Sheffield's Spice Boy Ryan Rhodes and the heart-ache of losing a world title...

Twenty years ago to this day Ryan Rhodes was in a high-profile fight he may prefer to forget.
Ryan Rhodes and Otis Grant battle it out.Ryan Rhodes and Otis Grant battle it out.
Ryan Rhodes and Otis Grant battle it out.

It was the first loss in the career of the then-Spice boy; he was defeated by Otis Grant in his pursuit of the WBO world middleweight title.

Rhodes lost on points after 12 rounds at Ponds Forge Arena in his 17th professional contest.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Grant held on to the belt for 11 months, losing it to the great Roy Jones Jr.

But in 2004, the Jamaican went on to win the WBC International Super Middleweight crown.

Rhodes went on to win his next 10 fights before losing to Gary Lockett in 2006 in a pulsating contest for the WBU version of the middleweight strap, at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff,

A third attempt at a world title, the WBC, ended in a stoppage to Saul Alvarez in Mexico in 2011.

The Sheffield fighter hung up his gloves a year later and now runs a successfully gym in Shalesmoor.

Related topics: