McCallum was a magnificent fighter so woefully underrated, James Toney once said that he learned more from fighting McCallum than from all his other opponents put together
Herol Graham's style put Brendan Ingle on the map and it was a great effort in his unique way, but he was up against superb all time performer in the awesome Mike McCallum
Herol Graham was elite level who didn’t have much luck. Chris Eubank wouldn’t fight him because he knew he had no chance. Mike McCallum also a legendary fighter. Two close fights with James Toney. A lapse in concentration and show boating against Julian Jackson cost Graham the fight.
He wasn't a good fighter. He was a good boxer only at the professional level He had decent boxing skills but not the physicality or stamina for world class professional boxing, hence the good European record which is easy to pad up. Against both Jackson, who was just a hitter, and the 33 year old McCallum, he'd had enough and was slowing after 3 rounds. You can't win a middlewieight world title bouncing around like Mr Bean directing traffic for 3 rounds. You have to produce some power punches at some stage.
@@jodyforbes674 Mike McCallum - who was 32, not 33, and still very, very good - to a split decision is a remarkable achievement for someone you deem not to have been a good fighter.
@@DHTCF McCallum may have been still good, but he was on the slide. All of his best victories came prior to this fight . Chasing this tomato can around the ring for another 9 rounds after Graham had fought the requisite 3 that amateurs do doesn't change that.
5:41 McCallums right is always in a good position to come up and protect against the hook. Jab by Graham while McCallum correctly has his rear heel off the floor 5:43
Round 6 , Pure Class -close up unadulterated in fighting from a bygone era. The skill & endurance of both fighters was on another level. Anyother fighter Herrol Graham would have won but McCallum was tough as they come and was never really recongnised as a true great.
Herol never won a title...he's got to be the best fighter I've ever seen not to win a title....herol reminds me of erislandy Lara the Cuban...the footwork the judgement of distance the wiry strength...very similar
That 1 punch first rd KO at the hands of Michael Nunn is what most people remember. Kalambay fought everybody and was a world champion. He was 2-0 against Graham and 1-1 against McCallum. Yup, he was good.
@@peterwhite507 Good fighter but Graham was robbed in Italy in the rematch. Ref was on his case all the way through, still won the fight easily even with the joke point deductions.
This is the kind of commentary I like. Let people watch the fight then talk after. Brilliant. I had this a draw. Herold like Naseem, was a strange mix of amateurish and very sleek. When both his upper body and lower body are working in tandem he was the sleekest. It’s when their bottom half stops moving when they struggle, both of them suffer with their heads being too upright, with very little lower body movement. Which makes them easy targets. We saw this with Barrera vs Hamed.
Horribly difficult fight to score, very close though I think McCallum shaded it. I don’t think I could really argue if Graham got the nod though. Although it was a loss, probably one of Herol’s best performances, McCallum is a decent shout for top ten all time middleweights
Top 10 Jamacian MW's, perhaps. Top 10 all time, no. Off the top of my head, Zale, Robinson, Monzon, Hagler, Hearns, Duran, Leonard, Nunn, Jones, Hopkins, Toney, GGG, Canelo. He wasnt even the best MW in his own era.
We always lament the fights McCallum never had vs the big 4 champions. But look how many good fighters he faced and alltime hall of fame fighters he faced. He was obviously too old in his last 2 fights vs Roy Jones and his final fight vs Toney to have a chance to win. Prior to those fights McCallum had 11 fights vs good to great champions and his record in those fights was 7-3-1. He beat Curry-McCrory-Graham-Steve Collins-Julian Jackson and Michael Watson. He split 2 fights with Kalambay. He had 2 razor close fights with James Toney an alltime great who was 11 1/2 years younger than him! One of the alltime greats not just one of the best of an era.
The audacity of Herol to walk around Mike with his hands down were the actions of a man either disturbed or so sure of himself he did not care. I don't think another fighter other than James Toney was that unafraid of Mike's power.
@@ChrisThornburn-ke5xk It has made boxing even more dangerous now, because fighters are cutting so much weight nowadays. And you can't get fully restore the water in time for the fight. Especially around the brain.
@@HaraDuran McCallum is my favourite fighter right now, all his counters are revolved around his body punching. Like you said no matter the guard or style he always finds a route.
