someone who started as late as he did, I think he did well for himself and made a few bucks.

 

He fought 3 weeks ago:


2010-05-07257Kevin Burnett277

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Oheka Castle , Huntington, New York, United StatesWTKO18
~ time: 1:48 | referee: Pete Santiago | judge: John Signorile | judge: Ron McNair | judge: John McKaie ~

 

Grant was rushed and hyped too quickly and much... 'Nuff said...

"Grant-Adamek" in August is of great interest to me.......

Grant can win, but, he must be pumped and psyched for Adamek.......

MR.BILL:good

 

I agree with Maghoo. Grant was undefeated, young, big and powerful, and rated very highly by the press before lennox exposed him. this shouldn't be written off.

 

Grant looked real good in the fights leading up to Golota. He was being touted as the next big thing in boxing for a couple of years there, and appeared on the cover of a couple of mainstream sports mags. I remember him taking a hard shot or two against someone, Izon maybe, and the commentator saying "Michael Grant just proved he has a chin. He took that shot without even blinking!".

I think it was actually the Golota fight that destroyed his confidence. In that fight he found out that he was human and vulnerable, and that did not do good things for him. After Golota Grant was never the same and easy pickings for Lewis, McCline, and Guinn.

Looks like he has a nice streak of wins going, but the Grant I saw against sub-par guys post-McCline was not the same Grant I saw going pre-Golota.

 

Overrated. Hyped by HBO back then, hyped nowadays by the Lennox Lewis fanboys.

 

While he was verry over rated in his day, I feel that he is now a little under rated.

He wasnt a complete hype job.

The guy could fight.

 

He was a little bit better than Golota.
But Golota's a disgrace.

Lewis-Grant is a joke of a fight. Lewis destroyed him in about as foul and scrappy manner as you could expect. Too behemoths lumbering around. The refereeing was awful.
Anyway, Lewis was clearly in another class. Grant wasn't a good contender, just a contender (briefly).

 

Opinions like this lead to Hopkinsism.