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Undefeated no 1. Heavyweight contender Micheal Grant faces Andrew Golota on HBO Boxing
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00:00:00understand all right so enough about lewis and holyfield you've had the chance to see it now
00:00:06let's turn our attention to tonight's live boxing action still to come michael grant against andrew
00:00:12galata is it a box off for a shot at the heavyweight title now that lennox lewis holds the
00:00:19unified heavyweight title we look ahead to determine the top challenger for boxing's most
00:00:24elusive crown tonight two contenders risk their destinies michael grant has been ordained by some
00:00:29as the future of the division with a victory the undefeated giant can prove his time is now
00:00:35he beats him up to the body until they have nothing left just an accumulation of blows
00:00:42to the body and the head his opponent has been near the top before andrew galata got a title
00:00:50shot two years ago against lewis only to crash and burn in less than two minutes
00:01:00the pressure is on grant to match that championship performance or risk being
00:01:05perceived as just another pretender galata did have his dominant moments with two world-class
00:01:12performances against former champion riddick bow
00:01:19until he lost it all both times with near identical disqualification meltdowns but the foul pole is back
00:01:26one more time on a six-fight win streak focused to embarrass those who say his time has run out
00:01:35galata's kind of warrior spirit has at times been dormant in grant
00:01:38come on man get me do your job the power puncher did indeed step up his level of competition this
00:01:44past summer against blue savaries and now the chosen one hopes to use galata as championship
00:01:50seasoning to clear the confusion of who's best of the next last week glory belonged to lennox lewis
00:01:57tonight the heir apparent gets his most dangerous test
00:02:03michael grant versus andrew galata is the new guard standout for real or is the tarnished comebacker
00:02:09one punch away from redemption back live in atlantic city with two-time heavyweight champion of the
00:02:16world george foreman and hbo boxing analyst larry merchant let's get ready now to see michael grant
00:02:21try to move closer to a possible shot at the heavyweight championship there's so much speculation about
00:02:27grant larry what must he prove what questions must he answer tonight or as we say in television land
00:02:34who wants to be a multi-millionaire the million there the million dollar question for michael grant
00:02:41tonight is this having dominated some of the better b-list heavyweights out there how will he do against
00:02:49an a-list talent like galata if galata doesn't self-destruct and the gazillion dollar question is will he be
00:02:58perceived as another goliath perhaps a greater athlete than he is a fighter or will he turn out to be
00:03:06that big big big man who is the heavyweight of everyone's hopes now back to you regis i wish i
00:03:15were and as for the word goliath it sounds a lot like galata incredible to us that one odds maker
00:03:22saw
00:03:23this fight as eight to one grant as favorite absolutely impossible that somebody should be favored by that
00:03:29much over a fighter like galata and george in our meeting with andrew galata yesterday he appeared to
00:03:34have undergone a remarkable transformation in the last couple of years a personality change not unlike
00:03:40the difference between you and your surly first career and your jovial fun-loving second career
00:03:46is it real for galata and what can it mean to him as a fighter i think it's just he's
00:03:50closely
00:03:51associating himself with his wife now he's acting a bit more intelligent and he's alert and with that kind
00:03:56of encouragement he can become better and i think that wife right by his side all the time is going
00:04:01to make for a better fighter all right we'll see if mariola galata can help to make the difference for
00:04:06the foul pole as andrew tries to wipe out some of his past embarrassments against grant tail of the tape
00:04:13and you see that grant at 27 years of age has most of his future in front of him six
00:04:19foot seven inches
00:04:19tall a three inch height advantage over galata ten pounds in weight over the rangy pole and a two
00:04:26inch reach advantage for grant as well punch stat numbers larry what is fascinating about these
00:04:33numbers is that you see that these younger fighters throw far more punchers than the older fighters did
00:04:42last week 130 punches around between them the jab is likely to tell the story early in the fight
00:04:51both of them have good jabs one of them is going to have the better one and the rules of
00:04:57the bout with
00:04:58the undisputed truth at ringside harold letterman the michael grant andrew galata fight is scheduled for
00:05:0412 rounds using the unified rules of the association of boxing commissions and commissioner larry has its
00:05:1010 point majority scoring system there is no standing eight count no three knockdown rule only the referee can
00:05:17stop the fight and you cannot be saved by the bell in any round including the 12th and final round
00:05:23jim
00:05:24all right thank you harold the good news on majority scoring if they'd used it in new york in march
00:05:31lewis would have been a clear winner but a few weeks ago here hasim rahman was seen
00:05:36by consensus scoring when he's six of the first seven rounds against oleg maskayev and that fight was
00:05:43closer than that so here is andrew galato i always give credit to a fighter who after a disastrous defeat
00:05:54it takes his time goes back to work spent a couple of years in which he's had six fights
00:06:02and tries to rejuvenate himself in order to reach this plateau galata has had to win six consecutive
00:06:10fights since his october 4 1997 embarrassment here in atlantic city against lennox lewis he's won those
00:06:18fights three by knockout not against the toughest opposition available in the division but not
00:06:23against total nobodies either
00:06:32yesterday the normally taciturn galata was laughing and joking with us about this unlikely opportunity
00:06:40to get back near the top of the heap and as you look at the record remember that andrew galata
00:06:45was the
00:06:45superior fighter in 36 of his 37 fights well ahead of riddick's bow on points on both of the occasions
00:06:54when he was disqualified for low blows
00:07:03no lou duva in the corner with andrew galata tonight
00:07:07well the thinking was that the excitable elderly lou duva just made galata too excited himself
00:07:17hyperventilating and using up his energy and they want him to be a little bit more calm and study
00:07:25now here comes the calmest and most studied of young heavyweight prospects he has one of the
00:07:33the great builds in boxing which has given him a great opportunity but now he has to cash in on
00:07:43the opportunity devoutly religious george his parents have difficulty with the violence of boxing
00:07:52well i don't think there's much violence in boxing it's a sport it's the granddaddy of football even
00:07:57tennis and he's not the first boxer to see this as a way of honoring god and as a way
00:08:02of uh
00:08:03paying your bills most importantly former basketball football and baseball star who took up boxing
00:08:14after he visited bo holyfield won november 13 1992 in las vegas had a chance meeting with nevada
00:08:22referee richard steel who said you're a big athlete you should try boxing here he is
00:08:28Senhor go potty he almost answered whiskey and he is the best guy who's following my 17 his
00:08:31teams were animated and pumped up and we've seen him before him and we've seen him before him
00:08:35maybe that will be a harbinger of things to go to come because like Louis
00:08:41he's been criticized for being a little too of passive or or calculating rather than passionate
00:08:50and you see the record 30 wins 21 by ko most recently a 10 round grinded out decision over
00:08:58tough lou savary's in new york's madison square garden theater as you watch the fight tonight
00:09:05check in on hbo's boxing website www.hbo.com slash boxing and while you're visiting the website
00:09:14feel free to answer our question for the night who should be lennox lewis's next opponent we will
00:09:20tell you who you voted for at the end of the evening and now let's go to ring announcer
00:09:26mike the buffer to set it up ladies and gentlemen from donald j trump's taj mahal casino resort
00:09:34here on the boardwalk in atlantic city new jersey main events along with miller light are proud to
00:09:41present 12 rounds of boxing in the heavyweight division for the nabf championship sanctioned
00:09:48by the new jersey state athletic control board boxing commissioner larry hazard senior chairman
00:09:53jerry gormley board members stephen katz deputy commissioner john greco physicians at ringside
00:09:59doctors ken remsen howard taylor charles wilson and richard snappar alternate referee rudy battle
00:10:07will be counting for the knockdown seconds and timekeeper at the bell arthur's fell nabf president
00:10:13sam assaias nabf supervisor at ringside spider binal the scoring for this bout will be done on the new
00:10:22jersey ten point majority system and the three judges scoring at ringside will be dick flaherty
00:10:29chuck hassett and melvena lathan and when the bell rings your referee in charge of the action
00:10:35randy newman and now for the thousands in attendance here at the trump taj mahal and the millions
00:10:43watching around the world ladies and gentlemen let's get ready to rumble
00:10:58introducing first fighting out of the blue corner wearing white trimmed with red and weighing in at
00:11:04242 242 pounds his professional record stands at an excellent 43 victories including 28 knockouts
00:11:12with only three losses and he is currently rated as the number six heavyweight in the world by the wbc
00:11:20ladies and gentlemen from warsaw poland here is the challenger andrew
00:11:34and across the ring his opponent fighting out of the red corner wearing white trimmed with black and red
00:11:40and weighing 252 pounds he brings a perfect professional record into the ring consisting of
00:11:4730 30 30 bouts 30 victories with 21 knockouts and he is rated by most boxing aficionados as the
00:11:55legitimate number one contender in the world from norristown pa here is the defending nabf champion
00:12:04presenting the undefeated michael
00:12:09Grand
00:12:35Hey gentlemen
00:12:36and you're both familiar with the rules of the state
00:12:38as they've been thoroughly gone on and over.
