JORDAN Grannum – possibly the best journeyman in the business – is no stranger to defeat, they are very familiar bedfellows.
But the 170-fight veteran is a distance man near guaranteed to last a contest’s course without being dropped. The best have tried to drill a dent in Grannum and failed.
Yet on Thursday night, the 32-year-old was twice dumped heavily on the canvas by Birmingham-based Bermudian Mike Tyler Christopher.
Twice Grannum was sent sprawling by the southpaw prospect’s left hand counters. On Scott Murray’s Excelsior Club, Cannock, show, the unthinkable happened.
Grannum was downed by a 28-year-old I did not believe possessed truly potent power. He was hurt.
Admittedly, the Islington boxer managed to fiddle and spoil his way to a wide six rounds points loss, 60-52 on referee Chris Dean’s card.
But he took those trips to the canvas as an afront to his professionalism. They left a bad taste.
“I’m alright,” he said tetchily to the dressing room doctor trying to examine him. “Never felt better.”
As a cut under his left eye was being sealed, Grannum muttered: “Can’t believe that! I either did the weight wrong or he’s the hardest hitter I’ve ever faced.”
Christopher, who trains under Anthony Hull at Stirchley’s bustling D&A gym, made a statement.
With a languid, loose style, he is better than I believed him to be. He hits a lot
harder than I thought he did.
A clash with thunderous punching Midlands light-middleweight champ Amir Abubaker would be a mouth-watering match-up.
The bout, dictated by Christopher’s southpaw leads, was tame and predictable until the third when a wide left hook felled Grannum (11dt 6lbs) as if he had been shot.
The visitor rose at seven, seemed to have seen out the crisis, but was then nailed by another left that cut his legs from under him.
From then on, Jordan boxed warily at distance. He was briefly stagged in the fourth as Christopher (11st 5lbs) picked and probed for openings.
“I’m a student of the sport,” Mike drawled. “I watched tapes of Jordan, I studied him because I knew he was a very experienced journeyman and has caused upsets.
“I hit him with counter-punches. Me and my coach worked on drawing him in, allowing him to feel comfortable coming at me. He was talking to me at the end of the second.
“We worked on throwing a few jabs to the body as he came in, then the backhand. I’ve been working on my strength. Pro boxing is a hurt business and in six rounders you need to hurt these guys. If you don’t, they keep coming.”
The script worked to a tee.
Now unbeaten in 10, the Bermudian has served his apprenticeship. It is time for a step-up in levels.
Christopher added: “Titles don’t mean anything to me, I just want TV appearances. I’m not interested in titles, but if my manager Jon Pegg says I should do a title fight, I’ll do a title fight.”
