Kalambay went on to win the WBA title, and successfully defend it three times, against Mike McCallum, Robbie Simms and Doug DeWitt, so he was clearly a world class fighter, but if Graham had turned down the fight, vacated his European title and waited a few months, he would have had a shot at a vacant world title, and would have had a fair chance of winning it.
Herol Graham holding his head up like a weather vane to hit at top level again, Herol must curse himself every day that he didn't win a championship belt because he had all the talent.
A deserved win for Kalambay. Graham had more than his fair share of bad luck when he went to World Level. Not here though, a setback of his own making.
Graham blew a certain title shot here. With Sugar Ray Leonard beating Hagler then vacating his titles, all three were up for grabs later in 1987. Graham was set to fight for one of the vacant titles. He should have fought some tomato can but defended the European title against Kalambay instead.
Graham was obliged to fight Kalambay as he was the mandatory challenger. i think he took Kalambay lightly as he won by k.o. over Kalule who beat Kalambay previously.
gianca60 he could have just let the European title go. He was the number 1 world contender by at least one of the major organizations. It was just dumb to risk the world title shot to defend the European title. His manager wasn't looking at the big picture obviously
Herol Graham was the no.1 Challenger for the World Middleweight Crown. And the WBA and the IBF STRIPPED! Hagler for not fighting Graham. Hagler went on instead and fought S.R.Leonard and who could have blamed him. Hagler vs Leonard was a Massive Fight!. Anyway when Leonard vacated the WBC Belt Juan Roldan was the No 1 Challenger.If Herol had have beaten Kalumbay we would have gone on to fight Roldan. A fight i think Graham would have Lost.
I think Roldan's style would have been a problem for Graham as it was for Michael Nunn. The thing Nunn had that Graham didn't was a knockout punch to turn the fight back in his favour when things got tough.
Ingle's comments at the end bang on. Worst mistake Graham ever made, switching trainers and changing styles. Looked totally uncomfortable, off-balance, easy to hit, rushing in onto shots. I remember watching this live, couldn't believe it. Kalambay was a very good fighter, no doubt but on home turf, younger, unbeaten, Graham should never have lost this fight. Years later, fighting his normal style he was absolutely robbed in the rematch over in Italy. Battered Kalambay but was fighting two men, with the referee on his case all night. If Graham had stuck with Ingle and got through this fight, or not defended his title at all he'd for sure have picked up one of the vacant middleweight belts. Roldan was a dangerous hitter but pretty crude, slow and easy to hit. Graham would likely have outmaneuvered him for a decision. Whether Graham could have tested the big names i don't know. He was a top contender but Hagler, SRL, Hearns were on a different level. I think he'd have given Hagler the most problems as he was the most orthodox (yeah I know he was a southpaw!) of the three and Herol's awkward style and movement would have given him fits. Plus he was getting old, as the Leonard fight showed. SRL would have gotten to Graham with his combinations, after being frustrated in the early rounds. I think Hearn's style was all wrong for Graham, with his size, speed and power on his long punches. I can see Graham getting nailed, possibly early, like Duran.
Totally agree, I felt the same watching it - Graham was unrecognisable. I was just waiting for that big mad Kalambay bolo right hand to land & of course, it eventually did... Personally I feel Graham's biggest career mistake was moving up to middleweight from light middle, as he was much sharper & stronger there.
And who was Graham's trainer for the rematch with Kalambay, Julian Jackson and Mike McCallum ?? That's right, Brendan Ingle. Fact is Herol Graham was a truly talented fighter but ultimately a nearly man who always came up short at the top level.
Graham beat Kalambay in the rematch but was blatantly robbed; Jackson was a one-punch finish after a one-sided drubbing by Graham; and McCallum only won because the referee docked a point for a spin. McCallum absolutely refused to fight Herol again, too.
@@markstenton7197 So Graham gets thoroughly outboxed in this fight, when both were actually in their primes, and you dismiss it entirely. He had a different trainer, so he forgot every aspect of the style he’d honed over the last decade. Doesn’t count. Your rationale for this is the rematch, which took place 5 years later when BOTH men were past their primes? That one counts because Graham switched back to his old style? The fact that they were past prime isn’t relevant? Take a step back and really look at your viewpoint. Do you not see how it could come off as biased to the point of being unreasonable?
@@mowglie628 Was Graham thoroughly outboxed, though? Kalambay was the best he'd fought to this point and it was certainly his hardest fight yet, but there was only one point in it on two of the scores, despite the last round being a 10-8 for Kalambay. Graham's unrecognisable here. Hands up, forcing the fight, minimal head movement, etc. Herol didn't forget his natural style, he'd had it drummed into him by Eastwood that he had to drop it in order to impress Amercian judges. Insanity. Doesn't mean Graham had to listen to Eastwood. But he did. Unfortunately. True, they were both past their best in the second fight, but even though his reflexes had been declining for a few years, Graham's natural style did beat Kalambay that time. It was the referee who robbed him in plain sight.