@@beans3158 honestly I can see him with Mayweather being the smarter ones in boxing,and I believe McCallum can beat him, since no matter what you use, McCallum's body blows can't be dodged or blocked, he'll snatch,snatch and snatch until you go into deep waters.
He is good but not that good buck old sam langford would of knocked him out hears prime duran hagler loads more middle boxes who were tuffer top 15 middle class yer
Hamed was also artist nothing like this clown. Hamid copied Chris Eubanks style not Graham.. You'll dont know shit about boxing. Therr awhile documentary with Eubanks and Nasem was a kid at one of his fights learning his style. He admired Eubanks secretly. He denies it but Eubanks had facts.. Sonething you'll dont have. Graham has no Hall of Fame claim but you'll giving it to this pity pat running clown. No where near a great fighter well maybe in England he was.
@@emergencycrimepreventionll5154 Herol and Naz were from the smae gym, mate: Brendan Ingle's Gym in Sheffield. I think Herol's style may have rubbed off on him more likely than Eubanks'.
Best commentary to a fight I've ever heard: totally unbiased. Bad refereeing to let the wrestling go unchecked but good that he deducted a point when it overspilled. Bad that he called 'break' without separating the fighters or telling them to restart. Dirty that Graham punched on the break taking advantage of this. The Bodysnatcher's by a distance.
Mccallum at light middleweight could be the greatest at that weight ..i loved NORRIS..JACKSON.. HEARNS..SERGIO MARTINEZ... TRINIDAD AND OSCAR at 154...but Mike McCallum all round the best....(Just an opinion)😊 I despair for herol and watson....and Howard Eastman Ability wise, these were better than other British world champions who've captured versions of middleweight titles
Graham was sorely underrated and the best to never win a title, but an aging McCallum clearly out landed and had the more telling blows while pushing the fight. Graham had a lot of dirty tactics that didn't work on the savvy veteran, 7-4-1 McCallum.
McCallum looks lethargic throughout this whole fight . See the Watson fight when mccallum was 37 to see how much slower he moves& punches . Still have him winning this fight pretty easily . Not sure how people see this as a draw or Graham winning (maybe they also agree with the mccalllum knock down !.) ?reminds me of Barrera Vs Hamed where Hameds unorthodox style was exposed. The last 3 rounds Graham was running &falling into holding clinches with McCallum. Great heart shown though.
It's because .. A. you can throw shots at a greater variety of angles compared to having your hands up. Like you can shoot straight or hook your punches. Try it! B. It's so you can make your opponent miss, then hit with a counter outside your opponents peripheral veiw. I.e. they can't see it
@@cquilty1 no technique is flawless. My point is, that is how the technique works. It's designed to make people miss and then counter with an angled shot you don't see.
I will never understand fighter's who keep their hands down by their waist especially a fighter like Graham who doesn't take a good punch.not many people have reflexes like Roy Jones
Graham is no bum, He destroyed Rod Douglas's career But he made was crucial mistakes which cost him at least 2 world titles In this fight he was deducted one point by wrestling McCallum to the floor And in the Jackson fight he was celebrating cele🎉 winning the fight before the round was over in other words he got cocky and careless and got sparked out 😮
Graham was a fitness fanatic, who did a ton of roadwork. Never once saw him look anything but top shape, even when he lost to Charles Brewer at 38. Both listed at just under 6' but I think McCallum was a half inch taller. He's naturally the bigger man imo, with wide shoulders and quite thin legs, whereas Graham is more proportioned.
In 1987 when Graham was mandatory? Hagler was old and had declined enormously by that point. He looked vulnerable against Mugabe and all but shot in 1987. There's a decent chance that even that Hagler would have caught up with Graham at some point but I think he'd have looked bad doing it, and it definitely wouldn't have been within the first four rounds.
Based on what? Just because Hagler knocked Hearns out in 3 rounds, but was not some huge hitter like Julian Jackson. When they could have fought, in 1987 we saw the problems Hagler had with Leonard's movement. Graham was more evasive than Ray and far, far more unorthodox. I think personally he gives Hagler a massive headache. Marvin wins a decision, because he was outstanding, even in 1987, but it would have been a frustrating night.
