Herol Graham

Herol "Bomber" Graham was a British former professional boxer who fought from 1978 to 1998. During his career, he competed in the light-middleweight, middleweight, and super-middleweight categories. Graham had a professional record of 54 fights, winning 48 and losing six, with 28 of those wins coming by knockout.

Graham was born on September 13, 1959, in Nottingham, England. He turned professional in 1978, fighting out of Brendan Ingle's gym in the Wincobank area of Sheffield, after winning the Amateur Boxing Association middleweight title. His professional debut was against Vivian Waite on November 28, 1978, winning in a six-round points decision. After his debut, Graham fought and won 37 more consecutive fights, including 21 by stoppage.

Graham's first world title fight came on May 10, 1989, at the age of 29, after 42 professional fights. He fought against Mike McCallum for the vacant WBA middleweight title, where he suffered his first loss via a 12-round split decision. Graham had six losses in his professional boxing career, three of which were in title bouts, and three were in non-title bouts.

Graham had some notable victories in his career, including wins over Ismael Negron, Ayub Kalule, Mark Kaylor, Rod Douglas, Lindell Holmes, and Chris Christian. Despite never winning a world title, Graham is widely considered one of the best British boxers of the post-war era.

Early Career

After winning the ABA middleweight title, Graham turned professional in 1978, fighting at the light-middleweight category. He won his debut via points decision and went on to win his next 37 fights, including the British, Commonwealth, and European light-middleweight titles, as well as the British and European middleweight titles.

Graham suffered his first loss in a European middleweight title defence to future world champion Sumbu Kalambay in 1987, ending his undefeated record of 38 wins. He went on to fight for world titles at middleweight and super middleweight, but he never won a world title.

World Title Fights

Graham's first world title shot was against Mike McCallum for the vacant WBA middleweight title on May 10, 1989. Graham fought McCallum closely but lost in a 12-round split decision. He then fought for the vacant WBC middleweight title a year later against Julian Jackson, where he outclassed Jackson for nearly four rounds, but was knocked out cold by Jackson's devastating right cross, known as the "Punch of the Century." Graham's last world title fight was in March 1998, where he challenged Charles Brewer for the IBF super-middleweight title, but lost via a 10th-round TKO.

Retirement

Graham retired from professional boxing in 1998 with a record of 48 wins, six losses, with 28 of those wins by knockout. After his retirement, he became a personal trainer, specialising in boxing-based exercises. However, Graham has ongoing mental health issues from his boxing career's injuries.

Career Summary

Herol "Bomber" Graham had a professional boxing career spanning over 19 years. He had a total of 54 fights and achieved 48 wins and six losses, with 28 of those wins coming by knockout. Graham won several titles during his career, including the British, Commonwealth, and European light-middleweight titles, as well as the British and European middleweight titles. Despite never winning a world title, he was widely regarded as one of the best British boxers of his era. Graham retired from professional boxing in 1998 and has ongoing mental health issues from his boxing injuries.

Notable Victories

Herol Graham had some notable victories in his professional boxing career. On February 5, 1986, he defeated Ayub Kalule via a 10th round TKO, which was the first remarkable performance of his career. He also defeated Ismael Negron, Mark Kaylor, Rod Douglas, Lindell Holmes, and Chris Christian during his career.

Conclusion

Herol Graham had an impressive professional boxing career that spanned over 19 years. He won several titles during his career, including the British, Commonwealth, and European light-middleweight titles, as well as the British and European middleweight titles. Graham had many notable victories during his career, but he never won a world title. Despite this, he is widely regarded as one of the best British boxers of his era. Graham retired from professional boxing in 1998 and has ongoing mental health issues from his boxing injuries.

Herol Graham Fight Record