00:12:41I want you to remember two things.
00:12:43Obey my commands, and above all, defend yourselves at all times.
00:12:46Now shake hands and come out of the belt.
00:12:49Jim, you mentioned earlier that the odds had opened at 8-1.
00:12:52We just learned that they've come down all the way to about 3-1.
00:12:58And in the last hours, I've heard the opinions of a lot of people
00:13:02I respect in boxing who think that Gallaud is going to win.
00:13:06So this is not the gimme that some people thought for Grant
00:13:12coming into this fight.
00:13:14Well, Gallaud was so thoroughly discredited
00:13:18by most of us in boxing media after his performance against Lewis
00:13:23that I know many ringside experts never expected to see him
00:13:27anywhere near this plateau again.
00:13:30It says a lot about Andrew and the dedication he's put into the sport
00:13:34that he managed to get back this far.
00:13:38Both fighters said they wanted to come out
00:13:41and establish their jabs in round one.
00:13:44Both fighters indicated that whoever got his jab going first
00:13:47should have an early advantage in the fight.
00:13:51Grant is already starting to push that big left jab out there.
00:13:54He's got the reach.
00:13:55He better take advantage of it tonight.
00:13:57A trade right hand leads, and Grant drives Gallaud back
00:14:00with the right and the left.
00:14:02Now, there are a few boxers who can actually throw combinations
00:14:05coming forward.
00:14:06Gallaud is one of the few who can do that.
00:14:09Now, Grant, he loves to be on the rope and let a guy come to him,
00:14:13and then he gets off while the other guy is trying to punch him
00:14:16and get him tired.
00:14:17He's saying most fighters have to be standing still
00:14:19to throw a combination.
00:14:20Yeah, but Gallaud has had the talent to get you
00:14:23with one, two, three as he's moving on you.
00:14:26Uppercut, and the right hand across the top by Grant.
00:14:30Grant already showing some versatility.
00:14:34And the cut above the left eye of Andrew Gallaud.
00:14:37He's throwing jabs. He's throwing some hooks.
00:14:39He's throwing some crosses, and there is a small jab.
00:14:43Good right hand by Gallaud to the body.
00:14:45You've got to understand, Grant's cup is really high.
00:14:49And the judges had better take note to that
00:14:51because some of the punches you think are going low
00:14:53will be right there on the side.
00:14:54Truthfully, George, we've seen it higher.
00:14:56That's a relatively low cup for Grant.
00:14:59It is high.
00:15:00Yep.
00:15:02And the blood on the face of Gallaud.
00:15:04I believe the cut is directly above the left eyebrow.
00:15:08That's a good cut.
00:15:09And also, there seems to be an abrasion
00:15:11along the right eyebrow.
00:15:13A lot of stiff punches landed by Grant
00:15:18early in the fight.
00:15:19The cut man in Gallaud's corner
00:15:22is the outstanding Joe Souza.
00:15:24He's going to have some work to do
00:15:25between rounds one and two.
00:15:27And that's what you want when you've got a good love jab,
00:15:29is to make the guy follow you around.
00:15:31Oh, right hand by Gallaud.
00:15:33Deposits Grant right on the seat of his fans.
00:15:35And a sheepish little grin on Grant's face
00:15:38as if to say, where did that come from?
00:15:41And Grant must be dazed and hurt
00:15:44because he got up too quickly.
00:15:46And ran close to Gallaud.
00:15:48And Gallaud got to make sure he finished it correctly.
00:15:55Gallaud to the body as Grant holds on upstairs.
00:15:57Gallaud was looking to shoot a right hand over the jab
00:16:01and beat him to the punch.
00:16:03He's landing.
00:16:03His right hand leads.
00:16:06So we have blood and a knockdown
00:16:08already in the first round.
00:16:11And it wasn't just a knockdown.
00:16:13Grant's legs were buckled
00:16:15one on top of the other.
00:16:18Well, we know Gallaud has power.
00:16:20And now Grant knows it, too.
00:16:23Second knockdown of the round.
00:16:26Cannot be saved by the belt.
00:16:30Grant knocked down twice in the first round.
00:16:33Goes to his corner.
00:16:35Does Grant have the experience
00:16:37to know how to cope with this?
00:16:39Give me an ice cup.
00:16:40Give me an ice cup.
00:16:42Hey, hey, good coach in here, dude.
00:16:45You hear what I said?
00:16:47You're all right, man.
00:16:48You're all right, man.
00:16:48You're all right, man.
00:16:49You're all right, man, because you've got your fucking hand.
00:16:51Down the cut.
00:16:52Don't worry about it.
00:16:53Keep that jab hand going.
00:16:55Now use your faint jab.
00:16:58One, two, come back with a hook.
00:17:01All right?
00:17:02Ain't nothing.
00:17:03Looking good.
00:17:04We got one round.
00:17:05We fight it one round at a time.
00:17:08You're not going to be aggressive anymore.
00:17:11Just keep doing what you're doing.
00:17:18I said earlier about Gallardo being successful,
00:17:21going forward throwing shots.
00:17:23Very few guys can do that.
00:17:25Well, everybody wants to see Grant's medal tested.
00:17:31It is being tested here.
00:17:33And you heard Roger Bloodworth saying to Gallardo,
00:17:35he won't be aggressive anymore.
00:17:37Grant comes out throwing his jab,
00:17:40trying to gain some early command in round two.
00:17:44Gallardo is going to be looking to fire right hands,
00:17:46and he lands one right on Grant's ear.
00:17:52Don Turner asked Grant to keep his hands higher.
00:17:56He's got to reestablish the left jab, Grant.
00:18:02This is looking like the early rounds of Gallardo and Bo.
00:18:06The second fight,
00:18:08when Gallardo was even more dominant than in the first.
00:18:13Grant seems okay for the moment.
00:18:15Right hand lands through Gallardo's guard.
00:18:18Grant trying to bring the blood out
00:18:20from above the left eye of Gallardo again.
00:18:25Excellent.
00:18:28Well, a lot of people have wanted to see
00:18:30Michael Grant in a real fight.
00:18:32And here it is.
00:18:34Gallardo is showing his left jab now.
00:18:36All of a sudden,
00:18:38Grant is looking out for himself,
00:18:39and Gallardo seems to jab.
00:18:42And now Grant looking to match Gallardo
00:18:44for a big right hand.
00:18:45Okay, let's go.
00:18:46Grant is not successful going forward.
00:18:48He likes to wait and let you come in to him.
00:18:54Gallardo corners, Grant.
00:18:57Sizes him up.
00:18:58And Michael grabs and holds.
00:19:02Let's go!
00:19:04Let's go!
00:19:05Let's go!
00:19:05Let's go!
00:19:05Let's go!
00:19:05Let's go!
00:19:08Andrew Gallardo is super strong.
00:19:10Tim Witherspoon, with all his experience,
00:19:13said, nobody ever hit me like that.
00:19:14Grant is wobbling again.
00:19:16A white hand by Gallardo,
00:19:17and Grant's legs are jelly.
00:19:20Gallardo has been there, done death.
