16.10.08 – by James Slater – Two veteran heavyweights who are unwilling to give up on their dreams just yet are back in action in the next few weeks. Firstly, on the under-card of the Lucian Bute-Librado Andrade fight in Canada on October 24th, 33-year-old Dominick Guinn will come back to tackle the once-beaten Canadian Jean Francois Bergeron..
Then, on November 15th, Michael Grant, the man Guinn exploded onto the big stage with a sensational KO of back in June of 2003, faces Paul Marinaccio in the fourth bout in a recent return of his own, in New York. Both men are now in their mid-thirties and have likely seen all the major league success they are going to, but Guinn and Grant are not ready to call it a day yet. Here’s an idea; should they both win their next bout, how about a return fight?
Two veterans going at it, with the loser knowing he has absolutely nowhere to go? Such a match-up just might garner a touch of interest. For Grant, now aged 36, a return with Guinn would offer him the chance to avenge his last defeat. For Guinn, the bout would afford “The Southern Disaster” a shot at recapturing at least a little of the excitement he made back in 2003. If he were to score another highlight real KO like the one he got five-and-a-half years ago, who knows, maybe Guinn would receive a significant bout afterwards. In the heavyweight division, eye-catching KO’s attract attention, no matter who it is that’s scoring them. This is exactly how Guinn first made his name, after all. A Grant-Guinn II just might sell, you never know.
In the meantime, however, the two veterans have their upcoming opponents to deal with. Guinn, 28-6-1(19), going up against 6’5″ southpaw Bergeron easily has the harder assignment. Beaten only by Nikolay Valuev in his last fight, the tall (approx) 220-pounder went the full 12-rounds back in September of last year. With a still promising career ahead of him, the Canadian big guy will be looking to get back to winning ways at the expense of Guinn. Actually, Bergeron, at age 35, is the older man, even though he’s had less pro fights than Guinn.
Going to the local man’s backyard as it were, Guinn will have to go some to get a win. Bergeron is no huge puncher and Guinn has never been stopped, so you can expect a distance fight. Guinn is badly in need of a win, but it looks likely he will lose once again via a decision. Maybe, just maybe, however, the once promising “Southern Disaster” will show some of the spark he once had.
Grant, 44-3(33), faces 41-year-old Paul Marinaccio three weeks later. Having won his last six bouts in a row and keeping a clean sheet since the 7th round KO loss to Guinn, Grant should make it seven wins when he meets the man Chris Byrd stopped in April of last year. Grant still has his power and Marinaccio has never beaten a fighter as big and strong as the 36-year-old. Look for Grant to pound out either a late stoppage or a clear points win.
Who knows where even a victorious Guinn and Grant will head to, but a second meeting with each other wouldn’t be a bad idea!