Michael Grants Lewis 10 rounds of survival

“Pressure and speed are factors. In the past, Lewis was accustomed to fighting at his own speed. You have to jump on top early and make him fight and I’m right size to do that.”

But asked how long he expected the fight to last, the American replied, “The 10th round looks pretty good to me.” Both men are tall and muscular, which could lead to a high-powered punchout at Madison Square Garden.

But both have been reluctant to resort to brawling, preferring a tactical approach. That’s why Lewis expects a fast flurry from the former sparring partner of ex-champion Evander Holyfield.

“I expect him to come out to show how good he is early,” Lewis said. “He hasn’t made any of his fights a brawl. Why try that against the champion?”

At 27, Grant is seven years younger than Lewis. His 31-0 record includes 22 knock-outs since 1994. But he is inexperienced compared to Lewis, 35-1 with one drawn and 27 knock-outs over 12 years.

“My advantage is I am faster,” Grant said. “I throw more combinations at angles. I throw my punches not just at the mid-section. I throw my punches upstairs, then take it back down to the kitchen.”

Grant also has in his corner Don Turner, a veteran of 41 years as a trainer. The man who guided Holyfield through two fights with Lewis now has a bigger fighter to share his knowledge with about Lewis’ weak spots.

“Anything he learns, he will forget when he gets hit,” Lewis said.

Grant counters by going back to his favorite theme — pressure. “It all depends on how you handle pressure,” Grant said. “I don’t get excited. I don’t rush. I’m patient. It’s how you react when you get hit. I like to hit right back.”

Grant proved himself in a 10th-round stoppage of Poland’s Andrew Golota last November in Atlantic City, recovering from a knockdown to win. Grant had to handle the pressure of trailing to triumph and wants Lewis to feel the same.

“When you put that much pressure on a person, they try to gamble, go for it in some way,” Grant said. “You have to keep going, develop a pace he is not accustomed to seeing.”

The best way to do that, Grant said, is to stay inside and trade punches with Lewis, a risky proposition given the champion’s powerful right hand.

“I want to close the gap, not give him a chance to think, get my punch in first,” Grant said. “It’s going to take everything that makes a champion (to beat Lewis). You have to out-live the individual.”