00:19:22This is new territory for Grant.
00:19:26Even the roar of the crowd can mess your legs up,
00:19:29can mess your eyesight up.
00:19:30One more of those.
00:19:31One more of those.
00:19:32One more of those.
00:19:32And don't touch your point.
00:19:34And already, Randy Newman is warning Gallardo
00:19:37about holding behind the head.
00:19:42Now, this is one fight the referee should stay out of now.
00:19:46This is big.
00:19:47How can a referee stay out of an Andrew Gallardo fight?
00:19:50Yeah, but don't, you know, accentuate the positive,
00:19:53leave the negative alone.
00:19:56He's fighting a foul fight.
00:19:57He hasn't been proven guilty, in other words.
00:19:59Gallardo has not thrown...
00:20:01He's got hit below the belt himself this time.
00:20:03Let's go!
00:20:05Gallardo is not throwing many body punches
00:20:09so that he doesn't seem to be in that kind of danger
00:20:12at the moment.
00:20:13Gallardo's hitting to the body, Grant, here.
00:20:15He's going to be blowing a belt.
00:20:16Don't do it again!
00:20:17Yesterday in our meeting,
00:20:19Gallardo cracked this up.
00:20:20We said, what interests you about Grant?
00:20:22He said, I want to know how he gets away
00:20:23with all those low blows.
00:20:24And he is truthful tonight.
00:20:26Grant is looking.
00:20:31Chopping down little by little.
00:20:35Chopping down little by little.
00:20:36But let's loosen up a little bit.
00:20:38Little in and out movement.
00:20:40He's backing up.
00:20:41Use a little bit of feints.
00:20:42Loosen up a little bit, all right?
00:20:45Give me the Vaseline.
00:20:46Give me the Vaseline.
00:20:47Vaseline.
00:20:49Vaseline.
00:20:49Come on, come on, come on.
00:20:50This thing, baby.
00:20:52Hey, Mike.
00:20:54Put your hands up and throw power jabs, man.
00:20:58And fastball and left hook.
00:21:00Just give me a second, boys.
00:21:01You got two warnings.
00:21:02Next infraction, the cost of your point.
00:21:03You got it?
00:21:03I told him the same thing.
00:21:04Yes, sir.
00:21:05Okay, dude, Mike.
00:21:06Going back to the first round,
00:21:08on the first knockdown.
00:21:09You see Grant's hand low, his left low.
00:21:13Gallada comes right over it.
00:21:17The second knockdown with Grant reeling.
00:21:20Gallada pressures him and probably gets a 10-7 round,
00:21:25so he could be well ahead after two rounds.
00:21:28CompuBox numbers on jabs through the first two rounds.
00:21:31Grant, 10 of 40, 25 percent.
00:21:34Gallada, 18 of 35, 51 percent.
00:21:36Gallada lands another right hand to start the third.
00:21:44So it's Gallada with the early edge on the jab,
00:21:47and that has redounded to help his right-hand punch.
00:21:52All right, right, right, right.
00:21:54All right, right, right.
00:21:56All right, right, right.
00:21:56All right, right, right.
00:21:56Good job, good job.
00:21:58And get closer.
00:22:00If he can only keep his cool, don't do anything stupid.
00:22:05Left hook lands for Grant.
00:22:07Left hook, left hook, left hook.
00:22:08Referee Randy Newman telling both corners between rounds
00:22:10that the next foul would bring a point deduction.
00:22:13Right hand over the top by Grant.
00:22:15Oh, oh, oh.
00:22:17One point, one point, one point.
00:22:20This is unfair.
00:22:21Point deduction against Gallada.
00:22:22One point, one point.
00:22:22This is unfair, I'm telling you.
00:22:24I haven't seen anything flagrant.
00:22:26Yeah.
00:22:27But referee Newman wants to take control of this fight.
00:22:30Right, right, right, right.
00:22:31That can be a big factor, because if Grant wins this round,
00:22:34it suddenly becomes a two-point round
00:22:36and puts him right back in it.
00:22:38I don't like it.
00:22:38Galada wears a scarlet letter.
00:22:39I don't like it.
00:22:40I don't like it.
00:22:41The referee has no business.
00:22:43He warned Gallada that he was gonna do something
00:22:46when he first inflectioned.
00:22:48The other guy's inflection, he didn't say anything.
00:22:50No, no, he warned him as well, George.
00:22:52No, not like in the ring like he did.
00:22:54He went to his corner and said the same thing he told Gallada.
00:22:58That's a good point.
00:23:00He warned Grant between rounds,
00:23:01but he warned Gallada in the ring in front of Grant
00:23:04and the whole crowd.
00:23:09All right, let it roll.
00:23:12All right.
00:23:12All right, let it roll.
00:23:12All right.
00:23:21Good one, guys.
00:23:22mean the referee has better beware
00:23:24that that cup is too high.
00:23:26Your French cup is too high.
00:23:30Well, he hasn't penalized Galata for low blows, he's penalized him for holding.
00:23:37It's a new foul for the foul pole.
00:23:41All right, let him go, let him go, that's enough.
00:23:44That's baby stuff, don't do it.
00:23:47You know Galata's history with low blows, he also bit Samson Ho-Ha on the shoulder.
00:23:52Grant is jabbing just like he has wings, his right hand, and way back.
00:23:57Grant takes a big right hand from Galata and comes back with a counter.
00:24:01Another low blow.
00:24:02Galata holds his hands out as if to say, when are you going to talk to him about low blows?
00:24:08That one was low.
00:24:12Hey, leave him alone, referee.
00:24:16The referee is unjust.
00:24:21Not a fair job.
00:24:25This is not a good job.
00:24:26That was an important round for Michael Grant.
00:24:29Got him back in the fight.
00:24:32Deep breath, deep breath.
00:24:38Hey, Mike, listen to me.
00:24:49Stop letting him push you back, and you push him back.
00:24:53Hard left jab.
00:24:55Straight right hands, left hooks.
00:24:56Basic boxing will beat this guy.
00:24:59He ain't that much.
00:25:00As long as he's stepping back, you step up and hit him.
00:25:02Little fates.
00:25:04All right?
00:25:04You hear me?
00:25:05All right, you're doing good.
00:25:08Let's see why there was a deduction here for holding that referee Randy Newman has called.
00:25:14Low blows.
00:25:15Not holding.
00:25:15I was wrong.
00:25:16No, that looked like it was for low blows.
00:25:18Yep.
00:25:19And that was a borderline punch.
00:25:23And Galata complained, but it was right on the border.
00:25:27Yeah, so let me correct you.
00:25:30The border of that hot cup.
00:25:32The border of that cup.
00:25:33Galata doesn't have a hot cup.
00:25:35And now Grant hits low again.
00:25:37Now Newman deducts for Grant.
00:25:40One point from here.
00:25:41Now come here.
00:25:42Galata's got a nice cup and is at the right position.
00:25:45We're going to have more points.
00:25:46All right, let's go.
00:25:47Work.
00:25:47So one deduction for each fighter now.
00:25:51And just to correct myself one more time, clearly, I thought the deduction was for holding
00:25:55in the last round.
00:25:56The replay clearly showed you it was for low blows.
00:26:01Hard jab by Galata and a hard left hook.
00:26:07Galata making a lot of contact early against Michael Grant.
00:26:11You don't need this.
00:26:13Let's go.
00:26:14Newman once again telling Galata not to hold an hit.
00:26:19Grant's like an octopus when you get inside.
00:26:21He's all arms.
00:26:22Galata is just too good a fighter to be doing the things unnecessary that he's doing.
00:26:27Throwing punches behind the back.
00:26:29Poor guy.
00:26:30He gets frustrated.
00:26:31Not frustrated.
00:26:32He's winning.
00:26:34Yeah, he's winning, but he doesn't feel as though he has reason to feel he's not going
00:26:38to get a fair shot.
00:26:40And for good reasons.
00:26:44Remember, Grant is trying to take the initiative,
00:26:46and he's not a good fighter going forward.
00:26:49Grant's like to get you leaning on him, and he gets you a good combination.
