Herol Graham - Britain's best ever middleweight ?

The only thing that comes in my mind is Julian Jackson right now...
You know what I'm thinking.

 

"Jackson then vacated his crown, moved up to 160 lb (73 kg), and was pitted against [url]Herol 'Bomber' Graham[/url] for the vacant [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Boxing_Council"]WBC[/ame] middleweight title. Due to Jackon's retina damage which had required surgery, the [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Boxing_Board_of_Control"]British Boxing Board of Control[/ame] didn't allow him to box in the UK, so the bout was held at Torrequebrada Hotel & Casino, Benalmadena, Andalucía, Spain on 24th November, 1990."

Referee must have known this, and Graham was totally dominating Jackson.
Would have been pretty fair if it was stopped, but Jackson got his lucky right, and getting unlucky against a guy like Jackson most probably means you are KO before you hit the canvas.

 

He wasn't unlucky, he got careless and left himself open when he shouldn't have. It's NEVER over till it's over.

 

Nothing lucky about Jackson stopping Graham. Jackson had such power he was always looking to stop guys. It was a great shot and put Grahams lights out and that was all she wrote.

 

He did put it together. Gave McCallum a challenging night, he lost a close one, so he wasn't quite good enough. Beat Kalambay second time round and was robbed, so done himself justice there, but nearly sparked out by him when it mattered first time round with a shot at Barkley on the line (Sumbu took the opportunity and won the vacant title). Put it all together against Jackson but wasn't that slippery. This is not because he made mistakes or whatnot, but because for all his talent and awkwardness he was fallible, as all Ingle fighters are. Couldn't work without it, couldn't avoid disappointment with it.

He reached his level. Absolutely World class and a brilliant fighter but not great and not good enough to prosper in an era with lots of other brilliant fighters.

 

He was unlucky against Kalambay second time round. But Jackson? Nah, Jackson knew what he was doing when he threw that shot. Graham left himself open. Careless? Yes. That's why I don't buy this 'Graham was unlucky not to win a World title' he had his opportunities, couldn't take them. Not even against a blind Jackson that couldn't even get licensed to fight in the UK.

EDIT: Not flaming you, just a general comment about those that make it out like that, you just brought it to my attention, I knew what you meant :good

 

To leave an opening like that against a fighter like 'The Hawk' shows that Graham was not quite the sum of his parts IMO.

In other news I'll be bumping your Canto thread soon :thumbsup

 

only IF you don't count past British MWs, his very own peers, and oh yeah, one or two since...

 

One or two since? Rob Mcracken? Howard Eastman? Richie Woodhall?

Britain hasn't produced a world level middle worth talking about since the 80s crop.

btw Kaluleian Jackson, now that would be a fighter.

 

Agreed on after as well. Barker would go out like Jimmy Price.

 

I remember when Graham made a comeback in 1997 or 1998 or something and he got a shot for a world title. I remember sitting in my living room with my Dad and my Dad telling me that Graham was one of the most talented boxers in British history but he could never quite win the big one, and sure enough he lost the World Title fight that night and retired soon after.

 

No, I rate Randy Turpin extremely highly, more so than most people on this board.

By the way people forget that Graham dropped 'Hatchet' Brewer twice and was dominating him before he got stopped with some hard wacks.

 

"one or two since" - "after"

don't be so anal literate

like most weights, many of their non title meetings are at catchweights and Graham, like JC, Benn, Eubank & Watson ARE all MIDDLEWEIGHTS... and particularily where it counts in the 8 proper divisions!

these are Grahams peers and later fighters, they (including Grahman) are proper MWs and they all blow him away, thread!