Best British Boxer Never To Win A World Title

Holmes won the first couple of rounds before Graham got on his bike then butted him for a cuts stoppage. Holmes looked too sharp for Herol early on.

 

Was about to post this Jones knocked out Laing twice and arguably beat McCrory twice.

 

Not long after. From Barkley to Nunn.

 

Graham, Cooper and Watson: The most talented British Middleweight at that era. Benn and Eubank had the additional tools that took them to world glory but as a natural boxer, Watson was probably the best man.

 

Anyone here read Herol Graham's autobiography? He references that punch from Jackson throughout, must really haunt him, what a shame. Marvin Hagler v Herol Graham, how do people think Bomber would have got on against Marvellous in say 1986-7?

 

No contest, Hagler would have sparked him within 3

 

Graham would've stood Hagler on his head in my opinion, esp early on. He'd be too sharp for Hagler.

 

Hagler would've battered Graham.

 

Grahams problem was no real fault of his own, it's that he fought in an era, in weight categorys that were a huge talent pool. I reckon in any other era he'd have probably been a world champ but he never quite had the tools to step up to fighters like Hagler, Hearns, Leonard & Duran. When he did make that step up, against the likes of Mike McCallum, he came up just short. Gave us some great battles though and a real Sheffield legend.

 

SRL said he could see a limited slugger like Mugabi outboxing Hagler at times, Graham would have caused him nightmares with his movement and reflexes. Marvin got to Mugabi because he stood his ground and traded, Herol wouldn't have. I could see Hagler having to come from behind to try and knock Herol out late on, Graham could have pulled off the upset.

I agree that a prime Hagler would have got to Graham and stopped him. But Marvin wasn't the same in 86, he slowed down considerably after the fight with Hearns, Bomber's movement would have caused him nightmares at that stage. Herol would have made him miss a lot.

 

Mugabi was an Olympian trained out of Kampala City Bombers. Not a limited slugger despite what he had shown up to the Hagler fight.

 

In my opinion it's an underrated win for Hagler. But do you consider Mugabi a better boxer than Graham?

 

And the effort in that fight finished him.He barely threw a punch against Graham, his athleticism, timing and ability to get punches off were gone.Big difference between the two fights.

Still technically sound obviously and slipping punches well and Graham fought a very disciplined mobile fight(the way he should have fought McCallum), it's not a worthless win don't get me wrong, but not a good indicator of how a fight might go with both in good shape imo.