00:26:57Left hook by Grant.
00:27:00Left hook by Galata.
00:27:03Grant has got to reestablish his left jab again.
00:27:05Get back into the fight with your basics.
00:27:08Oh, that's it.
00:27:09That's it.
00:27:10I'm here.
00:27:14Michael Grant's left eye is beginning to swell.
00:27:18Come on.
00:27:18Now we're getting sloppy.
00:27:19Let's go.
00:27:20Let's make it a fight.
00:27:20He's done an admirable job on the cut over Andrew Galata's left eye.
00:27:26Good body punching by Galata this guy.
00:27:29Let's go.
00:27:31It's taking a lot for Grant to recover from that first round.
00:27:34Left hook to the body by Galata.
00:27:36Right hand upstairs by Grant.
00:27:38Oh, that's good.
00:27:39That's good.
00:27:39I'm here.
00:27:39Galata's got to be careful just walking in on his big, tall Grant.
00:27:42He's got some power in that right hand himself.
00:27:47Let him go.
00:27:47Let him go.
00:27:48Let him go.
00:27:48The one thing about Galata, he ain't afraid of anybody.
00:27:51That's for certain.
00:27:52He walked right in on Riddick Bowe at the time when Bowe was the biggest, baddest fighter in
00:27:56the division.
00:27:57Bowe was no doubt the biggest, baddest around.
00:28:03The cut, no problems from Galata's eye.
00:28:06All right, get out of there.
00:28:07Get out of there.
00:28:08Get your head out of there.
00:28:09Well, we found that Grant has the moxie.
00:28:13Now we have to find out whether he has the skill and the will to pull this out.
00:28:22A lot of landing.
00:28:24About half the punches he's throwing.
00:28:27And he gets away with one shot after the bell there.
00:28:32Deep breath, deep breath, deep breath.
00:28:36Deep breath.
00:28:41Listen, Mike.
00:28:44You've got to throw that right hand more often.
00:28:46You've got to keep your eye on the guy and throw the punch at him.
00:28:49We're going to flip it on the floor.
00:28:50His head up.
00:28:54All right.
00:28:55The ref will take care of the job.
00:28:57You just keep jabbing, hitting, and pile up the points, babe.
00:29:00You almost went in that round.
00:29:02You're going to break him down.
00:29:02He's going to go.
00:29:04Who feels good?
00:29:06Damn it, huh?
00:29:07Let's see why Grant had a point deduction.
00:29:11You saw inside.
00:29:13That was south of the border.
00:29:18The left hand catching Grant off balance.
00:29:24Not a damaging punch.
00:29:26CompuBox numbers in...
00:29:27But a punch that counts.
00:29:28Excuse me, Larry.
00:29:29CompuBox numbers in round four.
00:29:31You probably saw them.
00:29:32A lot of landing 24-39 for 62%.
00:29:35Very similar to the numbers he was ringing up against Bowe in both disqualification fights.
00:29:40Harold, how do you have it through four?
00:29:42Jim, I'll tell you.
00:29:43I think Michael Grant's got to come back a long way.
00:29:45I got it 39-33.
00:29:48Four rounds to nothing.
00:29:50Andrew Gallata.
00:29:51I think he's bugging him.
00:29:52I really do.
00:29:53I think he won the third round.
00:29:54So that round becomes even at 9-9 because Randy Newman took that to work from Andrew Gallata in the
00:30:00third.
00:30:00So as I see it, Jim, Michael Grant hasn't won a round.
00:30:04Now watch his head.
00:30:05When Michael gets hit, he just looks down at the floor.
00:30:08I don't know why.
00:30:09I have it three rounds to one for Gallata.
00:30:12George, between rounds, Don Turner was asking Grant to start throwing more right hands.
00:30:17Does that suggest to you that Turner already thinks his man might need a knockout to win the fight?
00:30:22Yeah, as a matter of fact, he's telling them, forget about the jab.
00:30:24Now start fighting and get yourself back into it.
00:30:26You're not going to do it with the jab, but I believe differently.
00:30:29It's enough time for Grant to reestablish that bone-jaring jab and take over this fight.
00:30:35I'm not sure he'll be effective enough with the right hand to get the knockout unless he works behind the
00:30:39jab.
00:30:41But maybe they feel like Gallata's going to be open if he keeps throwing.
00:30:45There's a hard left hook upstairs by Gallata.
00:30:48Gallata's the better combination fighter, and whenever there's an exchange,
00:30:51he gets the best of it because he keeps his hands a little closer to his body.
00:30:55Larry, you've said it many times about Grant.
00:30:58He is a big target in there.
00:31:00That's it. That's it. That's it.
00:31:01Well, big guys, it's like pitching to a tall guy who's got a big strike zone.
00:31:12Gallata's done a good job of going to the body so that knockdown can still be in effect.
00:31:16He's also done a good job of being first and making Grant respond to him.
00:31:21That's true. You get off first and let the other guy decide what to do next.
00:31:25That's exactly what Andrew told us he would do yesterday.
00:31:28He said, I'll put pressure on him and see how he responds.
00:31:33All right, break clean, break clean, break clean.
00:31:39Randy Newman has impressed upon the fighters that they must fight clean.
00:31:44Partially because of that, the action is slow.
00:31:49Body shot by Grant.
00:31:52Desperation because he holds on after.
00:31:56A lot of stroke with the right hand.
00:31:59A rare miss.
00:32:02Grant is peeping out of his left eye.
00:32:04He's doing a little peep job.
00:32:06It's already swelling.
00:32:09Right hand by Grant as Gallata comes in.
00:32:11And that hurt Gallata.
00:32:19Rally by Grant.
00:32:21Big punches from Michael at the end of round five.
00:32:26Yes.
00:32:29This is what we wanted to find out about Michael Grant.
00:32:33It's all right.
00:32:34Fight!
00:32:34Now you can get this cut.
00:32:36It's all right.
00:32:38Listen to me.
00:32:39You did the right thing when he starts swing-laying.
00:32:42I think that's stay down.
00:32:43But you didn't stay behind the jab.
00:32:44You got to stay behind the jab and set it up, all right?
00:32:47Okay.
00:32:47You understand what I'm saying?
00:32:49Yeah.
00:32:49Okay.
00:32:49Stay behind and set it up.
00:32:51All right, baby.
00:32:52It's the races that make the difference.
00:33:01All right, Mike.
00:33:02You got it.
00:33:03You got it.
00:33:04We're on the win, Mike.
00:33:09Suck it up, baby.
00:33:10Suck it up and go get it.
00:33:11Suck it up and go get it.
00:33:13This is bad drill.
00:33:14You got to get it from hurting you.
00:33:15Straight punches, baby.
00:33:16Straight punches.
00:33:20Now we'll see how Gallata responds
00:33:23to that hard flurry
00:33:26in the last 20 to 30 seconds of the last round.
00:33:29Round five, the best for Grant so far.
00:33:32He had a 15 to 10 CompuBox edge
00:33:34in power shots over Gallata.
00:33:37Harold Letterman giving Michael Grant that round.
00:33:39And now they approach the midway point of the bout.
00:33:42Scheduled for 12.
00:33:49He has no problems.
00:33:50Take the power out of it
00:33:51and just lead with the jab.
00:33:56Grant gets on that ring.
00:33:58He gets his feet set,
00:33:59and he's ready to put two or three together.
00:34:02I am here.
00:34:03I'm here.
00:34:10When you're fighting the bigger guys,
00:34:11you got to make them throw a lot of punches
00:34:13just to get a little windy.
00:34:18That was a cheap shot, but it didn't hurt.
00:34:20Let's go.
00:34:22Randy Newman said to Grant,
00:34:24that was a cheap shot, but it didn't hurt.
00:34:26Easy enough for him to say.
00:34:29The guy is truly apologetic.
00:34:31Gallata.
00:34:35You are always damaged with the left hook.
00:34:40Now Grant is starting to pop his jab again,
00:34:43starting to fight the way he intended to
00:34:46at the beginning of round one.