It was Graham’s dream to challenge Hagler after he moved up to middleweight in 1984. Hagler would have retired if Leonard hadn’t come out of retirement to face him. In a newspaper article after the Hagler v Leonard fight, Graham said that Hagler was there for the taking. He was at his peak, and was confident he would have beaten him if given the chance. Graham was more elusive than Leonard, and if he had fought Hagler in April of 87, it is conceivable he could have won by a close decision, but Herol would have had to be at the top of his game to do it.
Even the greatest lose fights and The Bomber was one of the UK's greatest. For much of the fight he's giving McCallum (another great) a boxing lesson...brilliant.
@@kieran6696 Alongside Watson who also gave Mcallum a great fight. In FA t Mcallum himself said Watson was the strongest fighter he ever fought. All legends 👍👍
Both these fighters were avoided,Herol Graham in UK was avoided, Mike Mcallum in America was avoided, shame because prime Herol Graham was a HoF level fighter,but like our football we don't like dribblers or flash players, that's why we never win world cups
Unfortunately McCallum wasn't a big drawcard/star. He's complained a lot about being avoided by Hagler/Duran/Hearns/Leonard since he retired but basically what he wanted was a big payday fight courtesy of their starpower. Was he on the same level - absolutely but he certainly would never stir up the same interest as any of those four.
Its great to watch a fight with no in round commentary. Rds 1-4 Graham pecking, poking & unsettling McCallum in the first 2. McCallums consistency & quality starting to shine in 3 & 4 Even fight so far. Rds 5-8 Graham being a very awkward southpaw in 5,6 & 7 McCallum maybe won the 8th 5-3 Graham. Rds 9-12 9 McCallum, 10 Graham, 11 & 12 McCallum but it was all very scruffy, scrappy n almost too close to call. McCallum very lucky to get the decision but he was the better boxer in attack, the optics on Graham didnt look good as he tired. Graham was so awkward, Jullian Jackson did his homework on him & noticed that double left cross he led with now n again but other than that, he was an ugly nights work for even the best of them, no wonder Eubank & Benn TOTALLY ducked him n tried to make out like he didnt exist. I think more than anything this fight displays the gulf in class between the best of the rest & Hearns, Duran, Hagler & Leonard. It wasn't until the mid 90's when Roy Jones emerged as the top dog that their quality was rivaled.
I know way more than you do.. You're a spectator I was a real fighter and if you like Graham I want to see you praising Floyd Mayweather every chance you get.. In my opinion Graham was horrible..
Hard fight to score. The point deduction made up for the slip/ knock down. Very close, but at the end of the day I think the right man got the nod. Graham was a fantastic boxer, always just missing out on a title.
So good at slipping punches was Herol ( except with Julian Jackson lol ) but he was neve rgonna be big box office with that style..so unusual, quite brilliant really but not one for boxing fans alas
Vladimir Lagoun have to agree knockdown wasn’t scored by judges and point deduction was harsh thought mccallum was in trouble in 12 th very un lucky for Graham no favouring home fighter
at 6:20 an illegal duck below the waist from McCallum, Eubank SR and Eubank JR do this in fights that I have seen on youtube, McCallum`s eyes are not on Graham as he ducks here so could be caught as he comes up because he is blinded to what is going on.
Mike McCallum won the fight, but Herol Graham gave him fits in a superb, close contest. The match was spoiled by the miserable, one dimensional commentary by these two Britbong clowns.
McCallum fought James Toney when he was over the hill. A guy who ended up blasting guys at cruiserweight and Heavyweight. What was John Mugabi greatest achievement? McCallum also beat Steve Collins who was ducked by Roy Jones. Hagler was never in the ring with someone bigger than him. He also dick punched Hearns into oblivion.
@@johnniea4684 Yup. The fight was talked about for many years but never materialized. Jones never mentioned him at all despite Collins expressing his interest in interviews. Jones also priced himself out of a Calzaghe bout when they were both younger in 2001. He also completely ignored the existence of light heavyweight lineal champion Dariusz Michalczewski. In 1998 Jones and the WBC agreed to strip Graciano Rocchigiani of the title to arrange a match between Roy and Lou del Valle.
check out Grahams other fights , he won them all pretty much easy until his jaw shattered, shame he had a glass jaw , Julian Jackson poleaxed him that pretty much was it after that and Kalambay , but these were top raters
@@ChrisThornburn-ke5xk yes I know he had a good chin just having a laugh I thought feminin Errol was one or the best ever. For skill . Something just didn't go right for him on the major nights, Mike Mccallum didnt help. Imagine trying to beat that slippery bastard
julian taylor have to agree is the fact judges didn’t score knock down the ref gave count so they should and the point deduction was harsh mccallum did a bit of holding and hitting in later rounds no point deducted
Graham got robbed. McCallum barely landed if you look close. First 5-6 rounds were Graham's easily except 3 and part of round 4. As far as I'm concerned he won most of the later rounds too. McCallum being the aggressor and pushing the action doesn't mean you win, when none of the punches are actually landing.
