Punchers from the Past: George Leslie (Bunny) Grant

George Leslie (Bunny) Grant

Born Jamaica 29 September 1940

Died 1 November 2018

Turned Pro: 12 July 1958 at the age of 17

Record: 72 fights, 52 wins (14), 15 losses 5 draws

Boxed from featherweight up to super welterweight before retiring in August 1977

Beat: Percy Hayles*, Laura Salas**, Eloy Henry, Tito Marshall, Angel Robinson Garcia,  Dave Charnley*, Doug Vaillant *, Jimmy McGrail, Alfredo Urbina, Lennox Beckles, Carlos Marks, Eddie Perkins**, Raul Soriano, Ruben Arocha, Manuel Gonzalez*, Jose Luis Baltazar

Lost to: Jose Napoles**, Carlos Hernandez ** Eddie Perkins**, Maurice Cullen*, Carlos Teo Cruz**,Manny Santos, Love Allotey*, Bruno Arcari** Elisha Obed**, Clyde Gray*.

** Past/Future world champions

* World title challengers

-His only world title fight came in April 1964 when he lost a unanimous decision against Eddie Perkins for the WBA and WBC super lightweight titles. The referee was Hall of Fame boxer Willie Pep. Grant was the first Jamaican boxer to challenge for a world title.

Titles:

Grant won the Jamaican lightweight, Jamaican welterweight, Central American light welterweight, British Empire/Commonwealth lightweight *** and Latin American light welterweight titles.

He was a much travelled fighter. Apart from Jamaica he also fought in Cuba, Panama, Trinidad, Venezuela, England,  Guyana, Puerto Rica, New Zealand, Ghana, USA, Italy, France, Bahamas and Canada

Jamaican Independence

*** In the first event held at the new National Stadium in Kingston on 4 August 1962  Grant outpointed Dave Charnley to win the British Empire title. Less than one night later at midnight on 5 August, again in the National Stadium, in front of Princess Elizabeth the British Empire flag was lowered and just seconds after midnight the Jamaican flag was raised as Jamaica became independent so Grant’s Empire title became the Commonwealth title. Grant’s victory inspired many other Jamaican born boxers such as Lennox Lewis, Mike McCallum ( who credited Grant for being the original Body Snatcher and from whom McCallum developed his style) and Richard Shrimpy Clarke. Jamaican Calypso King Slinger Francisco (Mighty Sparrow) wrote a calypso of praise for Grant’s win over Charnley.

Grant was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government in 2005 as a trailblazer for Jamaican sport.

He suffered a stroke in 2016 and in 2017 Jamaica’s Minister of Sports announced a government plan to refurbish the home in which Grant resided but he passed away after suffering another stroke in 2018.