00:34:47With that left jab, Grant is supreme.
00:34:48And there's a vicious right hand.
00:34:50Right hand down the pipe by Grant.
00:34:52With that left jab, Grant can do anything.
00:34:56You got to believe in your jab.
00:34:58You got to believe in the jab.
00:35:00For Grant.
00:35:02Gallata's got to stay on top of him
00:35:03and don't give up.
00:35:05Grant rolling away from Gallata's right hand.
00:35:09Made the punch look more devastating than it was.
00:35:12Frank, Frank, don't pull his head down.
00:35:14All right, all right, let's go with his head.
00:35:15Don't pull his head so don't swing over.
00:35:16Let's go.
00:35:17Ruffin has got to get in there a little quicker.
00:35:22Gallata seems to forget so quick.
00:35:24Frank, get out of there.
00:35:25Come on, let him go and get out of there.
00:35:31Dropping his hand.
00:35:32All the little things that you don't do
00:35:34with a good top-rated fighter.
00:35:35So more and more it appears
00:35:37Grant has weathered the early storm
00:35:39and is beginning to chip his way
00:35:42back into tactical flow,
00:35:44back into the fight he wants to fight.
00:35:46He's in good condition.
00:35:47That's a good sign when a guy gets up off the campus,
00:35:49hard shot, and in the latter round,
00:35:52he comes back, he's in shape.
00:35:53If you just joined us, Michael Grant,
00:35:56regarded by many as heir apparent
00:35:57to the heavyweight throne,
00:35:59seen by many as the number two or three
00:36:01or four fighter in the division,
00:36:02was floored twice in the first round
00:36:04by the comebacking foul pole, Andrew Gallata.
00:36:08That's it.
00:36:08This despite the fact that Gallata
00:36:10was cut over his left eye in the first round
00:36:12and was bleeding at the time he floored Grant.
00:36:15Gallata drops his left hand
00:36:16when he's trying to get in a good hook.
00:36:18Frank, Frank, don't punch, don't punch, don't punch.
00:36:20He's got to keep it up high when he's not hooking.
00:36:22Grant's left eye beginning to close.
00:36:26Sure is.
00:36:28And Grant steals a look over
00:36:30at our announce table
00:36:31as he goes back to his corner
00:36:32as if to say, George,
00:36:34I didn't think it'd be this tough.
00:36:36Oh, what a way to make a living.
00:36:51You know what's up now?
00:37:03You've got to take the fight.
00:37:04They ain't going to give you nothing.
00:37:06Understand?
00:37:07They ain't going to give you nothing.
00:37:08You've got to beat him every round now.
00:37:10You've got to keep the jab going.
00:37:11When you come down again...
00:37:13Throwing that stiff jab
00:37:14and following it with a good right hand,
00:37:18Michael Grant.
00:37:22Slowing pace.
00:37:23Only 58 total punches
00:37:25from the two fighters in round six.
00:37:2630 by Gallata, 28 by Grant.
00:37:30Now Gallata goes to jab and went,
00:37:32ooh, and a right hand to the body by Gallata.
00:37:34He's got a bunch of combinations.
00:37:36He's got a repertoire of combinations.
00:37:40The Duvas are great teachers,
00:37:42even if you don't stay with them.
00:37:43Step back, step back, step back, step back.
00:37:46Well, and the guy who's working with Gallata
00:37:48in the absence of Lou Duva,
00:37:50Roger Bloodworth,
00:37:50pretty good in the gym trainer as well.
00:37:53Also trains Fernando Vargas.
00:37:54Break, break, break, break, break, break, break.
00:37:56Grant starting to put combinations together himself.
00:38:01That right hand to the body by Gallata a moment ago
00:38:03is going to make a big difference
00:38:05if this fight goes another couple of rounds.
00:38:06You heard Bloodworth telling Gallata between rounds,
00:38:09they're not going to give you anything.
00:38:11You've got to go out and win every round.
00:38:14Break, break, break, break, break.
00:38:16When Gallata makes left move, right move,
00:38:18and then throws his combinations, everything's okay.
00:38:21But don't walk in front of Grant.
00:38:24You can't stay in front of him.
00:38:34Grant's got to pick that left jab up
00:38:36and pick and send it to work.
00:38:38He's waiting on Gallata to do something.
00:38:40Don't go, don't go. Get out of there, Michael.
00:38:42With a long left jab,
00:38:43you don't wait for anyone like that.
00:38:45You're never supposed to wait.
00:38:50Break, break, don't punch. Step back.
00:38:52When he waits, he allows Gallata to be first
00:38:55as Andrew was through most of the early action.
00:38:59This is like Lewis waiting on Holyfield last week.
00:39:01Let him go, let him go. Don't hit him. Don't hit him.
00:39:03Just break, get out.
00:39:05You've got to take the admission.
00:39:08Lennox sitting on the far side of the ring
00:39:09with presidential candidate Donald Trump.
00:39:11Let go, don't punch, don't punch. That's it.
00:39:13Boy, Donald Trump's got good food in this Taj Mahal.
00:39:16I love it.
00:39:20That's it, that's it, that's it, that's it.
00:39:22I never know. I give you all my meal tickets, don't I, George?
00:39:26You want to enjoy yourself.
00:39:28You come down there, you've got some restaurants here.
00:39:29Break, break, don't punch.
00:39:31Most fighters slowing down.
00:39:34Considerably.
00:39:34Midway through the fight.
00:39:35But look at the referee. He's slowing down also.
00:39:39Break, break, break.
00:39:43But Grant showing more aggression.
00:39:46Break, break, break.
00:39:47Break, break, break.
00:39:48Galata seeming to tire now.
00:39:51Yeah, he's done a lot of punch throwing,
00:39:52but big man like that, you throw so many punches
00:39:55and you've got to look for a second win
00:39:56somewhere down the line.
00:40:01He's no doubt the more powerful of the two.
00:40:03Andrew Galata, 1988 Olympic bronze medalist.
00:40:07Same right hand again.
00:40:08Landed the right hand flush on Grant.
00:40:10Grant wobbling.
00:40:16Grant sometimes seems taken back
00:40:18by the unrestrained aggression of Andrew Galata.
00:40:23You can't believe that this guy's jumping on him like this.
00:40:27And as they rest between rounds,
00:40:29let's take a look at some upcoming sports programs
00:40:31here on HBO.
00:40:33December 4, Boxing After Dark returns
00:40:35with junior middleweight champ Fernando Vargas.
00:40:37He'll be back in the ring for the first time
00:40:39since his July battering of Raul Marquez.
00:40:42Also that night, junior lightweight champ Diego Corrales
00:40:45takes on tough John Brown.
00:40:47Four days later, tune in for Unitas,
00:40:49the next edition of HBO's documentary series
00:40:52Sports of the 20th Century.
00:40:54Join us for a look at number 19, Johnny Unitas,
00:40:57the man considered the prototypical NFL quarterback.
00:41:00Unitas, coming to HBO December 8.
00:41:03And if you missed the premiere,
00:41:05tune in for a replay of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
00:41:07We'll look at the WNBA's MVP, Cynthia Cooper,
00:41:11who overcame poverty and violence on her way to the top.
00:41:14Also, a look at Tim Strachan,
00:41:16a top athlete tragically paralyzed
00:41:18who remains a hero at the University of Maryland.
00:41:21Real sports where nothing is out of bounds.
00:41:28Round eight begins.
00:41:30CompuBox numbers through seven rounds here.
00:41:33Michael Grant, 81 out of 247, 33%.
00:41:36Andrew Gulotta, far better, 127 out of 249, 51%.
00:41:41Letterman gave the last round to Gulotta
00:41:43after Grant had won a couple in a row.
00:41:49Relatively slow-paced heavyweight fight
00:41:51in these middle rounds.
00:41:52Still, a lot of bombs on both sides.
00:41:56Boy, that Grant still got a good right hand.
00:41:59But he can't exchange it with Gulotta.
00:42:02You got a jab, throw your right hand,
00:42:03and move to the side.
00:42:05He throws it and stands right where he's throwing it from.
