Michael Grant: 3 Strikes???

By Steve Trellert

07.02 - Early on April 29th 2000, Michael Grant had the world before his feet. Over the previous two years he had acquired an impressive resume of victims and attained the position of HBO darling and heir apparent to the Heavyweight division. Before him stood the one remaining obstacle to the pinnacle of boxing success, the recognized Heavyweight Champion of the World, Lennox Lewis.

Unknown to all at the time, the opening bell not only signified the start of the fight, but also the precipitous 'free-fall' decline of a career. The rug had just been pulled out from beneath Michael Grant's feet. It began by Grant undertaking an unwise high-risk strategy against Lewis. Instead of fighting out of his own strengths, which consisted of cautiously working behind his hard methodical jab to setup the right hand, he went counter to his own nature. He forced himself into an all out attack mode in an effort to surprise and overwhelm Lewis. Underestimating Lewis' experience and ability to adapt, Grant sowed the seeds of his own destruction and it cost him…."Big Time!" Knocked down repeatedly in round one and two, Lewis leveled the Coupe de Gras late in the second. Grant had been dominated and humiliated, Strike One!

Miscalculation was followed by months of health problems. A torn ACL in the Lewis fight led to surgery, as did a sudden blood clot. Furthermore, changes in promoter as well as his replacement of trainer Don Turner with Teddy Atlas added additional 'mental' strain as any such transition would. By the time Grant had returned to the ring, the layoff had become a debilitating 15 months. With all of the associated mental distractions and ring rust, it would seem a relatively easy warm up fight would have been in order. On initial observation this was the case, as his opponent Jameel "Bigtime" McCline was then deemed competent if unremarkable. Strike Two! McCline's first punch was a left hook to the chin on a "bone dry" Michael Grant and he went down like an anvil dropped off a cliff. The resulting broken ankle on his right foot, due to the fall, caused the fight to be stopped and disaster loss number two in a row entered the record books.

What was more critical was how the remnants of past calamity and loss number two affected Grant's confidence. HBO commentator Larry Merchant accurately and repeatedly asked during the McCline broadcast, "Can he come back from this?" and Teddy Atlas similarly responded, "it will be very difficult." Now we leap forward eight months to this March 9th 2002, where Michael Grant is listed to fight on HBO (according to fightnews.com), on the undercard of the Paul Spadafora-Angel Manfredy fight. Are Michael Grant and HBO intent on committing career suicide?

Michael Grant is still a relatively young 29 years old and not beyond the reach of career rehabilitation. Other former Heavyweight contenders are wisely choosing the more cautious path of redemption by slowly rebuilding their confidence by first feeding upon a few tomato cans, and then gradually moving up the difficulty ladder when they are both physically and psychologically ready for it. The "Black Rhino," Clifford Etienne, and former champ Michael Moorer have chosen this route. Oleg Maskaev made the mistake of fighting dangerous Lance "Mount Goofy Whatever" Whitaker after being upset by Kirk Johnson, and paid the price. He now has chosen that route as well. Now Michael Grant, who should be proceeding similarly, especially considering the fact that he has suffered a larger calamity than the others, is fighting on HBO, on television, before millions of viewers, after two successive disastrous defeats and another long layoff. Can you say PRESSURE? Additionally, it seem very unlikely that HBO will feed its viewers, and Grant, a dead body on a high profile broadcast, so the opposition, at present a T.B.A, must be something of a threat. Can you say "HARA-KIRI?"

I understand that Michael Grant has signed a fight contract with HBO but something should be said for flexibility. It would be in Grant's interest, HBO's interest, and the public's interest to allow Grant some time to recuperate from previous miscalculations and just plain bad luck. He should be fighting a few stiffs, perhaps outside of his contract, on a non-televised platform just to get back in the groove. The 'event' fights should be postponed for later broadcasts when the public will actually be able to view a competitive fight involving Michael Grant and not another "he's not ready" debacle. I may not only be the boy who cried wolf, but also a rug merchant. Michael Grant deserves a real second chance, and this is not it. A young man's career is at stake and it should be treated with the caution it deserves. Strike 3? Let's HBOpe not!!