|
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Fight Preview
Posted: Friday April 28, 2000 01:20 PM CNN/Sports Illustrated's Evan Kanew analyzes the Lewis-Grant showdown. Matchup to watch: The short game. In camp, Lewis' trainer, Emanuel Steward, worked to improve the champ's inside game, particularly his six- to 10-inch power punches. Steward is right in believing that Grant gets sloppy and off-balance in tight, but Grant is also a potent in-fighter who's in great shape and looking to wage an all-out war in the trenches. Jabber-wocky: Both fighters have good, long jabs. Lewis likes to use his to keep a safe distance and set up the big right. Grant throws his to open things up and get inside, where he believes he can be effective against the slower champion. It ain't rocket science. The man who establishes his jab wins.
Don Turner Overdrive: Grant's trainer has failed to beat Lewis in three tries with two different fighters. The first time, he lost with 6"7" Henry Akinwande , a beanpole with no guts. Last year, Turner officially went 0-1-1 with Holyfield, a shorter fighter who is all guts. On Saturday, we'll see whether -- in the tall and gutsy Grant -- Turner finally has the right recipe, one that combines the ingredients to make a champ. Common opponents: The only one that matters is Andrew Golota . Lewis smoked the Foul Pole inside of the first bell. Grant had to come off the canvas twice to score a 10th-round stoppage. Lewis wins if: He fights his fight, which all starts with the division's best jab. That punch followed by his powerful right could get the job done early against the relatively inexperienced young contender. Or it could mean that Lewis patiently navigates the ring -- keeping Grant safely outside -- and wins a drawn-out decision. Grant wins if: He gets inside and works overtime. If Lewis is ever vulnerable during a fight, it is in the middle rounds, 6 to 10. That's after Lewis begins to tire but before he gets a second wind in the championship rounds. If Grant is going strong mid-fight, the world will have a new king. The X factor: As is so often the case when a newcomer like Grant gets his first title shot, it's big-fight experience. The question is: Will Grant rise or recoil under the hot lights of Madison Square Garden?
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