00:42:09Gulotta gets the best.
00:42:10Frank, Frank, don't punch.
00:42:12You always told as a boxer, one, two, three.
00:42:15Finish it up and get yourself in position.
00:42:17He throws the one, two.
00:42:25Good body punch.
00:42:30Right hand to the body again, Bagulotta.
00:42:33And it's happening under that right,
00:42:35under that left jab of Grant.
00:42:40Grant lands upstairs with the right hand
00:42:42as Gulotta was attacking to the body.
00:42:44Don't punch. Don't lead. Let him go.
00:42:46Gulotta is sincerely trying to be a good guy.
00:42:51Well, he knows he wears the scarlet letter.
00:42:57Good left hook by Grant.
00:43:00A lead left hook.
00:43:01He doesn't do it all that often,
00:43:02and now he drives Gulotta back with a right.
00:43:04One right, and another right.
00:43:06And another right.
00:43:06Michael Grant following trainer Don Turner's orders
00:43:09to get more aggressive in there.
00:43:16All right, let him out, let him out, let him out of there.
00:43:18Gulotta does two or three motions.
00:43:20Everything stops for Grant.
00:43:22Uh-oh.
00:43:23Oh, hey, hey, hey, hey.
00:43:25Don't do that.
00:43:26Don't pull down on him.
00:43:27Referee is getting a little more fair now.
00:43:30I like it.
00:43:32All right, got it there.
00:43:44He's allowed him to fight in close.
00:43:46Some.
00:43:48He's worried.
00:43:50Amanda Holyfield has a theory
00:43:51that these big guys
00:43:54lose their conditioning,
00:43:56get tired fast,
00:43:57and right now it looks like both guys are tired.
00:44:01Watch your head, watch your head, watch your head.
00:44:02And there's a head butt,
00:44:04and Grant asking Randy Newman
00:44:06to tell Gulotta not to butt him.
00:44:08That was the best match.
00:44:09Gulotta did that on purpose, though.
00:44:11That was the best shot he's landed
00:44:13for a couple of rounds.
00:44:14That's a good job, Andrew.
00:44:17Good job, Andrew.
00:44:18We saw him butt Vanell Nicholson
00:44:20when he was well ahead in the fight.
00:44:23Here he would appear to be ahead again
00:44:24as he butts Grant.
00:44:25And that's it, boys.
00:44:30Eight rounds in the books.
00:44:35And you have to guess,
00:44:37Michael Grant is behind on the scorecards,
00:44:40facing big pressure in these last four rounds.
00:44:44All you gotta do is try it.
00:44:48I got the grease.
00:44:49You don't have to, you don't need to.
00:44:51Lennox Lewis.
00:44:56Explaining real estate to Donald Trump,
00:44:59who is explaining boxing to Lennox Lewis.
00:45:08Oh, that's quite a butt.
00:45:13That's what it's all about, baby.
00:45:15It's all mental now.
00:45:18What do you think?
00:45:19Take it away, sir.
00:45:23Both eyes swelling for Grant, George.
00:45:28I haven't seen them use an inswell
00:45:30on his eyes between rounds, either.
00:45:33Grant's corner-cola, and you fight.
00:45:34You gotta fight.
00:45:35Just fight.
00:45:36That's all you have to do.
00:45:37Harold, how do you have it through eight?
00:45:38Frank, Frank, on him out.
00:45:39I got a 4-3-1 even, Andrew Gallata,
00:45:42but in points, 76-72 because of the knockdowns.
00:45:46And I think Andrew Gallata's got a solid lead.
00:45:49I think Michael Grant's coming back.
00:45:50He won 5-6, and I also get the egg.
00:45:52But I'll tell you, he's not used to, you know,
00:45:55to swallowing that blood, and both eyes are swallowed.
00:45:57And when Gallata gets aggressive right now,
00:45:59he wins the rounds.
00:46:00But with four rounds to go,
00:46:02if your scorecard is in the neighborhood, Harold,
00:46:05it would appear Grant still has a chance
00:46:07to pull it out without a knockout.
00:46:09I have a closer fight here.
00:46:12I think Gallata hasn't done much
00:46:14for the last four rounds.
00:46:16I think he's ahead on points
00:46:18because he has knocked out for the first round.
00:46:20Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on.
00:46:21I think the fight is still there to be won.
00:46:26That's baby stuff.
00:46:27You want to throw some punches,
00:46:29knock each other out.
00:46:29Let's have a fight.
00:46:30Let's go!
00:46:32Gallata can just keep his cool for once in his life.
00:46:35Keep your cool.
00:46:37It's an even money bet.
00:46:40When he gets fatigued is where he loses it.
00:46:43Watch your heads, watch your heads, watch your heads.
00:46:43And that's the danger for him
00:46:45as we go into these late rounds.
00:46:46Let's go, Grant!
00:46:48Go, Grant!
00:47:01Go, Grant!
00:47:02Grant is always off balance going forward.
00:47:05But if you catch him flat-footed,
00:47:06he can really put together some combinations.
00:47:11All right, what about it?
00:47:11Don't have him, don't have him, don't have him.
00:47:13Good job.
00:47:14so he should stand back and counterpunch.
00:47:16You jab and hold your ground.
00:47:19Jab, jab, and the guy makes contact,
00:47:21throw your combinations.
00:47:22Gallada does a good job of throwing jab,
00:47:25moving to Grant's left.
00:47:26Frank, Frank, don't punch, step out.
00:47:28In his two disqualification losses to Riddick Bowe,
00:47:31Andrew Gallada damaged Bowe's reputation badly,
00:47:35and some say he shortened Bowe's career
00:47:37with the punishment he dealt out.
00:47:39No doubt about it.
00:47:40You can see the same kind of thing
00:47:42potentially happening to Grant here tonight.
00:47:45He's already hurt his rep.
00:47:49Knocked him down in the first round.
00:47:51Got hit below the belt that time,
00:47:53Gallada, a couple times this time.
00:47:55Grant is putting it down there to him.
00:47:57The referee better get in there.
00:48:00Betrayed big shots.
00:48:02Crowd comes back to life.
00:48:05Whoa.
00:48:05Low blow by Gallada.
00:48:07Come on, come on, come on.
00:48:08Let's play it. Let's go.
00:48:09They both are doing it now.
00:48:13You got a brewing street fight.
00:48:15Strike, don't punch, strike, don't punch.
00:48:16And a referee who doesn't want it to happen.
00:48:20This is when Glenn is going to have to decide
00:48:22if he really want to be champ.
00:48:24Larry Merchant asked for the day,
00:48:26do you want it?
00:48:26Strike, strike, strike, strike.
00:48:28Yesterday.
00:48:29And didn't get a straight answer incidentally.
00:48:31Do you really want to be champ?
00:48:32Didn't get a straight answer.
00:48:37They feel strong.
00:48:39Excuse me.
00:48:40Get some of this ice out of here.
00:48:46Spit on the floor.
00:48:47How you doing?
00:48:48How you feeling?
00:48:50Talk to me.
00:48:51Talk to me.
00:48:52There's a bucket right here.
00:48:53There's a bucket right here, Mike.
00:48:55The bucket on that side.
00:48:56Bucket right here.
00:48:58You hear what he said?
00:48:59He said he's getting tired.
00:49:00Now it's all a head game.
00:49:02You've got to come out, you've got to look green, you've got to look fresh.
00:49:05When he starts bouncing, you take it away from him.
00:49:07And look, don't push that right hand in.
00:49:09Snap it. You understand what I'm saying?
00:49:11Just snap it. You don't have to throw it hard.
00:49:13Is that a low blow? Yes, it was.
00:49:21And the ladder might not have been penalized because of how high that Grant's cup is.
00:49:27His cup still runneth over.
00:49:32Despite the fact that they have a custom-made cup for him now.
00:49:37Well, he's told us that it rides up always, and once again, it has ridden up during the course of
00:49:45the fight.
00:49:52Galada's got Grant looking for him.
00:49:54He goes to the left, Grant turns his body to the left.
