Who here has seen Michael Grant's recent performances?

[kenmore]

I'm talking mostly about Grant's victories last year over Paul Marinaccio (W12) and Demetrice King (W8).

Does anyone have any films? I'm interested in knowing how much Grant has left, and if his work with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (his new trainer) is paying off.

I was always high on Grant during the late '90s and early '00s...I thought he got a bum rap from the media and fans. I think Grant was a legitimate top guy at his peak, and that he could have gone further if not for some bad breaks.

[Rumsfeld]

I was always high on Grant during the late '90s and early '00s...I thought he got a bum rap from the media and fans. I think Grant was a legitimate top guy at his peak, and that he could have gone further if not for some bad breaks.

I think Grant was a legit top guy as well. He was widely perceived as the 3rd best heavyweight in the world back in 1999-2000.

Fighting Golota and Lewis back to back was rough on him. He beat Golota, but deep down, he must have known that this had a lot to do with Golota being a total head case. Golota exposed Grant's flaws. I think he actually lost confidence from this fight, and I think it showed on the press tour with Lewis when Lennox repeatedly stated:

"It took him ten rounds to finish Golota, it only took me one round."

I really believe he was pyschologically beaten by Lewis before the fight.

I have no idea how Grant has done lately. I can't even remember the last time I saw him fight, although I am certain it was some time after the McCline debacle.

I think Michael Grant is just too nice a guy to ever recover mentally from what happened in the Lewis fight.

[KOTF]

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

[kenmore]

Fighting Golota and Lewis back to back was rough on him. He beat Golota, but deep down, he must have known that this had a lot to do with Golota being a total head case. Golota exposed Grant's flaws. I think he actually lost confidence from this fight, and I think it showed on the press tour with Lewis when Lennox repeatedly stated:


Grant won my full respect for standing up to the beating that Golota gave him that night; most other guys would have quit, or allowed themselves to be counted out. That Grant hung in there and eventually emerged as the victor -- even under bizarre circumstances -- was no cheap feat to me.

[GoldenHulk]

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.

[mr. magoo]

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.

[lefthook31]

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.

[Seamus]

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 fucking morons.

[Charles White]

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.

[Arka]

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 fucking morons.

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...." :D

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.

[mr. magoo]

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 fucking morons.


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..

[ChrisPontius]

I think Grant was a legit top guy as well. He was widely perceived as the 3rd best heavyweight in the world back in 1999-2000.

Fighting Golota and Lewis back to back was rough on him. He beat Golota, but deep down, he must have known that this had a lot to do with Golota being a total head case. Golota exposed Grant's flaws. I think he actually lost confidence from this fight, and I think it showed on the press tour with Lewis when Lennox repeatedly stated:

"It took him ten rounds to finish Golota, it only took me one round."

I really believe he was pyschologically beaten by Lewis before the fight.

I have no idea how Grant has done lately. I can't even remember the last time I saw him fight, although I am certain it was some time after the McCline debacle.

I think Michael Grant is just too nice a guy to ever recover mentally from what happened in the Lewis fight.

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.

[Russell]

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.

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. :lol:

[Rumsfeld]

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.

Maybe, but if that happened, I still reckon it would have had more to do with Golota's mental shortcomings inside the ring. Even there, NJ was experimenting with the consensus scoring system, and if memory serves, Golota was up 86-81 on the consensus card.

This was the fight where many of Grant's flaws were first exposed, and I maintain that he was already mentally damaged goods even before the Lewis fight happened.

[Arka]

The fight with Lewis shouldn't have happened.

Grant's management was basically cashing him out.

[GoldenHulk]

Speaking of the Lewis fight, I heard that Grant was so nervous that he hyperventilated at the press conference. Does anyone know if this is true?

[DamonD]

I think I can help here...because I actually have seen Grant's recent fights, and probably more of his fights than most people in ESB really. I always liked the guy so he's been someone I've kept tabs on, I do that with some heavyweights and particularly the ones from the 90s era.

