Lennox Lewis vs Michael Grant

Lennox Lewis made a brief and conclusive first defence of his newly unified heavyweight championship when he knocked out the previously undefeated Michael Grant in the second round at Madison Square Garden on April 29, 2000. Lewis, weighing 247 pounds, retained the World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation and International Boxing Organisation titles before an announced crowd of 17,324. Grant weighed 250 pounds and stood two inches taller than the 6ft 5in champion, making the contest notable for the combined size of the two men. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr counted Grant out at 2 minutes 53 seconds of the second round. Lewis received a purse of $7.5 million and Grant $2.5 million, while the promotion drew approximately 350,000 pay-per-view purchases.

Lewis entered with a record of 35 victories, one defeat and one draw. Five months earlier, he had defeated Evander Holyfield by unanimous decision in Las Vegas, following their disputed draw at the same New York arena in March 1999. That victory had made Lewis the recognised leading heavyweight, although his undisputed reign was disrupted before the Grant contest when a federal ruling prevented the World Boxing Association from sanctioning the defence. Lewis proceeded without that organisation’s belt and maintained that he remained the legitimate champion. Grant, aged 27 and unbeaten in 31 contests, had been advanced as the most promising young American heavyweight. He had defeated David Izon, Obed Sullivan and Lou Savarese, and had recovered from two first-round knockdowns to stop Andrew Golota in the tenth round of his previous appearance. His athletic ability, height, and unbeaten record had prompted suggestions that he might succeed Lewis, but he had boxed professionally for only six years and had little amateur experience.

Grant attempted to take the initiative immediately. He came forward behind a long left jab and threw freely during the opening half-minute, evidently seeking to impose his height and reach before Lewis could settle. The challenger landed one firm jab, but his attack was hurried, and his defence remained open. Lewis gave ground calmly, watched Grant’s approach and allowed him to move into punching range. Rather than contest the jab from the outside, the champion waited for Grant to overreach and then attacked with the right hand. The difference in experience was quickly evident. Grant was advancing in straight lines with his chin high, while Lewis remained balanced and prepared to counter.

With 1 minute 15 seconds remaining in the opening round, Lewis struck with a right uppercut followed by a chopping right to the upper part of Grant’s head. The challenger fell heavily and rose at eight, but his legs were uncertain, and he had lost his balance. Lewis advanced without wasting punches. A succession of overhand rights drove Grant backwards until he stumbled into a corner, where the ropes prevented him from falling. Mercante ruled it a knockdown and administered another count. Grant appeared badly shaken but was permitted to continue. Lewis resumed the attack, using the left hand to position the challenger and bringing the right around Grant’s loose guard. With approximately 13 seconds remaining, a left-right combination put Grant down for the third time. He struggled upright as the bell sounded. The three judges scored the round 10–6, 10–7 and 10–6 for Lewis.

Grant’s trainer, Don Turner, urged him between rounds to regain his legs and use his reach. The challenger had previously recovered from early knockdowns against Golota, but Lewis was a more controlled finisher and did not provide the same openings. Grant came out for the second, still unsteady. Lewis initially pressed for an immediate conclusion, then reduced his pace when Grant sought to hold and move. The champion remained patient, controlling the distance with the jab and waiting for a clear opportunity rather than throwing continuously. Grant made little effective use of his own jab and was unable to restore his balance or establish a defensive position.

As the final half-minute approached, Lewis forced Grant towards the ropes and landed another right hand that put him down. Grant rose again, although his posture and movement showed he had not recovered. Lewis followed and, at close range, used his left arm to control the challenger’s position before driving a short right uppercut into the jaw. Grant collapsed backwards and fell heavily to the canvas. The manner in which Lewis held Grant’s head during the finishing exchange later attracted criticism, but Mercante called no foul and began the count. Grant attempted to rise but could not do so before ten, and the contest ended at 2:53.

The result exposed the difference between an accomplished heavyweight champion and an athletic contender who had been advanced before his boxing education was complete. Grant possessed the physical dimensions expected to trouble Lewis, but he approached the champion without sufficient caution and was unable to defend against the right hand once it was hurt. Lewis used little beyond sound balance, accurate counter-punching and controlled power. He landed 47 of 80 punches during the short contest, while Grant connected with 22 of 47. Grant’s willingness to rise after each knockdown could not compensate for his technical mistakes or the damage already sustained.

For Lewis, the victory answered criticism that he had been too restrained in his two contests with Holyfield. At Madison Square Garden, he required fewer than six minutes to remove a challenger regarded in some quarters as the future of the division. Grant had entered aggressively, but Lewis had recognised the openings almost at once and punished each mistake without losing his composure. The champion’s next defence was arranged against Francois Botha in London on July 15, his first heavyweight championship appearance in Britain since his defeat by Oliver McCall in 1994. Grant, meanwhile, was absent for 15 months and lost his return contest to Jameel McCline after suffering an ankle injury in the opening round. The Lewis defeat remained the contest by which his standing as a leading heavyweight prospect was chiefly judged.

Michael Grant looked the part: 6ft 7in, unbeaten in 31 fights and built like the next great American heavyweight. But boxing is not a bodybuilding contest, and Lennox Lewis exposed the difference between athletic promise and championship schooling in less than six minutes.

Grant charged out aggressively, but his chin was high, his feet were untidy, and he walked straight into Lewis’s right hand. Once Lennox dropped him midway through the first, the challenger had no idea how to recover. He was down three times in the round, and although he kept getting up, courage was the only thing holding him together. Lewis stayed composed, measured him and finished matters with a short right uppercut at 2:53 of the second.

I remember the build-up presenting Grant as the future of heavyweight boxing, especially after he had climbed off the floor to stop Andrew Golota. But Golota unravelled mentally; Lewis did not. Lennox was technically sharper, physically stronger and miles ahead in ring intelligence.

This was Lewis near his best. He could sometimes box too cautiously, but when a man came directly at him with defensive holes, he was ruthless. Grant was not a bad heavyweight, but he had been rushed into elite company before learning the finer parts of the trade. Lewis made that painfully obvious.