00:49:56Goes to the right, follows him with his...
00:50:00That's not the position a big boxer will want to be in.
00:50:04The test here is whether both...
00:50:06Which fighter can hold it together?
00:50:08Which fighter can come down the home stretch
00:50:11and show the form you want to see in a top fighter?
00:50:20Right hand, every time he catches and beats Grant to the punch.
00:50:27Hard right hand by Grant!
00:50:30Galada in trouble!
00:50:31Galada in trouble!
00:50:32A lot of time left in this fight.
00:50:34Yep, plenty of time.
00:50:35This is the way Galada looked when Lewis caught him in round number one.
00:50:41And down he goes!
00:50:44Could be a break for Galada.
00:50:46He probably needs this count to have any chance of clearing his head.
00:50:49You want to fight?
00:50:50You want to fight?
00:50:51A minute.
00:50:52You want to fight?
00:50:52You want to fight?
00:50:54He said no!
00:50:55He said he didn't want to fight!
00:50:56He didn't want to go on anymore!
00:50:58Randy Newman stops the fight as Galada gives him the wrong answer!
00:51:03Andrew Galada said to him no!
00:51:06He nodded no!
00:51:07And Michael Grant has made a big case for himself tonight in adversity!
00:51:14Comeback knockout for Grant!
00:51:17But I'm not sure Galada, with his still limited English, understood the question!
00:51:23No, no!
00:51:23I think he understood!
00:51:24He said, do you want to go on?
00:51:25And he gave him a little nod!
00:51:27I think he was dizzy!
00:51:29I think he was dazed!
00:51:31He didn't want to fight anymore!
00:51:34What do you think, George?
00:51:35Well, look, it was a good fight!
00:51:37And he hasn't complained, I want you to know!
00:51:39He went back to his corner and has not complained about the stoppage!
00:51:46And Michael Grant will earn a lot of fans with a gutty comeback knockout win!
00:51:52Now, George, you didn't get a chance to finish!
00:51:54What do you think?
00:51:55Yeah, the fight was stopped!
00:51:56Galada was asked a question!
00:51:58He didn't try to say, no, no, no, I said the wrong thing!
00:52:01And sometimes, for good reason, the referee stops the fight!
00:52:04And I think for good reasons this month!
00:52:05So you think it's a good stoppage!
00:52:08And what did Grant show you?
00:52:10Grant showed me that he's a good fighter!
00:52:12He has hard!
00:52:13He's able to get up off the cameras and continue to fight!
00:52:15And he's a power puncher!
00:52:17Well, he certainly landed a huge right hand
00:52:21to pull this one out of the fire!
00:52:25And it will be fascinating to see what the ringside scorecards said
00:52:30and whether Grant was in danger of being shaded in a decision here
00:52:35when he pulled it out with a big right-hand knockout of Andrew Galada.
00:52:40Don't ever count me out!
00:52:42Now let's take another look.
00:52:46Well, Galada got caught, knocked down, able to get up.
00:52:51He thought he could weather the storm.
00:52:52And ordinarily, when a guy throws one, two, three, four, five,
00:52:55he stops for a break.
00:52:56Galada was just counting on it, but it never stopped.
00:52:59There's the right hand.
00:53:02Now he loads up with the combination,
00:53:04and Galada's going to ride and just hope he's going to stop.
00:53:06But then this big Grant, once he gets his feet planted,
00:53:10he can do this all night.
00:53:11That right hand hurt also.
00:53:15And then finally, from the accumulation of punishment,
00:53:18Galada went down.
00:53:19Galada's just hoping it's going to stop.
00:53:21He's going to stop throwing punches.
00:53:22You can't cover up in a boxing match.
00:53:24You've got to move out of the way or hit back.
00:53:28And from there, Galada reeled to the ropes,
00:53:32beat the count.
00:53:34Referee Randy Newman looked him in the eye and said,
00:53:37do you want to fight?
00:53:38He asked him twice, and it appeared,
00:53:40I think Larry's right, I believe he said no.
00:53:45He certainly didn't say, yes, I want to go back at him.
00:53:49Well, I wish he had asked Grant the same thing
00:53:51when he was knocked down.
00:53:53That was in round one.
00:53:56Sometimes when you get knocked down,
00:53:57someone asks you, how do you feel?
00:53:58And you say, hi, Mom.
00:54:00You don't know what you're saying.
00:54:03I've been there.
00:54:04Let's go up to ring announcer Michael Buffer
00:54:06for the official particulars.
00:54:09Ladies and gentlemen,
00:54:10here at the Drum Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey,
00:54:15referee Randy Newman, following the knockdown,
00:54:18calls a halt to the bout.
00:54:19At one minute, 31 seconds of round 10,
00:54:24the winner and still NABF champion
00:54:27and still undefeated from Norristown, PA,
00:54:32he is Michael Cran.
00:55:01So it's déjà vu all over again for Andrew Bouton,
00:55:05Galata, who once again appears to take a lead over one of the very top heavyweights in the
00:55:11world, appears on the way to a potential huge victory, and falls prey to the vagaries of
00:55:18his own inconsistent personality and Michael Grant's big punching power in the closing
00:55:24rounds. And now Larry Merchant stands by with Michael Grant. Thank you, Jim. Congratulations,
00:55:31Michael. What did you find out about yourself tonight? Well, I knew that when I got knocked down in the
00:55:37first round, this was going to be a test of my faith. And I wasn't going to get counted out.
00:55:43I wasn't going to quit. It's not even in me. So, you know, I just pretty much sustained with my
00:55:48ability and just use my God gift for the talent. But first, Larry, let me just say give it on
00:55:53to God and who's the head of my life, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
00:55:57Would you tell us how hurt you were early in the fight? I mean, it was a punch I didn't
00:56:06see coming. So he caught me sleeping. And another thing, I don't complain, but this ring is not pulled tight.
00:56:12So every time I pushed off, it slid back. And so it took, it took a pressure off my jab.
00:56:17And, but you know, I'm not complaining.
00:56:19And I sustained it. And I ended up with a knockout. What round was that?
00:56:2310th round. Huh? 10th round. 10th round knockout.
00:56:27Did you feel you were behind? Were you being told in your corner that you had to knock him out?
00:56:32Don, yeah. Don told me, look, you know what you got to do? You got to knock him out. And
00:56:35still, I didn't go in and try to knock him out. I tried to use my speed. I knew because
00:56:39I had a hard time finding my jab when I was moving behind him.
00:56:43And just moving my head, bobbing my head and throwing a jab in there. He had a hard time finding
00:56:47me.
00:56:48When you're behind in this fight, which was your first really tough test as a professional prize fighter, do you
00:56:55see your, your boxing life flashing in front of you? Is there a moment where you say, I've got to
00:57:00make a decision here what I want to do with myself?
00:57:03No, no, it's not even that. I'm still a humble guy. I'm going to listen to my trainers, you know,
00:57:09whatever the situation may be. So it's not me finding myself.
00:57:12I'm already found. I just got to keep on establish myself and getting guys in there like a lot of
00:57:17them and maybe Lennox or whoever the next quality opponent is and getting in there and fight like a fighter
00:57:22of the future.
00:57:25Did you find out tonight that you were a real fighter because a real fighter is going to have to
00:57:32deal with these things in his life?
00:57:35Did I find out tonight that I was a real fighter? Well, you know, I don't know. Don can tell
00:57:40you that. I just go out there and work.
00:57:41All right, Don, as long as you, as long as you keyed us in, Don Turner, you know, you've been
00:57:46around a long time, a lot of guys with talent, but until they go through something like this, do you
00:57:52really know about him?
00:57:53Well, the only way he could win, and we kept telling him in the corner to work, work, work.
00:57:58And in the round before he knocked him out, I said, you're behind. You've got to knock this guy out.
00:58:03You've got to fight. So forget about things and just throw punches. And J.C. told him, put a bag
00:58:09drill on him.
00:58:10So we found out he's a real fighter. I know you guys asked me in the press room, have you
00:58:16ever been knocked down in a fight? And that was my first experience knocked down. And, hey, I'm not looking
00:58:21forward for another one. I'm going to tell you right now. I'm going to go to work from the door,
00:58:27Judge.