I've got copies of 25 of his fights - Wright, Rick Sullivan, Sanders, Donaldson, Puritty, Wooden, Butler, Cole, Gonzalez, Izon, Obed Sullivan, Abdin, Savarese, Golota, Lewis, McCline, Willis, Davis, Martinez, Guinn, Hatcher, McGee, Montiy, King and Marinaccio.

So you wanted to know about recent fights? Long story short Grant is a long way from what he used to be, he's mainly a jab-right guy (and inconsistant with those) rather than the aggressive head and body puncher he used to be. He's such a nice guy I hate talking negative about him but he still has the same flaws of low hands and lack of venom in his work, while his positive attributes have faded over time...confidence being the absolute be-all-and-end-all of those. He also seems to take about four rounds before he really starts working in there, again a confidence thing.

From the current comeback :

TKO5 Zumbrun (June 2007)
Untelevised, so I haven't seen it. From the reports, it was a pretty quiet first three rounds as Grant tried working the jab. Finally started tossing right hands into the mix by the fourth and it was a ref stoppage from unanswered punches in the fifth.

TKO7 Montiy (Sept 2007)
Quiet again through 5. Grant staggered Montiy right at the start of the first round but didn't push the issue, Montiy may have deserved the third round just from outworking Grant. 6th round was actually one of Grant's best post-Lewis as, with about a minute to go, he stunned Montiy and suddenly opened up with both hands. Looked like his old self for a while - lots of punches in combination, floored Montiy then belted him around until the bell saved him. Only to have a very passive 7th round until a jab-right floored Montiy again for the finish. Grant in a nutshell these days, routine with flashes of the very good. Last three rounds entertaining, not so much the rest. My card - 59-53 Grant.

UD8 King (July 2008 )
Mainly fought forehead-to-forehead, while it would've been easier for Grant to jab from the outside but like the Guinn fight he got drawn into slugging close up. Lots of wrestling on the inside and the odd good whack, not a lot of quality. King deserved the 3rd with some nice aggressive shots. Grant stepped it up from the 5th onwards and kept plugging away to the body, had a bit in the 8th where he was able to knock King onto the ropes and bashed away at him there pretty well but King seemed to have a decent chin and survived. King happy to turtle defence and lash out with the odd good hard hook, but that wasn't enough to win more than a round. Uninspiring but solid work. My card - 79-73.

UD12 Marinaccio (Nov 2008 )
Fought almost entirely at range, unusual for a Grant fight. Mainly because Marinaccio, who's 6'5" himself, played the Holyfield vs Valuev game - move around on the outside, don't throw many but do throw quick counter shots. Which to his credit he managed to do, landing too many to be comfortable for Grant. Grant very passive over the first half of the fight, you could give Marinaccio the 1st & 9th and an argument over another round somewhere too despite him not throwing much, mainly due to his better quality and Grant unable to either get his jab untracked properly or land more than single good shots at a time. Eddie was getting extremely frustrated with Grant in the corner by this point, Atlas-level stuff. Grant got hit too much but floored Marinaccio with a right hand behind the ear in the 7th, tried to finish him off only to eat several counters in return, then lashed out with another right to face-plant Marinaccio right at the end. It looked like that might be the end of the fight, the ref made the 'fight's over' signal but it was a screw up and he meant 'end of the round', so Marinaccio got about an extra minute to collect his marbles. He recovered well, kept landing good hard counter shots throughout, but by this point Grant at least had his jab going in twos and threes and was starting to get through good rights and lefts occasionally too. Marinaccio got stopped by Byrd due to a shoulder injury and against Ibragimov from a cut, on the basis of this fight his chin isn't too bad because he took some hefty whacks in the last three rounds (particularly two huge rights in the 10th) and looked done-in but managed to make it to the end. Lack of intensity yet again from Grant though, who admitted as much himself in the interview afterwards and gave himself a 'C'. My card - 118-108.

Whew. I could talk more on these and others but that'll do for now.
If I can help out with info on any of Grant's fights just ask!

[Addie]

If you can't take a punch, then you are in the wrong business.