@sgc thats bullshit story u wrote.graham used to run 10 miles every training day.he"d run in his spare time off too.what stamina problem? He"d stopped kalule in the 10th just before this. Barney eastwood screwed him.herol can hold his head high as a classical british champion fighter who would have competed for the world title in any era....and won it too...all his losses were very close
Herol Graham's weakness was keeping his chin too high without a doubt. He lost only to World Champions apart from Frank Grant. That weakness should have been sorted out in training really.
Brendan Ingle after the fight: 'Herol Graham is a boxer and they tried to turn him into a fighter. I've never seen him box worse.' That's the nail on the head, right there. Barney Eastwood was a disaster and his three Panamanian trainers were clueless. Proof's in the outcome. But, ultimately, it was Herol's fault for going along with it.
Graham felt he was owed money when Ingle sold his managerial contract to Barney Eastwood. Whether it was Ingle’s decision not to be in the corner, or a mutual one I don’t know. But for it to happen at such a crucial stage in his career is tragic in hindsight. His manager messed up by picking Kalambay as an opponent, and making Graham fight more aggressively against him. Herol should have been more ruthless and refused to change his style. Kalambay was a box fighter and ring technician. The Boxing News predicted it to be a hard fought win for Graham. That was before any news of a split with Ingle. To quote Herol’s words “I’d have won that fight if Brendan had still been in my corner.” In my opinion Barney Eastwood ruined his career.
worst piece of matchmaking ever. herol 's manager should never have signed for this fight. don't they ever check a guy out first ? cost graham a title shot and exposed him to a beating for no need. kalambay got the shot instead and went on to be a good champion, earning a shedload of money too.
This fight was a big risk. If they don’t take this fight, Kalambay doesn’t get the opportunity to fight for, and win a world title. Kalambay was experienced with a good record. He was the Italian champion. As an amateur his record was listed as 90-5. By contrast, Herol’s opponent before his fight with Mike McCallum was Johnny Melfah, who was a novice of 9 fights. Kalambay boxed out of his skin, and pulled out the win in the last round. He showed himself to be a slick, tough, and very good underrated fighter.
Graham changed trainers for this fight & his new trainer made him fight in a far more orthodox, 'crowd friendly' manner. He ruined him, basically. Herol would've run rings round Kalambay if left to employ his natural style. After watching it I knew he was finished at the highest level. But then again Graham should never have moved up from light middleweight anyway, which was by far his best weight - he was much sharper & stronger. He could've gone on to be an all-time great at the weight if he'd been more disciplined. In the end Herol was an extraordinary talent but far too easily-led & that was his downfall.
Sumbu Kalambay has wins over Mike McCallum, DeWitt, Iran Bakley and Steve Collins - all better than anything on Herol's CV. Don't understand this nonsense you're spouting about Graham if he used his natural style could have run rings round Kalambay, fact is Kalambay was an elite fighter who succeeded at the top unlike Graham who while truly talented always came up short at the elite level.
I was around in Sheffield at the time and Cornelius is exactly right. Barney Eastwood was an idiot to try to change Graham's style. We all watched tis fight and couldn't believe what we were seeing - it was like Herol wasn't there and had been replaced by a lookalike plodder who'd never even met Brendan Ingle. Tragic.
@@markstenton7197 i seem to recall his new trainer discouraged him from bending backwards to avoid punches and tried to make him duck and dip more, terrible error. i just knew kalambay would end up nailing him with that bolo right hand.
🎉A boxer usually moves up in weight for mainly two reasons number one being unable to continue making that weight limit. So to criticise a boxer for going up a weight shows a lack of knowledge of this sport.
Graham had been boxing at light middleweight for 5 years. He was almost 25 when he moved up to middleweight, so must have been naturally putting on weight.
Kalambay went on to win the WBA title, and successfully defend it three times, against Mike McCallum, Robbie Simms and Doug DeWitt, so he was clearly a world class fighter, but if Graham had turned down the fight, vacated his European title and waited a few months, he would have had a shot at a vacant world title, and would have had a fair chance of winning it.
What a great sportsman heròl was. No excuses. Class.
Herol Graham holding his head up like a weather vane to hit at top level again, Herol must curse himself every day that he didn't win a championship belt because he had all the talent.
Yes, just like he did later against Julian Jackson.
A deserved win for Kalambay. Graham had more than his fair share of bad luck when he went to World Level. Not here though, a setback of his own making.
