Who here has seen Michael Grant's recent performances?

Grant went to a decision against a guy a shot Byrd stopped? Not good news.

 

I recently watched his fight against Dominick Guinn and he looked very gun shy and unsure of himself, and got brutally ko'd. I think getting badly beaten by Lewis and then getting blown out by Jameel McCline in around 30 seconds really created a lot of doubts in his mind. I think Grant realized that being called the heir apparent by a lot of people on his way to the title, and that being 6'7 250lbs with an 86 inch wingspan doesnt neccesarily mean success as a boxer.

 

I started a thread about a month ago, asking posters if they felt Grant was an underrated contender in his prime. The thread did not get good responses. Personally, I think he was a decent heavyweight with a very good record and a halfway decent string of wins. He was also a huge fighter at 6'7", 250 lbs and was fairly well built. His boxing skills ranged from average to slightly above, but weren't at all bad. His defense needed some work and his chin was a tad questionable. All in all, I'd say he deserved his title shot with Lewis.

 

Grant is damaged goods now, mentally he is shot. I think a lot of people realized early on he had some big flaws. Size and power can only get you so far. When you have limited amatuer and professional experience, your second nature gear doesnt exist, and when guys took him in to unchartered waters, he was lost.
That being said, to make it to a title shot, and have some wins against some decent contenders is pretty impressive which shows you the guy was a pretty good athelete.

 

I still remember that Michael Katz hailing Grant as so great that he would forever change the division.

And some wonder why I think 99% of boxing writers are complete ****ing morons.

 

I started a similar thread a while back. I too am interested in seeing how much Grant has left. I think the physical tools are all still there, but he unless he has worked on his inner demons the past few years, the mental strength just isn't there to get to the top again.

 

Did Katz write that? I remember him as being the biggest Lewis hater in the press. I'll give him credit for one thing. He saw Lewis' preparations and called the first Rahman-Lewis fight beautifully:
"This is the night that Lewis loses his heavyweight crown...."

Grant had no professional nous.He was clueless.It was poor the way he was matched,at that early stage in his career,with men with so much more experience and ability. My lasting memory of him is Lewis pulling him down by his neck and launching that uppercut.

 

Well, in all fairness we have to consider that they don't have the advantage of hind site. Grant after all, was looking rather menacing in his first 30 fights and beating a reasonable number of men who's quality ranged from slightly above average to half way decent. I don't know if I'd consider Andrew Golata an elite fighter, nor anyone else whom Grant fought for that matter, but I don't think his record was padded with tomato cans either..

 

I thought he showed a lot of qualities when he beat Golota. He was close to being stopped in the first round and basically got hammered early on, but managed to regroup and beat him. Even if Golota didn't quit, i think he still would've lost.

I do remember him saying the moment before the fight, during the ringwalk, he felt worse than he ever did before. Incredibly nervous, and you can see this back on film... He never fought to survive and made most of his puncher's chance though, respect for that.

 

What, when he broke his ankle against McCline? I'd hardly hold that against him.

My main memories of Grant are, of course, Lennox blatantly fouling him and Grant landing some of the heaviest HW shots I've ever seen land on granite chinned Corey Sander's. That resulted in one of the worst nosebleeds I've ever seen, with Sander's blowing and a huge red mist exploding out of his nose.

 

The fight with Lewis shouldn't have happened.

Grant's management was basically cashing him out.