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Huge opportunity Grant talks about Lewis with CNNSI.com
Posted: Tuesday May 02, 2000 03:26 PM
Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis will defend his WBC and IBF titles Saturday night at New York's Madison Square Garden against Michael Grant of the U.S. the WBA is taking its title away because it has a different contender it wants Lewis to fight. The champ has even told the London newspaper The Sun that he's thought about giving up all his titles. Lewis says he'd rather fight who the public wants. This week, Grant spoke with CNNSI.com's Paul Crane about the upcoming bout. Paul Crane : Michael, what about the controversy with the WBA swirling because Lewis chooses to fight you? How do you feel about that? Michael Grant : You know, about the belts, I pretty much have no control. I'm not really in favor of the belts right now. As I've said before, I'm more concerned with the fight more than anything. Lennox Lewis has definitely been a credible champion. For him to say that he'd rather not even recognize the belts, (that) he'd rather give them up and fight the best heavyweights out there, that's a credit to him. I can respect that of a man. Like I said, I have no favor in the belts right now. I'm more concerned with the fight. Crane : Well obviously, this is a huge opportunity for you and the only one in this fight with a perfect record is you at 31-0 with 22 knockouts. The numbers are impressive but I would imagine you haven't fought anyone like Lewis yet. How much different do you expect this fight to be? Grant : I expect Lewis to be in the best condition, the best shape of his fighting career which I assume to be in. It's a fight every fighter dreams about: To fight where this is the one that he wakes up every morning for from his first amateur fight pretty much to this one. This is the one and I'm happy to be a part of it. And I'm happy to know that my team pretty much helped me to get in this position to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world and fight Lennox and a quality opponent as Lennox Lewis. Crane : "Heavyweight" is truly the operative word here. It looks like it is going to be the biggest one in history in the terms of size: Over 500 pounds and 13 feet in combined weight and height with you two guys. Does that mean it's going to be a big-time slugfest? Grant : If it turns into that, it turns into that. But I will pretty much try to do my best and my all to make the best out of what I know best and what I have trained on in the gym and pretty much transferred all in to the ring. Not knowing what Lennox is going to present to the table, like I said, I assume that he may be in the best condition and shape in his life to weather the storm. Whatever the situation may be, I will be ready. Crane : Well that would bring us to this point, which we like to have for all boxing interviews: Do you have a prediction? Grant : None of the sort, but the 10th round has been very nice to me, very good to me. I'm not going to say that I'm going to knock him out in the sixth or the third or anything like that. If it goes to the 12th then it goes 12. But then again like I said, I will be in the best shape conditionally, physically, mentally, spiritually and be ready for Lennox Lewis at any given time. Crane : We thank you very much for you time Michael and we wish you the best of luck this weekend. And taking a look at the shirt you are wearing, we'll wish the Philadelphia 76ers luck on your behalf as well. Thanks a lot. Grant : (smiles and pumps his fist) My man, alright.
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