Waited years for someone to post this !, Thank you.
Graham blew a certain title shot here. With Sugar Ray Leonard beating Hagler then vacating his titles, all three were up for grabs later in 1987. Graham was set to fight for one of the vacant titles. He should have fought some tomato can but defended the European title against Kalambay instead.
Graham was obliged to fight Kalambay as he was the mandatory challenger. i think he took Kalambay lightly as he won by k.o. over Kalule who beat Kalambay previously.
gianca60 he could have just let the European title go. He was the number 1 world contender by at least one of the major organizations. It was just dumb to risk the world title shot to defend the European title. His manager wasn't looking at the big picture obviously
Mark Phelps I agree.
Mark Phelps i think both Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard with have destroyed Herol Graham Leonard was much too fast and Hagler way too powerful
Probably but, at the time Hagler retired and Leonard relinquished the title so Graham coundn't fight them.
Herol Graham was the no.1 Challenger for the World Middleweight Crown. And the WBA and the IBF STRIPPED! Hagler for not fighting Graham. Hagler went on instead and fought S.R.Leonard and who could have blamed him. Hagler vs Leonard was a Massive Fight!. Anyway when Leonard vacated the WBC Belt Juan Roldan was the No 1 Challenger.If Herol had have beaten Kalumbay we would have gone on to fight Roldan. A fight i think Graham would have Lost.
I think Roldan's style would have been a problem for Graham as it was for Michael Nunn. The thing Nunn had that Graham didn't was a knockout punch to turn the fight back in his favour when things got tough.
Herol was lined up to fight Iran Barkley for the WBA title. He was the WBA’s no.1 contender.
Ingle's comments at the end bang on. Worst mistake Graham ever made, switching trainers and changing styles. Looked totally uncomfortable, off-balance, easy to hit, rushing in onto shots. I remember watching this live, couldn't believe it. Kalambay was a very good fighter, no doubt but on home turf, younger, unbeaten, Graham should never have lost this fight. Years later, fighting his normal style he was absolutely robbed in the rematch over in Italy. Battered Kalambay but was fighting two men, with the referee on his case all night. If Graham had stuck with Ingle and got through this fight, or not defended his title at all he'd for sure have picked up one of the vacant middleweight belts. Roldan was a dangerous hitter but pretty crude, slow and easy to hit. Graham would likely have outmaneuvered him for a decision. Whether Graham could have tested the big names i don't know. He was a top contender but Hagler, SRL, Hearns were on a different level. I think he'd have given Hagler the most problems as he was the most orthodox (yeah I know he was a southpaw!) of the three and Herol's awkward style and movement would have given him fits. Plus he was getting old, as the Leonard fight showed. SRL would have gotten to Graham with his combinations, after being frustrated in the early rounds. I think Hearn's style was all wrong for Graham, with his size, speed and power on his long punches. I can see Graham getting nailed, possibly early, like Duran.
Totally agree, I felt the same watching it - Graham was unrecognisable.
I was just waiting for that big mad Kalambay bolo right hand to land & of course, it eventually did...
Personally I feel Graham's biggest career mistake was moving up to middleweight from light middle, as he was much sharper & stronger there.
And who was Graham's trainer for the rematch with Kalambay, Julian Jackson and Mike McCallum ??
That's right, Brendan Ingle. Fact is Herol Graham was a truly talented fighter but ultimately a nearly man who always came up short at the top level.
Graham beat Kalambay in the rematch but was blatantly robbed; Jackson was a one-punch finish after a one-sided drubbing by Graham; and McCallum only won because the referee docked a point for a spin. McCallum absolutely refused to fight Herol again, too.
@@markstenton7197 So Graham gets thoroughly outboxed in this fight, when both were actually in their primes, and you dismiss it entirely. He had a different trainer, so he forgot every aspect of the style he’d honed over the last decade. Doesn’t count.
Your rationale for this is the rematch, which took place 5 years later when BOTH men were past their primes? That one counts because Graham switched back to his old style? The fact that they were past prime isn’t relevant?
Take a step back and really look at your viewpoint. Do you not see how it could come off as biased to the point of being unreasonable?
@@mowglie628 Was Graham thoroughly outboxed, though? Kalambay was the best he'd fought to this point and it was certainly his hardest fight yet, but there was only one point in it on two of the scores, despite the last round being a 10-8 for Kalambay. Graham's unrecognisable here. Hands up, forcing the fight, minimal head movement, etc. Herol didn't forget his natural style, he'd had it drummed into him by Eastwood that he had to drop it in order to impress Amercian judges. Insanity. Doesn't mean Graham had to listen to Eastwood. But he did. Unfortunately. True, they were both past their best in the second fight, but even though his reflexes had been declining for a few years, Graham's natural style did beat Kalambay that time. It was the referee who robbed him in plain sight.
