Howard Grant (boxer) facts for kids

Howard Grant, born on June 22, 1966, in Saint Ann, Jamaica, is a retired Canadian boxer. He competed in the light-welterweight division, which is for boxers weighing around 63.5 kilograms. Howard lived in Montréal, Quebec. He proudly represented Canada at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. There, he was defeated in the round of 16 by Sweden's Lars Myrberg.

Two years earlier, Howard won a gold medal in the same weight division at the 1986 Commonwealth Games. Today, Howard is well-known for training top athletes, including UFC fighters and professional boxers. He and his brother, Otis Grant, own a gym called Grant Brothers Boxing in Montreal. They train both professional and amateur boxers there.

Besides coaching, Howard also helps develop boxing products with brands like Grant Boxing and GBB. He has trained former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in boxing for several years.

Howard Grant's Amateur Boxing Journey

Howard Grant began his boxing journey in Montreal in 1979. He slowly improved his skills and caught the attention of Pierre Gauthier from the Saint Laurent Boxing Club. As Howard developed his boxing style, he was coached by Russ Anber for his first amateur tournaments.

Early Wins as a Junior Boxer

When Howard was 15 years old, he won a gold medal. This was in the Bantamweight division at a tournament in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1981. One year later, in 1982, he won another gold medal. This time it was in the Featherweight division at a tournament in Montreal, Quebec.

Success at the Canada Games

In 1983, Howard Grant represented Quebec at the Canada Games in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean. He defeated James Hope from Ontario to win the gold medal in the Lightweight division.

Winning Bronze at the World Juniors

Howard won a bronze medal in the Lightweight Division at the 1983 World Juniors in the Dominican Republic. He lost in the semi-finals to Angel Espinosa, who went on to win the gold medal. Howard Grant considers Angel Espinosa one of his toughest opponents.

Canadian National Champion

In 1984, Howard captured the gold medal in the Lightweight Division at the Canadian Nationals in Nova Scotia.

European Tournaments (1984-1986)

From 1984 to 1986, Howard Grant represented Canada in many European tournaments. He competed in the Stockholm Boxing Open in Sweden and the Tammer Tournament in Finland. He won silver medals in both of these tournaments.

Silver at the World Championships

Howard won a silver medal at the 1986 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Reno, Nevada. He was defeated by Vasily Shisov in the final match.

Gold at the Commonwealth Games

In one of the biggest wins of his early career, Howard Grant won a gold medal for Canada at the 1986 Commonwealth Games. He defeated David Clencie by a points decision in the Light-Welterweight Division. Another famous boxer who won gold at this tournament was former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, Lennox Lewis.

International Tournament Wins

In 1987, Howard won a gold medal in the Light-welterweight division. This was at the International Tournament in Albena, Bulgaria. Later that year, he also won the President's Cup in the Light-welterweight division in Indonesia.

The 1988 Summer Olympics

Howard Grant competed in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. He won his first fight against Andreas Otto of East Germany. However, he was defeated in the Round of 16 by Lars Myrberg of Sweden. Myrberg later won a bronze medal at the Olympics.

• Round of 64: Howard had a bye (meaning he didn't have to fight).
• Round of 32: He defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) when the referee stopped the contest in the first round.
• Round of 16: He lost to Lars Myberg (Sweden) by a decision of 1-4.

Howard Grant's Professional Boxing Career

After his amateur career, Howard Grant became a professional boxer after the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. He started strong, winning his first 6 professional fights. He remained undefeated in his first 17 fights. Howard finished his professional career with a record of 16 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. Some of his well-known opponents included champions like Stevie Johnston, Jake Rodriguez, and Billy Schwer.

Life After Boxing

Howard Grant's love for boxing never faded after he stopped competing. He has spent his time training new boxers.

In 2003, Howard Grant and his brother, Otis Grant, who was a former WBO Middleweight Champion, opened the Grant Brothers Boxing Gym. With his great experience and skill, Howard has trained many famous boxers over the years. These include his brother Otis, former Canadian Champion Tony Pep, and former IBF super-middleweight champion Lucian Bute. He also trained 1998 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Herman Ngoudjo, former WBA light middleweight world champion Joachim Alcine, and current NABA super bantamweight champion Olivier Lontchi. Other notable boxers he trained are former Olympian Dale Brown, former super middleweight contender Librado Andrade, and former World Boxing Organisation NABO Middleweight Champion Francis Lafreniere. He also trained Walid Smichet, a former Canadian middleweight title holder, and Leonard Dorin, a former World Boxing Council World Super Lightweight champion.

Howard has also trained many successful mixed martial artists (MMA fighters). These include future UFC Hall of Famer and champion Georges St. Pierre, current Bellator Welterweight World Champion Rory MacDonald, and former top UFC middleweight contender Patrick Côté. He also trained former TKO Middleweight Champion David L’Oiseau, former UFC fighter Mike Ricci, and current UFC Lightweight competitor Irish Joe Duffy. Other MMA fighters he coached are former UFC contender Zack Makovsky, former UFC and current Bellator top contender Valerie Letourneau, and up-and-coming female MMA fighter Corinne Laframboise.