An old face returns - Joe Calzaghe look out.

[stujones]

I've been aniticipating Otis Grant's comeback with great interest. I remeber the way he handed a raw Ryan Rhodes a systematic boxing lesson (on a side issue - was "Spice Boy" the worst ever boxing nickname?). He then gave a good account of himself, jumping two weight devisions, against Roy Jones.

A near fatal car crash cost him any chance to make more of his WBO belt and the money his talent deserved. However, he is back seemingly settling in the Super Middleweight devision and has got a very good opponent, former WBC champion Dingaan Thobela. That signals ambition, he's an intelligent man (a school teacher for disadvatage kids by trade) and knows the huge gap in the market for a decent boxer in the devision.

At around 34 time is not on his side, but he's seem intend of gate crashing the devision by taking on a fringe top ten guy in his first fight for five years. He's going to be a young 34 with all that time missing aswell.

Can HE be the guy to upset the apple cart and beat our champion, he's dealt with Warren before and obviously doesn't mind travelling. If he's successful against Thobela and Joe can't find an opponent after his latest victory, I say Why not Grant?

[Goz]

I've been aniticipating Otis Grant's comeback with great interest. I remeber the way he handed a raw Ryan Rhodes a systematic boxing lesson (on a side issue - was "Spice Boy" the worst ever boxing nickname?). He then gave a good account of himself, jumping two weight devisions, against Roy Jones.

A near fatal car crash cost him any chance to make more of his WBO belt and the money his talent deserved. However, he is back seemingly settling in the Super Middleweight devision and has got a very good opponent, former WBC champion Dingaan Thobela. That signals ambition, he's an intelligent man (a school teacher for disadvatage kids by trade) and knows the huge gap in the market for a decent boxer in the devision.

At around 34 time is not on his side, but he's seem intend of gate crashing the devision by taking on a fringe top ten guy in his first fight for five years. He's going to be a young 34 with all that time missing aswell.

Can HE be the guy to upset the apple cart and beat our champion, he's dealt with Warren before and obviously doesn't mind travelling. If he's successful against Thobela and Joe can't find an opponent after his latest victory, I say Why not Grant?

If Grant was announced as Calzaghe's next opponent it would be slated despite your reasoning. The Ryan Rhodes fight was 7 years ago and with hindsight a tight points win over Rhodes is hardly worth screaming from the rooftops if you want to prove your world class credentials.

I wish Otis well because I read some articles on him and he sounds like one of the nicest boxers who ever lived but at the moment he would be perceived as cannon fodder for Calzaghe.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Quite right.

[stujones]

All very true, just in a maybe in a few bouts time if he can show his old ability then he can give this devision a spark.

I didn't mean to say Calzaghe to fight him now - I was looking a bit ahead of myself. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Like I said, there'll be a host of better names but a victory over a recent world champion in a comeback will be an excellent showing. He wouldn't be Calzaghe's worst ever opponent, but yes ideally he'd needs better preperation.

I was thinking more like this time next year.

[stujones]

The Ryan Rhodes fight was 7 years ago and with hindsight a tight points win over Rhodes is hardly worth screaming from the rooftops.

Tight points win?? It was a boxing lesson and I have the fight on tape.

Yeah I agree with your post, just saying if Warren is struggling with an opponent (like he had done in the past - bringing in the likes of Kid Fire McIntyre) I wouldn't mind Grant, just like other wouldn't mind Cateley as a subsitute style opponent. Especially if Grants beats the guy who beat Cateley (illegally mind).

Give Grant a few more fights and if he's not a shadow of himself we all might discuss him, because he was a top drawer boxer.

[Deserter]

Give Grant a few more fights and if he's not a shadow of himself we all might discuss him, because he was a top drawer boxer.

Grant was never that good - solid and competent but nothing special. In his prime he was no better than the likes of Charles Brewer and wouldn't have given Calzaghe much trouble.
Oh, and against Jones he was completely outclasssed and didn't give a good account of himself at all.

