Otis Grant boxer

Otis Grant (born December 23, 1967) is a Canadian retired boxer. As an amateur he won a silver medal for Canada at the 1987 Pan American Games, losing to Cuba's Angel Espinosa in the final. He is a two-time North American Boxing Federation (NABF) middleweight title holder, as well as recognized for being the first black Quebecer to win a WBO championship.Born in Saint Ann, Jamaica, Otis and his family moved to Montreal in 1977, when he was 9 years old. A multi sport athlete, he began boxing at age 11 alongside his older brother Howard, and earned the nickname “Magic” from family members who related his basketball ability to hall of famer Magic Johnson. At 17 years old, Grant had won the Canadian Senior Amateur Boxing Championships (CSABC) in his weight division of 71 kilos (156.5 pounds). This would propel him to compete at the World Youth Championship for the Canadian national team, despite his junior status. Later on, Otis competed at the 1987 Pan American Games, earning a silver medal by being defeated in the finals against Cuba's Angel Espinosa, before turning pro.Known as "Magic", Grant turned pro in 1988 and captured the vacant WBO middleweight title in 1997 with a decision over Ryan Rhodes in England. He vacated the belt following a defense against Ernesto Rafael Sena in 1998.After a successful career thus far as the middleweight title holder, Grant vacated his belt to challenge prevailing champ Roy Jones Jr in 1998 for the WBC and WBA light heavyweight titles, moving up two weight classes to make his debut in the light heavyweight division. The fighters decided on a catch-weight match, with Grant and Jones Jr. coming into the ring at 172 lbs (78 kg)and 171 lbs (77.56 kg), respectively. Grant had been a large underdog coming into the fight. Jones Jr had the upper hand throughout the match up, earning knock downs in the 6th and 10th rounds. After his second knock down in the 10th round, Grant's trainer Russ Anber threw in the towel, giving Jones Jr. the TKO victory.Following Grant's near-fatal car crash in 1999, doctors stated that although his superb condition saved his life, he would be unable to continue boxing. Nevertheless, Grant was determined to make a return to the ring in search of another title shot as a super middleweight. After a 4-year hiatus, he had his first fight back against Dingaan Thobela(40-10-2), defeating him convincingly in 8 rounds. Grant continued his winning streak for another straight 6 fights, until he faced off against Librado Andrade (23-0) in 2006 for the WBC Super Middleweight number 1 contender position. After being beat throughout the fight, Grant's team elected to sit out at the 8th round, giving Andrade the victory and the title shot. Grant chose this opportunity to retire, stating that it was now his time to “bow out, and bow out gracefully”.Grant took up post-secondary studies at Vanier College, eventually becoming one of their most well-known alumni. Following his cegep graduation, he enrolled in Concordia University and earned a BA in recreation and leisure studies, becoming a member of their class of ‘93.