By David Field, PA Sport Boxing Correspondent
At 6ft 7in and 18stone, it is no surprise Michael Grant turned out to be a heavyweight boxer.
But his pitch at pugilism came only after basketball, baseball and American football had occupied the sporting curriculum of his college life.
It was almost by accident that the giant Grant became a prize fighter, after taking a short trip to Las Vegas in November 1992. The purpose was a "fun jaunt" with some high-school buddies to the gambling mecca, but it happened to coincide with the first of the marvellous trilogy of fights between Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe.
It was then the boxing bug bit, and seven-and-a-half years later Grant will come eyeball-to-eyeball with WBC and IBF champion Lennox Lewis at Madison Square Garden with the chance of wrenching away the keys to the treasure chest from Britain's finest.
Leading Nevada referee Richard Steele spotted Grant's mountain of muscle at ringside in 1992 and invited him to go along to his gymnasium. Why not? thought Michael. He'll never regret his affirmative RSVP.
When Grant began to pound the heavy bag Steele spotted talent, and being skilled at other disciplines there was a natural look about him. A heavyweight prospect was born.
"I enjoyed it so much that I drove them mad to get me in there for my first fight," recalled Grant.
"I had something to prove to myself and my family.
"So I woke up and realised I would have to dedicate myself to hard work this time. Now I'm going to reap the rewards of all those early-morning runs and long hours of training. It's a second chance to make something out of my life.
Dedicate himself to hard work "this time"?
Grant did not make the most of his sporting talents in his younger days because of "too much partying".
He confesses: "I was the golden boy of the campus, and that meant too many girls and too many late nights."
He could have been a defensive star with Super Bowl champions St Louis Rams or played basketball for Chicago Bulls - and he was invited to have a trial with Kansas City Royals as a pitcher.
Grant, who did not take up boxing until thee age of 20, made his idol Holyfield who was also trained by Don Turner. Holyfield was an usher at Grant's wedding and later became a godfather to his baby.
In a future heavyweight shake-down, Grant would prefer never to come face-to-face with Holyfield between the ropes. But with the WBA title taken away from Lewis in a New York courtroom and Holyfield seemingly poised to fight John Ruiz for the vacant crown, who knows what might happen if Grant shocks Lennox?
It would surely be too good for the promoters to resist if British boxing gets the wrong result in the early hours of next Sunday morning.
Usually on Sunday mornings Grant sings in his church choir in Norristown, Philadelphia, and at home plays jazz classics on his piano. A man of many parts, Grant is good at just about everything he does.
Following a brief 11-1 amateur joust, the native of Chicago won the Las Vegas Golden Gloves and National Golden Gloves titles, before rolling over his early professional opponents.
Big Michael looked uncomfortable in three 10-round fights but began to learn his trade under Turner's guidance.
Understandably, much notice has been taken of Grant's last fight against the Pole Andrew Golota in November. He was floored twice in the first round but won in the 10th, despite being behind on points. Remember, Lewis blew away Golota inside a round.
Had the volatile Golota hung in there, Grant would have lost his chance of a 3.5million US dollar pay cheque for tackling Lewis - and the immediate prospect of future wealth and glory.
But Grant's fortitude against Golota impressed Lewis.
"Grant got hit; he got hurt and he got knocked down. But he came back to win. That showed good heart and desire," observed the champion.
"Boxing was never something I was taught growing up," added Grant, unbeaten in 31 fights.
"Boxing is a goal for me; something I'm going to conquer. I look at my other sports but I didn't conquer them. I just didn't behave myself academics-wise and do the right thing.
"For me the skills of boxing were far more difficult because it was something I'd never been brought up on.
"Boxing was something that wasn't being taught in the neighbourhood. You may have picked a fight every now and again. I wasn't the fighting type. I didn't like to fight when I was young."
There seems little doubting Grant will need heaps of fighting instinct to run down Lewis on 7th Avenue.
By Jim van Wijk, PA Sport
Lennox Lewis admits he can barely bring himself to watch the video of his drawn bout with Evander Holyfield - a fight the British world heavyweight champion claims was fixed.
Despite Lewis having the better of the fight, the result was controversially declared a draw and although he went on to take the undisputed title in November's re-match, the Briton admits that the first fight still plays on his mind.
Asked if he believed the fight was fixed, Lewis said: "Absolutely. When I watch the fight it actually upsets me.
"I say to myself `I don't even know how they can say this fight was a draw'.
"If you asked a million people, you're going to get at least 90% of them saying that I won the fight.
"I realised this is the way they have to beat me, by doing some skullduggery, by using judges that weren't really up to standard.''
Lewis' reign as undisputed champion was soured after just 146 days when a New York judge stripped the Briton of the WBA title, but he insists he is the man to beat.
"I believe I'm the best out there now,'' Lewis told Sky Sports' Fight Night programme. "I am the man at the top. I have worked to be in this position, it didn't come easy and wasn't given to me.
"My legacy is not done yet, but I'm shaping away for a great legacy and hopefully when they write the history books one day they won't write how much money I've made, they'll write what I've accomplished.''
Lewis takes on Michael Grant in Madison Square Gardens on Saturday night, and he admits he views his challenger as "very dangerous''.
Grant, 27, is unbeaten in 31 fights and stands at 6ft 7ins.
"I think you're going to see Michael Grant coming really hyped up. After a round or two you're going to see my experience really take over because he's never been in the ring against a boxer like me,'' said Lewis.
"He doesn't even know what to expect because I fight all my fights different.
Styles make fights - he's a bigger opponent so you may see a lot of speed and a lot of movement from me.
"I have an arsenal full of punches I can throw at any given moment.
"The New York public is going to see a great fight, Lennox Lewis at his best, doing what he does best.''
� PA Sporting Life