[stujones]

I consider him a little better than Brewer myself, he was a little bit more solid in the whiskers department. Also, probably slightly smarter and faster than the Hatchet, although not such a big hitter.

If he can give Calzaghe as good a fight as Brewer did I think we'll all be happy. Not saying Brewer was ever close to winning it, but it was a damn good fight which BOTH parties played their part.

I'm not saying Grant is a special fighter, but was up there with the likes of a prime Brewer and certainly better than Mitchell - that will do for me as a good opponent. Its not the fight Calzaghe needs, but if he can't get anyone else I can think of alot worse than old magic.

Perhaps your correct on the Roy Jones performance, I'm just going on accounts and things I have read. I didn't see the fight, yes I heard he was a bit outgunned and outclassed. But Boxing Monthly did commend him on a brave effort (especially considering the weight jump) - that was when Roy was at his absolute peak aswell.

[Deserter]

I consider him a little better than Brewer myself, he was a little bit more solid in the whiskers department. Also, probably slightly smarter and faster than the Hatchet, although not such a big hitter.

If he can give Calzaghe as good a fight as Brewer did I think we'll all be happy. Not saying Brewer was ever close to winning it, but it was a damn good fight which BOTH parties played their part.

I'm not saying Grant is a special fighter, but was up there with the likes of a prime Brewer and certainly better than Mitchell - that will do for me as a good opponent. Its not the fight Calzaghe needs, but if he can't get anyone else I can think of alot worse than old magic.

Perhaps your correct on the Roy Jones performance, I'm just going on accounts and things I have read. I didn't see the fight, yes I heard he was a bit outgunned and outclassed. But Boxing Monthly did commend him on a brave effort (especially considering the weight jump) - that was when Roy was at his absolute peak aswell.

Fair points. Ironically I feel that Grant's performance against Rhodes probably said more about his ability in a negative sense. After all, Rhodes has been exposed quite badly since then yet was able to go 12 with Grant and put up a relatively good showing despite his inexperience and the move up in weight.
I know that you can argue Rhodes' dramatic decline occurred after this, but nonetheless it doesn't say much to me about Grant that he wasn't able to beat Ryan more convincingly.

[stujones]

I consider him a little better than Brewer myself, he was a little bit more solid in the whiskers department. Also, probably slightly smarter and faster than the Hatchet, although not such a big hitter.

If he can give Calzaghe as good a fight as Brewer did I think we'll all be happy. Not saying Brewer was ever close to winning it, but it was a damn good fight which BOTH parties played their part.

I'm not saying Grant is a special fighter, but was up there with the likes of a prime Brewer and certainly better than Mitchell - that will do for me as a good opponent. Its not the fight Calzaghe needs, but if he can't get anyone else I can think of alot worse than old magic.

Perhaps your correct on the Roy Jones performance, I'm just going on accounts and things I have read. I didn't see the fight, yes I heard he was a bit outgunned and outclassed. But Boxing Monthly did commend him on a brave effort (especially considering the weight jump) - that was when Roy was at his absolute peak aswell.

Fair points. Ironically I feel that Grant's performance against Rhodes probably said more about his ability in a negative sense. After all, Rhodes has been exposed quite badly since then yet was able to go 12 with Grant and put up a relatively good showing despite his inexperience and the move up in weight.
I know that you can argue Rhodes' dramatic decline occurred after this, but nonetheless it doesn't say much to me about Grant that he wasn't able to beat Ryan more convincingly.

Yeah, valid points. However, did you not think Grant beat Rhodes pretty convincingly? I thought it was a boxing lesson and the fight that truly exposed Rhodes' flaws. Okay Jason Matthews may have flatterned him with essentially with one punch - but you could argue he was caught cold. Grant exposed the myth, the aura that he was definately acquiring way from home aswell.

It was after that Ryan lost his spark and confidence. Admitedly Grant didn't have the power to expose some possible weakness in the chin area (that Matthews, Blundell and even Eddie Haley did) - but it was a masterful boxing lesson.