00:58:28Was he the best fighter you've ever fought? He was one of the strongest fighters I've ever fought. Well, you
00:58:33know, I mean, his stance, you know, like I said, I was getting through that jab. He couldn't parry my
00:58:38jab. I was just being lack of days, no, with the jab and trying to, you know, just be fancy
00:58:44in the ring.
00:58:44All right. I asked Lennox Lewis after this fight, does he still want to fight you? And he nodded yes.
00:58:54will you tell the people who run your career get me that fight hey they know
00:59:01they know what they want to get I know that's the fight I want I wanted that
00:59:04fight ever since I fought maybe six fights ago seven fights ago whatever so
00:59:09they can make the fight they make the fight but I'm not gonna press anybody
00:59:11making a fight because when my time come I'll be ready thank you very much for a
00:59:16great fight enjoyed it again yeah Michael all right Jim all right thank you
00:59:24very much Larry now here's a look at how the judges had it Galata 86 81 Galata 85 83
00:59:32Galata 87 80 so Michael Grant needed the knockout he scored to win the fight he
00:59:41had already lost it on two scorecards now let's watch a replay in regular speed
00:59:48at the end of the fight and I'm told that this replay will confirm that Andrew
00:59:53Galata told referee Randy Newman he did not want to continue this is in real speed
00:59:58with real sound
01:00:19and there it was I think you may have heard Galata say no to Randy Newman George
01:00:24couple of questions number one we've seen guys tire out against Grant in the
01:00:30middle rounds is it because he's just so big and strong I don't know what
01:00:34happened to Galata this time I don't think it was about tiring I don't think it
01:00:37was about time no I think he was a little confused once he got knocked down I
01:00:40don't think the referee should have followed him around with that question
01:00:42does he want to continue he's in the ring I think he would have done better he was a
01:00:46hit on the points and somehow it just wasn't translated to him he's a good
01:00:51fighter but that grant is just a giant and with a big left hand well which
01:00:56brings up a fascinating question Lennox Lewis may well go ahead we're not sure
01:01:00but he may well go ahead and face grants challenge it would give Lewis at six
01:01:04five and 242 to 43 the chance to fight a fighter bigger than himself both can box
01:01:11both can punch would it be a boxing natural war well Lewis has been in there
01:01:15with all the guys before as a matter of fact he became Olympic gold medalist by
01:01:19beating guys height his height and above with Riddick bow so there's not that
01:01:23wouldn't be a challenge to him to height part of it at all would it be a boxing
01:01:27natural war well let me ask you that question what do you think well I don't
01:01:31know you know I mean I think that that both guys would go and try to box right but
01:01:35do you think that Lennox Lewis could grant after that performance and stand up to
01:01:39Lennox Lewis two big fighters like that I have to assume eventually they'd be going at
01:01:42each other I'm gonna run for the what part of you running for well I'll stay
01:01:49like inside I'll stay ringside why we saw a good fight tonight oh yeah we saw a
01:01:53couple of real spirited competitors and we saw a great comeback win for Michael
01:01:57Grant and Larry merchant the obvious question is did he prove enough well he
01:02:02proved what you want to see in a young fighter you know young fighters go
01:02:05through normal media or mediocre opposition and you think they're the
01:02:10greatest but until they get hit on the chin you're not quite sure so I think we
01:02:16can take for granted now that Michael Grant is a real fighter we've had a
01:02:22terrific November for heavyweights if you recall two weeks ago right here in
01:02:27Atlantic City we saw two hellacious heavyweight fights last week we had a
01:02:32good heavyweight championship fights and tonight we saw this and it's shaken up
01:02:37the heavyweight division and clarified it at the same time so what are we going to
01:02:43look forward to well we prefer we've prepared a little bit of a graphic and
01:02:47to suggest that we want to see in the new millennium not the old fighters but
01:02:53here are some of the heavyweights who can impose themselves as the next breed of
01:02:59champion there's Grant David tour the Klitschko brothers of Russia Giants of
01:03:06men and Derek Jefferson who fought that amazing amazing fight two weeks ago
01:03:10against Mo Harris bring us Giants but not just Giants in stature but Giants of
01:03:18heart and that's what Michael Grant brought us tonight yep yep through heart
01:03:24George Larry thanks very much meanwhile before we leave you we asked you
01:03:29earlier to visit our website and tell us who you felt Lennox Lewis should fight
01:03:33next not terribly surprisingly your answer turns out to be Mike Tyson getting
01:03:3952 percent of those responses fascinatingly only five percent of you
01:03:45voted for Michael Grant and we'll be back to have a final word about what
01:03:51happened in the ring here in a moment here's some promos for upcoming programs
01:03:58programs next Saturday on HBO she thought the nightmare was over it's happening again Jennifer
01:04:05Love Hewitt Freddie Prinze Jr and Brandy are trying not to get hooked all I know is I'm not staying
01:04:10here then I'm just wondering if you would like to marry me just about anything can happen in the back
01:04:16of a Las Vegas cab next Saturday on HBO it's the premiere of I Still Know What You Did Last
01:04:21Summer at
01:04:228 followed by the premiere of Taxi Cab Confessions 6 at 10 next Saturday on HBO in the heat of
01:04:29the night
01:04:29four explosive fighters will be ready to ignite now unbeaten junior middleweight title holder
01:04:35ferocious Fernando Vargas with 17 victories and 17 knockouts has power to burn can he continue his
01:04:40blazing string of victories against number one contender Ronald Winky Wright plus undefeated champ
01:04:46Diego Corrales has scored the junior lightweight division but the relentless John Brown plans to add fuel to
01:04:51his own championship fire live Saturday December 4th HBO boxing after dark
01:04:58January 15 light heavyweight superstar Roy Jones returns to action facing one of Europe's top light
01:05:03heavyweights Graciana Roccajani also rock'em sock'em Derek Jefferson is back on HBO facing
01:05:09fellow heavyweight David Izon one week later a boxing after dark welterweight doubleheader Shane
01:05:14Moseley coming off his hugely successful debut at 147 pounds takes on Willie Wise and young Vernon
01:05:20Forrest makes his HBO debut against the always dangerous Vince Phillips December 8th tune in for the HBO
01:05:27documentary Unitas you'll learn how number 19 Johnny you became a football icon and a hero to an entire
01:05:35generation Unitas coming next month once again tonight you got your second look at the rematch between Evander Holyfield and
01:05:44Lennox Lewis Lewis winning a unanimous decision some ringside observers feeling as though this time around it was Evander who
01:05:52didn't get a fair shake from the scoring but at this point Lewis is the undisputed champ and who will
01:05:58he face down the road well Michael Grant had his chance to shine in front of the champion tonight and
01:06:04with Lewis
01:06:05sitting in a ringside seat Grant was knocked down twice in the first round fell well behind on points and
01:06:11then needing a knockout to win rocked Andrew Gulotta with a right hand in the 10th round and Gulotta when
01:06:17asked by referee Randy Newman if he wanted to continue in the fight gave the wrong answer TKO Grant coming
01:06:25up immediately following our show stay tuned for Lethal Weapon on the East Coast and the premiere of RKO 281
01:06:30with Lied Schreiber on the West Coast
01:06:33so for the entire HBO crew I'm Jim Lampley saying so long from Atlantic City New Jersey
01:06:40the executive producer of HBO Sports is Ross Greenberg
01:06:43tonight's Grant Gallata fight was produced by Dave Harmon
01:06:45the Holyfield Lewis rematch was produced by Rick Bernstein
01:06:48both were directed by Mark Payton
01:06:50the feature producer was Max Siegel
01:06:52associate producers John Crystal and Betsy Aronan
01:06:55assistant to the producer Thomas Huffine
01:06:57production manager Mark Hayden
01:06:58technical supervisor Bob Hunter
01:07:01director and the technical director was Doug Getz
01:07:46This has been a presentation of HBO Sports, the Network of Champions.
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