Blue Bell's World Heavyweight Champ Weighs in on Fighting and Faith

Patch had an exclusive interview with Grant and also sat in on a recording of a TV interview.

A new world heavyweight boxing champion with “roots” in Blue Bell credits his success to his faith, conditioning and “right living.” 

Michael Grant, 39, is in town fresh off his Nov. 19 win over South Africa’s Francis Botha in Johannesburg for the World Boxing Federation Heavyweight title. 

Grant told Patch he relied on his faith during the fight.  “I was behind in points,” and after every round I would go to my corner quoting, ‘I can do all things through Christ.”

Grant’s trainer told him the only way he would win was with a knock out.  The six-foot-seven, 250-pound Grant delivered.  He used his 86-inch reach to knock out Botha with 37 seconds left in the 12^th round.

Montgomery County Roots

Rewinding to the start of the fight, he was announced as, “Michael Grant of Blue Bell.”  Grant moved to Atlanta in 2004, but Grant said the announcer was from Montgomery County and pulled up old records showing Blue Bell as Grant’s address.

Grant quickly added, “I have deep roots here."

He arrived in Norristown to train in 1994. But, he first trained two years in California after a famous boxing referee in Las Vegas watched him work out.

Richard Steele told Grant, “I’ll make you a deal.  You spend two hours a day boxing, and I’ll make you heavyweight champion of the world.  I’ll give you an apartment, car, allowance and put you in school.”  It sounded pretty good to Grant who was 19, playing football at a junior college in California and not hitting the books very much.

Steele set Grant up in California with Jack Mosley, a famous trainer in California. When Grant was 21 he moved to Norristown to train with Donald Turner in Philadelphia. 

If Turner was going to be out of town, he asked Norristown’s Hank Cisco, a former pro boxer to train Grant.

Cisco, 88, hosts the “Hank Cisco Show” that is taped at .  He interviewed Grant Wednesday.

Early in the taping Cisco said religion is important to Michael.

Grant responded,  “Jesus Christ is the head of my life.  I’m a true believer of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

Cisco reminisced with Grant about their relationship.

“Remember, I was at your wedding?  Randall [Cunningham] and Evander Holyfield and a lot of celebrities were there,” Cisco said.

He recalled when Grant lived in Black Horse, in the east end of Norristown, “You had to bend to get in,” the house.

During Grant’s 10 years in Montgomery County, he also lived in Plymouth, East Norriton and three years in Blue Bell.

“A Few of My Favorite Things”

Patch asked Grant what he liked about Blue Bell. "My people here -- they didn't bother me.  I was a gentleman.  They were gentlemen. I got along well with the community.  

Grant also mentioned he liked, “Great access to everything – shopping centers…Montgomery Mall, Plymouth Meeting and King of Prussia.  Car dealers,” he said. 

Then he rattled off places he liked to hang out:  “Macaroni Grill (Plymouth Meeting) before it closed, Ray’s Diner (E. Norriton), Tony’s Pizzeria on Germantown Pike (Plymouth Meeting) and Dolce Vita (Bridgeport).”

But Grant’s first answer was “ (in Broad Axe).   The owner, Charlie Compagnucci, is a good friend. He’s my protector, and tells me to be careful because the young guys are punching hard.  He’s a praying man, too.  Charlie has a picture of Lennox Lewis and me before our fight, in his store.”

First Loss and Lesson

Up to his fight with Lennox, Grant had 31 wins, no losses.  But as he stepped into the ring at Madison Square Garden to challenge the holder of three heavyweight titles on March 29, 2000, he was weighted down.

The deal was, even if Grant lost, he would take home $3.5 million. 

Grant told Patch, “My heart was saying, ‘Don’t take it.’ I wasn’t ready.”  Others thought he was.

 “They were lining up a parade in Philadelphia for me the next day.  Oprah wanted to have me on.  It was too overwhelming – the pressure, the expectation.  ”

Lennox knocked out Grant in the second round. 

“That made a huge impact on me.  No matter what, don’t let money define who you are,” he reflected to Patch.

“I was glad to have the opportunity to fight a champ like him.  He beat Tyson and Holyfield,” Grant said.

Fighting Back

In the 11 years since his fight with Lennox, Grant faced other opponents, and injuries.  Between a damaged meniscus in his right knee and the blood clot in his bicep that traveled to his lung, Grant was out of commission 17 months.

He won 16 fights and lost three to Jameel McCline, Dominick Guinn and Tomasz Ademek. Grant's persistance won him the right to challenge Botha.  

His record now is 48-4-0. He knocks out opponents almost 70 percent of the time, according to BoxRec.com.

Grant credits his current trainer, Jason Jorgensen for helping him win the heavyweight title.  “He helped me figure out how to beat opponents." 

He also credits God.  “I never lost my faith. I made a vow to God (which he keeps private) and rely on promises in the Bible.  I may not like the process [injuries and losses], but God’s spirit told me, “I will be there for you in the end.” 

When Botha "got knocked down, I was crying.  I knew God answered my prayer,” Grant told Patch.

Looking Ahead

Future opponents for Grant may include Ukraine’s Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, who hold the other four world heavyweight titles.  Grant told Patch a matchmaker contacted him about possibly fighting Vitali in March in Germany.

“My name was one of three in a hat,” and Vitali was considering a match with him, said Grant. 

“But, I’m too fresh coming off a win.  They want someone inactive who has not fought for eight to nine months,” he told Cisco.

“I do have a rematch with Botha in late March that will be in South Africa or Las Vegas," Grant said

He told Cisco he wants to work on capitalizing on his 86-inch reach for future fights. 

In a couple of years Grant is thinking of hanging up his gloves.  He told Patch, “When I am 41 or 42, I would like to be a boxing commissioner in Atlanta or Philadelphia, or a commentator on a boxing network.”

Family Matters

Grant moved his family to Atlanta in 2004 because he had family there, he likes the climate, and the dollar stretches farther there, he said.

At 37, Grant told Patch he decided he needed to be home more with his three children, and decided not to go away to training camp.  “I was missing out on the development of my kids.”  He has two boys, 13 and 7, and a girl that is 11. 

Grant told Cisco during the taping his wife, Tanya Nicole, earned a Master’s degree in education and is a teacher at their son's school.

Near the end of their interview, Cisco told Grant, “Keep that religion in you, keep being a family man and a role model.”