Perhaps I'm going a bit too nostalgic and you could very well be correct. Its just I remember Boxing Monthly saying (even after the Jones defeat) that Grant vs Hopkins would be tough to call. Don't forget Hopkins hadn't sealed his legacy by then and Grant had exposed the "next big thing". I just remember him as a quick, intelligent boxer, with a nice style and good technique. The power is the problem.

The reason why I think Grant vs Calzaghe would be interesting is because I think a smart boxer as opposed to a big hitter are the fighters who give Calzaghe problems. He can take the power of the big hitter, but sometimes struggles technically with a quick boxer. And, as Grant has gone 10 rounds with a prime Roy Jones I think the strength difference wouldn't be a large as it was when Calzaghe beat Woodhall (which was the deciding factor in that fight for me).

[Deserter]

I consider him a little better than Brewer myself, he was a little bit more solid in the whiskers department. Also, probably slightly smarter and faster than the Hatchet, although not such a big hitter.

If he can give Calzaghe as good a fight as Brewer did I think we'll all be happy. Not saying Brewer was ever close to winning it, but it was a damn good fight which BOTH parties played their part.

I'm not saying Grant is a special fighter, but was up there with the likes of a prime Brewer and certainly better than Mitchell - that will do for me as a good opponent. Its not the fight Calzaghe needs, but if he can't get anyone else I can think of alot worse than old magic.

Perhaps your correct on the Roy Jones performance, I'm just going on accounts and things I have read. I didn't see the fight, yes I heard he was a bit outgunned and outclassed. But Boxing Monthly did commend him on a brave effort (especially considering the weight jump) - that was when Roy was at his absolute peak aswell.

Fair points. Ironically I feel that Grant's performance against Rhodes probably said more about his ability in a negative sense. After all, Rhodes has been exposed quite badly since then yet was able to go 12 with Grant and put up a relatively good showing despite his inexperience and the move up in weight.
I know that you can argue Rhodes' dramatic decline occurred after this, but nonetheless it doesn't say much to me about Grant that he wasn't able to beat Ryan more convincingly.

Yeah, valid points. However, did you not think Grant beat Rhodes pretty convincingly? I thought it was a boxing lesson and the fight that truly exposed Rhodes' flaws. Okay Jason Matthews may have flatterned him with essentially with one punch - but you could argue he was caught cold. Grant exposed the myth, the aura that he was definately acquiring way from home aswell.

It was after that Ryan lost his spark and confidence. Admitedly Grant didn't have the power to expose some possible weakness in the chin area (that Matthews, Blundell and even Eddie Haley did) - but it was a masterful boxing lesson.

Perhaps I'm going a bit too nostalgic and you could very well be correct. Its just I remember Boxing Monthly saying (even after the Jones defeat) that Grant vs Hopkins would be tough to call. Don't forget Hopkins hadn't sealed his legacy by then and Grant had exposed the "next big thing". I just remember him as a quick, intelligent boxer, with a nice style and good technique. The power is the problem.

The reason why I think Grant vs Calzaghe would be interesting is because I think a smart boxer as opposed to a big hitter are the fighters who give Calzaghe problems. He can take the power of the big hitter, but sometimes struggles technically with a quick boxer. And, as Grant has gone 10 rounds with a prime Roy Jones I think the strength difference wouldn't be a large as it was when Calzaghe beat Woodhall (which was the deciding factor in that fight for me).

Good post. It's a really interesting point about Calzaghe and smarter boxers as you could argue that he's been lucky that there haven't been any slicksters around the division during his reign - I wonder how he'd have coped with the likes of Herol Graham. Come to that it also poses interesting questions about an Ottke match-up.
Personally I feel that his get out of jail card against this type of opponent would be his handspeed.

[stujones]

Grant won a lop-sided decision over Theobela last night and was apparently impressive. A Grant fan, who was very skeptical about the comeback told me, his speed, accuracy and stamina were all very good. Apparently, he was pitta pattering quite a bit but on the whole was impressive.

So far, So good.

[sugar]

Otis Grant would be a good future opontn if he can get back on track, but not just yet!