Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke (left) presents George Leslie 'Bunny' Grant with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer for his contribution to the development of sports at the ceremony of investiture and presentation of national honours and awards at King's House on Monday. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
SPONTANEOUS APPLAUSE echoed throughout the ballroom of King's House Monday when boxer George Leslie 'Bunny' Grant was called up to receive the Order of Distinction from Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke.
For a moment, the little man in the cream suit must have felt he was in the ring again, cheered on by rabid ringside fans after landing a flurry of devastating left jabs. As he stepped outside the hall after collecting his award, Grant was greeted by adoring fans, some of whom found it hard to believe that he had never been honoured for being the first Jamaican to win a world boxing title.
Among the surprised admirers, according to the 65-year-old former lightweight champion, was Prime Minister P.J. Patterson. "He said he thought I was awarded a long time ago," said Grant.
Good things, it is said, come to those who wait although recognition of Bunny Grant's victory over Briton Dave Charnley for the British Empire lightweight title came 43 years after that historic feat at the National Stadium. It was the perfect gift for Jamaica which gained Independence from Great Britain just three days earlier.
LONG OVERDUE
Keith Brown, former president of the Jamaica Boxing Board, was present at Monday's National Honours and Awards ceremony. He said a national award for Bunny Grant is long in coming. "It's long overdue, he was the first in the long line of (boxing) champions we've had since Independence and was our first great champion of the modern era," said Brown.
Grant's success against Charnley set the pace for other Jamaicans including Michael McCallum, Trevor Berbick, Lloyd Honeygan and Simon Brown all of whom won world titles during the competitive 1980s.
Unlike those who followed in his footsteps, Grant had a hard scrap from childhood. He was born in Trench Town, the eldest of his mother's five children, and attended Boys' Town a school in the area founded by Methodist preacher Hugh Sherlock.
Grant says he began hanging out at boxing gyms in Kingston in the mid-1950s and made his professional debut in 1959 against compatriot 'Killer' Solomon. He lost that six-round bout. Consistent performances against quality fighters throughout Latin America in the next three years earned Grant a shot at the Commonwealth lightweight title against Charnley, a southpaw. He won the 15-round contest on a unanimous decision.
TOP CONTENDER
Grant was a top contender in the lightweight and junior welterweight divisions for several years. Two years after defeating Charnley, he fought American Eddie Perkins for the junior welterweight title, losing at the National Arena.
Grant defeated Perkins in a rematch in 1966 and went to take on acclaimed fighters such as future lightweight champion Carlos Cruz of the Dominican Republic, whom he lost to in 1967, but he never got another title shot.
He ended his professional career as a welterweight in 1975, losing to Roy Goss.
Although Grant says he fought over 100 times, the respected BoxRec website gives his record as 70 fights: 51 wins, 14 losses and five draws.
Bunny Grant never made a lof of money in his heyday. In a 1987 interview with The Gleaner he said his biggest payday came against Perkins, the princely sum of five thousand pounds. After hanging up his gloves, he fell on hard times.
For a few hours on Monday, the diminutive Grant put all his personal difficulties behind him and savoured the limelight one more time. The Order of Distinction may not pack the same punch as a world title but it was enough to bring some sparkle back to an old champion's eyes.
