Boxing
Sharkie’s Machine: The Atlas of Michael Grant

By Frank Gonzalez Jr.

19.04 - Friday night, the Palace Indian Gaming center in Lemoore, Ca. featured former Heavyweight contender, Michael Grant (37-2-0-29 KO’s), in his seventh, “confidence building,” match against an unknown and unlikely southpaw named Gilbert Martinez (15-4-1-7 KO’s).

Teddy Atlas, the animated commentator/analyst for ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” is Grant’s trainer. I watch FNF often enough to know that Atlas has been cautiously bringing his charge along after Grant’s devastating losses to Lennox Lewis in April of 2000 and later to Jameel McCline in July of 2001. But Teddy’s fingernails are getting awfully dirty digging up those graveyards, looking for the safest possible opponents to fight Grant. Gilbert Martinez started his boxing career as a Jr. Middleweight but came to face Grant at 236 pounds. It’s safe to say, this was a safe fighter for Grant.

As for Grant’s potential, his peak might’ve been when he beat former contender, Andrew Golota, in November of 1999, though I swore Golota ‘took a dive’ since he knocked Grant down twice early and though it was clear that Golota could have had his way with Grant, yet he let him back into the fight as if he were following instructions to do so. In the end, it was Grant by TKO 10. I gave Grant credit for staying the course in the face of adversity and showing heart. It’s been all down hill for Grant since Golota.

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The Fight

Grant was neutralized by the sloppy style of Martinez. I had to give Martinez credit for at least being game. Unlike so many uninspired class C opponents, Martinez actually had a pulse. He pressed the action and made Grant look foolish for the first four rounds. Actually, they both looked terribly unpolished for professional boxers but it was clear that Martinez’ skills were extremely limited. But he was able to catch Grant on several occasions with looping overhand lefts. I was surprised how ineffective Grant was for most of the fight. But there are reasons for everything.

Watching Grant wade through the rounds against Martinez with Atlas barking instructions every time he moved had to be distracting at least. I can see occasionally shouting some key thing like, “Watch that left hook!” or “Don’t forget the jab!” But trying to choreograph ever stage of every round is too taxing on a fighter in the ring, whose main focus should be on his opponent and not his trainer.

Grant came alive in the eighth round when he finally let his hands go and caught Martinez with a few decent shots that sent him to the canvas. Martinez was shaken-- but still in the fight when the referee stepped between them a moment later and halted the bout, rendering Grant the winner by TKO. I think the ref took an opportunity to finalize the original design of this fight. I had the fight about even up to that point with Martinez winning the first four rounds and Grant only ahead by a point with the knockdown in the eighth. I wasn’t a good stoppage, but after the knockdown, there was no way the Judges were going to let Martinez win on points. Perhaps the ref was being economical?

Grant weighed 262 coming in, which is heavy, but he is 6’7” tall. But it’s heavier than he’s ever been and he did look slow and rhythm-less. Since losing his confidence, Grant looks to be on the decline. His trainer Teddy Atlas may not be the man to right Grant’s sinking ship either.

To his credit, Teddy Atlas is a great asset to the sport; he takes every opportunity to expose corruption and unseemliness wherever he sees it, using his position as a commentator as a forum at times to challenge the Establishment. His analysis and commentary on FNF is possibly the best part of the show, since the fights are rarely thrillers and I’m not a big fan of boxing-media prostitute who sits next to Brian Kenny.

Teddy’s a tough guy who speaks his mind. He’s not afraid of the promoters, the sanctioning bodies or the sponsors. Like him or not, he calls it like he sees it.

But as a trainer, he leaves much to be desired.

It’s not the training, the preparations or Teddy’s knowledge of the boxing; it’s his lack of diplomacy with regard to the often sensitive-egos of the fighters he’s trying to help. He speaks down to fighters, ripping their self-esteem to shreds even when he compliments them. I’ll never forget how embarrassed I was for Michael Moorer when Teddy was screaming at him between rounds like a ornery drill sergeant might belittle a private on his first day in boot camp.

Fighters need to use their natural tendencies to develop their own style and manner they are comfortable with in the ring. A good trainer should be able to tap into the fighters natural ability and help him sharpen his skills instead of rearrange them.

After the fight was over, Teddy got in the ring and started criticizing Grant immediately. The bad thing about it was that Teddy was miked and everyone watching the broadcast could hear the winner being scolded by his disappointed trainer. Teddy was right, Grant had a poor outing and showed little mental discipline in the ring. But those things might be better discussed privately between trainer and fighter.

Atlas even took over the post fight interview, giving Grant a bad review right at the time when fighters usually get to celebrate their victory, regardless how hollow. I was embarrassed for Grant, who wore a humiliated look as he let Teddy speak for him.

Boxing is an individual sport, not a team sport. And as much as fighters say “we this” and “we’re working on that” it’s the fighter who makes it all happen in the ring. As for Grant, he’s not a very good fighter, he didn’t seem to get any better under Atlas, in fact, he looks worse than before Atlas started training him.

The Sweet Science is not simple. There are lots of complex ingredients that make a fighter successful. Physical strength, technique, heart, discipline, intelligence, reflexes, stamina and mindset. Confidant minds can overcome a fighters shortcomings. It inspires the very courage it takes just to get in the ring. It’s not easy to believe in yourself when your trainer is constantly reminding you that you’re not doing anything correctly, especially in front of a national audience. Fighters can get nervous and unfocused if their mindset is not right. A good trainer should knows the value of this. Does Atlas?

Anyway, Grant improves his fluffy record to 38-2 with 29 KO’s. Impressive but meaningless. The only place I see Grant going is nowhere. I doubt he stimulated any interest in future bouts with his lousy performance Friday night. Maybe Grant should consider another trainer for a year, see how that goes and take it from there. At 30, he’s not too old to improve under appropriate guidance. Atlas should stick with what he does best at this point in his life-- being a commentator.

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Agree or Disagree?

Send comments to: dshark87@hotmail.com

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