'King' Lewis conquers in style

NEW YORK, APRIL 30. Britain's Lennox Lewis left no doubt he is the undisputed king of heavyweight boxing, delivering a devastating second-round knockout upon previously unbeaten American challenger Michael Grant.

Lewis stopped Grant two minutes and 53 seconds into the second round here on Saturday night, improving to 36-1 with one drawn after his 28th knockout.

The champion slammed a devastating right uppercut to Grant's chin that sent the challenger onto his back, sprawled in defeat, stumbling to reach his feet as Referee Arthur Mercante (Jr) counted him out.

``He has been boxing B-class fighters,'' Lewis said. ``Now he has moved up to the A-class. Michael Grant had never seen a boxer like me. I just come to conquer.''

Grant, who fell to 31-1, had been flattened three times by Lewis in round one, twice hitting the canvas and being saved another time by a corner buckle.

``I realized if I kept punching, he was going to be hurting. All I had to do was keep hitting him. If he dared get up against me I would just hit him more and more. It was just going to be harder and harder for him,'' Lewis said. ``I don't get paid for overtime.''

Grant attacked Lewis at the start, but was sent sprawling by the first of many Lewis uppercuts only 98 seconds into the fight - 37 seconds less time than it took the United States national anthem to be sung.

``It was only a matter of time,'' Lewis said. ``I was shocked and very surprised when he came at me. I had superior hand speed. Most of the time, I could see when he was winding up. I just held my position so I could get a good shot.''

Lewis, 34, made $10 million and left no doubt he is the undisputed ring king. Grant, 27, took home $four million and some hard-learned lessons.

``Charging him was stupidity on my part,'' Grant said. ``I was just too anxious. People were looking to me to bring this thing home. I didn't execute the things my corner was telling me and what I needed to do.''

``Lennox showed me openings. I wanted to take advantage of them and knock his head off,'' Grant said. ``He knew I would open up and he would be able to take a step back and take advantage.

``I took the wrong mentality into it. I should have used more of my speed and not take it as a grudge match from the door. I was just too anxious. He was swinging wide left hands because he knew I would come at him. He's a smart fighter. He dropped his hands and said, `take my head off.' I tried and he got me. I just got caught. Lennox is champion for a reason. He's the best.''

Lewis sent Grant staggering again with a series of overhead right hands as Grant was trying to hang on and escape the first round. After that punishing pummeling, Grant was never the same.

Lewis used a left jab to set up a powerful right hand that knocked him to the canvas again at the end of the round. He barely rose as the bell ended the round and a non-sellout crowd of about 17,324 crowd at Madison Square Garden sensed the end was near.

That only left Lewis to deliver the finishing blow with the right uppercut that worked so well.

``He actually put his head down so I put myself in position to get a good shot at him,'' Lewis said. ``Michael Grant was the perfect style to showcase my talent.''

``This fight made a great impact,'' Lewis said. ``It sets the mood. It proves I have got awesome power. I have an arsenal of punches to take you out at any moment with any punch. Any guy who steps in front of me gets knocked out. There has always been a question about my heart.''

The triumph was a far cry from the 12-round tactical battle Lewis staged here 13 months ago with Evander Holyfield, a fight stunningly judged a draw when most who saw it thought Lewis had won. ``I brought my own two judges this time,'' Lewis said, proudly displaying his gloved fists.

This was the heaviest heavyweight championship fight in boxing history, with Grant weighing in at 250 pounds and Lewis at 247. Grant, at 6-foot-7, missed his chance to become the tallest champion in heavyweight history.

Lewis will next fight South Africa's Francois Botha in July in London arena, his first fight in Europe in five years and first in London since suffering his lone defeat there in 1994 at the hands of Oliver McCall.

``He's all right as a fighter,'' Lewis said of Botha. ``He should give me an interesting fight.''

Lewis will wait until November, a more lucrative timetable for promoters, to face New Zealand's David Tua, the mandatory International Boxing Federation challenger. Only the IBF and World Boxing Council titles were at stake. A court order forced Lewis to vacate the World Boxing Association crown because he chose to fight Grant rather than top-ranked WBA contender John Ruiz.

Holyfield and Ruiz plan to fight for the vacant title on June 10, provided a Lewis appeal of the verdict fails.

``I definitely feel Tua deserves a shot before `Louise','' Lewis said. ``It doesn't matter to me. Let the people decided who they want me to go against.''

``I'm very satisfied,'' said Emanuel Steward, Lewis' trainer. ``He did what I always knew he could do. I think Lennox likes the adulation that goes with the knockout. I can see him fighting at this level for another three, four years.''

- AFP

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Williams turns the tables on Higgins
Next     : Tamil Nadu loses quick wickets