Masterful use of left jab by Kalambay !!!
@sgc thats bullshit story u wrote.graham used to run 10 miles every training day.he"d run in his spare time off too.what stamina problem? He"d stopped kalule in the 10th just before this. Barney eastwood screwed him.herol can hold his head high as a classical british champion fighter who would have competed for the world title in any era....and won it too...all his losses were very close
I do! Will upload it when I get the chance, as soon as mate.
wish i saw the entire fight. looks awesome
thanks for the upload
Herol Graham's weakness was keeping his chin too high without a doubt. He lost only to World Champions apart from Frank Grant. That weakness should have been sorted out in training really.
The problem is, in them days in the Ingle gym they did mainly body sparring, so keeping the chin up must have become a habit for the boxers.
MrBollet. the presenter at the beginning is steve rider and the commentater is the late harry carpenter so I would assume the fight was on the bbc
Yeah, on Sportsnight.
Brendan Ingle after the fight: 'Herol Graham is a boxer and they tried to turn him into a fighter. I've never seen him box worse.' That's the nail on the head, right there. Barney Eastwood was a disaster and his three Panamanian trainers were clueless. Proof's in the outcome. But, ultimately, it was Herol's fault for going along with it.
Graham felt he was owed money when Ingle sold his managerial contract to Barney Eastwood. Whether it was Ingle’s decision not to be in the corner, or a mutual one I don’t know. But for it to happen at such a crucial stage in his career is tragic in hindsight. His manager messed up by picking Kalambay as an opponent, and making Graham fight more aggressively against him. Herol should have been more ruthless and refused to change his style. Kalambay was a box fighter and ring technician. The Boxing News predicted it to be a hard fought win for Graham. That was before any news of a split with Ingle. To quote Herol’s words “I’d have won that fight if Brendan had still been in my corner.” In my opinion Barney Eastwood ruined his career.
@@BikSingh00 100%.
👏👏👏
25:28 Graham learned nothing. It's almost the same situation as against Jackson. Head up, hands down and almost knocked out.
Herol had a lot
Off problems that night
worst piece of matchmaking ever. herol 's manager should never have signed for this fight. don't they ever check a guy out first ? cost graham a title shot and exposed him to a beating for no need. kalambay got the shot instead and went on to be a good champion, earning a shedload of money too.
This fight was a big risk. If they don’t take this fight, Kalambay doesn’t get the opportunity to fight for, and win a world title. Kalambay was experienced with a good record. He was the Italian champion. As an amateur his record was listed as 90-5. By contrast, Herol’s opponent before his fight with Mike McCallum was Johnny Melfah, who was a novice of 9 fights. Kalambay boxed out of his skin, and pulled out the win in the last round. He showed himself to be a slick, tough, and very good underrated fighter.
Graham changed trainers for this fight & his new trainer made him fight in a far more orthodox, 'crowd friendly' manner. He ruined him, basically. Herol would've run rings round Kalambay if left to employ his natural style.
After watching it I knew he was finished at the highest level.
But then again Graham should never have moved up from light middleweight anyway, which was by far his best weight - he was much sharper & stronger.
He could've gone on to be an all-time great at the weight if he'd been more disciplined.
In the end Herol was an extraordinary talent but far too easily-led & that was his downfall.
Sumbu Kalambay has wins over Mike McCallum, DeWitt, Iran Bakley and Steve Collins - all better than anything on Herol's CV.
Don't understand this nonsense you're spouting about Graham if he used his natural style could have run rings round Kalambay, fact is Kalambay was an elite fighter who succeeded at the top unlike Graham who while truly talented always came up short at the elite level.
I was around in Sheffield at the time and Cornelius is exactly right. Barney Eastwood was an idiot to try to change Graham's style. We all watched tis fight and couldn't believe what we were seeing - it was like Herol wasn't there and had been replaced by a lookalike plodder who'd never even met Brendan Ingle. Tragic.
@@markstenton7197 i seem to recall his new trainer discouraged him from bending backwards to avoid punches and tried to make him duck and dip more, terrible error. i just knew kalambay would end up nailing him with that bolo right hand.
🎉A boxer usually moves up in weight for mainly two reasons number one being unable to continue making that weight limit. So to criticise a boxer for going up a weight shows a lack of knowledge of this sport.
Graham had been boxing at light middleweight for 5 years. He was almost 25 when he moved up to middleweight, so must have been naturally putting on weight.
Herol wos a better boxer then kalambay
I thought Herol won
I always thought Herol won this.
Disagree, the decision was correct.
The decision was in perfect order.