I think Archer who beat Tiger and Carter in his prime to win a close NOD...Graham was a good one but Archer was a tough chinned classic boxer who was not afraid to mix
Two of my heroes-for me a dream fight-for most fans,I think it would be like the Charley Burley-Holman Williams fight where the ref disqualified both guys because of a lack of fighting.
I`ll go with Archer here, but it would be close. Both men were excellent boxers who possessed a great jab and had iron chins, but Joey was the bigger guy with the longer reach and I think that would have been the difference in the outcome.
I'm going to be a contrarian here and pick Graham by decision. He would stick to Archer and go to the body since it was next to impossible to nail Archer with a good head punch.
As much of a fan as I am of Graham, I think that Archer would have been too quick and elusive for him. It would have been the wrong style for Graham, and it wouldn't have been a crowd pleaser for the blood 'n guts devotees, but purists would have appreciated it.
I'll have to join you there Sardu. Graham is a favourite of mine so maybe my bias is shining through here, but really, I'd pick the Graham of the Giardello fights to take a close decision over the Archer of the Tiger fight. Graham, though weighing little more than a welterweight, probably should have got the nod in all 3 fights against Giardello (having seen the second fight I can definitely vouch for him winning that one). Both men have good defensive skills, and whilst Archer is a little bigger and rangier, I think Graham is the more educated one on the inside, and if Archer tries to mix it up with him, as he was prone to do, he will find himself getting outpointed. On the outside Archer holds a slight edge, but Graham's got the bigger edge on the inside, and really, I think the fight will be fought more at close range than it will on the outside.