Errol Graham just showed how he could go in there with the best of them. McCallum, Jackson and Brewer all said he was the most awkward fighter and a night mare to fight with. Haglers People wanted NO graham just because he would make Hagler look ordinary.Emanuel Steward said he would Never put any of his fighters in with Graham just because of his style.Even Nigel Benn admitted on Television that he didn't ever want to fight him.
A good fight, but both were past their prime & a weight above their natural best.. Would've been one for the ages if they'd met at light-middle a couple of years earlier.
Neither were past their prime, and both were clearly full fledged Middleweights. This is where the bulk of their major fights and accomplishments took place.
MCcallum was past his prime at 33. Graham was in his prime at 29. Although MCcallum was never big box office, he was still a world class pro in that era. Graham was only European standard.
McCallum was 32 not 33, and still had a lot left. He went on to beat Collins, Watson and Kalambay. Then drew with a young James Toney. Graham’s reflexes were in decline.
What's with those pitty-patty punches by Graham? It looks spectacular but most of them misses and he's the one getting hurt in the exchanges. Biased commentators!
Clown?? Herol was a top class boxer!! Name of the game is to hit and not got hit, were very proud of our fighters in sheffield and bomber is up there with the best
@@leefauvelfauvel5271 He was a British bum.. Your clown ass would be the first to say Mayweather was a bum but praise this clown fool in the ring.. GTFOH..
Graham was a good very good boxer, and his style would be very suitable for actual fighting (MMA). Calling him a horrible fighter couldn't be more out of line and further from the truth.
kieranm999 Ha GlAd to hear that mate. You got a friend for life. When you see him next show him this message from me. I am now 77 and retired in Thailand. I have been here for 14 years now, and I have promised myself that should I return to the UK for a visit my first stop would be bombers gym. Please keep in touch mate. My email address is, expattaffy@gmail.com
Fancy meeting you here! Herol is up there with Charley Burley in terms of greats who never won a world title, but he was poorly advised throughout his career & should never have moved up from light-middle, where he was a lot stronger.
![Mike McCallum vs Julian Jackson [HQ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kZpv55MQN7g/mqdefault.jpg)
![Mike McCallum vs Julian Jackson [HQ]](/img/tr.png)
The Body Snatcher is definitely the most underrated champion ever. Very technically sound, good speed and power, and definitely an ALL TIME GREAT.
James Toney once said he's the only fighter that he truly respect
absolutely,, Errol was amazing too , but he was fighting the snatcher !
JendrixHimi still thought Herol won made mccallum look ordinary
@@ChrisThornburn-ke5xk Do some research. McCallum was prime at 154 and still beat Graham.
@@bakgammon graham was also prime at 154. do your own research.
Brilliance from both fighters. A very underrated gem in boxing
Nothing brilliant about Herol Graham here.
Graham had the speed and the skills, McCallum had it all.
Couldn't have said it any better.
The Ring General !
McCallum was a magnificent fighter so woefully underrated, James Toney once said that he learned more from fighting McCallum than from all his other opponents put together
Underrated comment
Lovely Sentiments Chaps!! Top Draw Pugilists! From The Glory days,Ala,Hearns,Leonard,Hagler.
Duran...Estaban de Jesus..Willie Pep..
Herol Graham's style put Brendan Ingle on the map and it was a great effort in his unique way, but he was up against superb all time performer in the awesome Mike McCallum
Jim Cameron if judges scored knock down fight scored draw and harsh point deduction against graham without graham win
Graham is one of the best boxers not to win a championship belt. McCallum is one of my faves too. Super fight.
Hamed learned from Herol Graham the only thing Graham lacked was a real punch!
He never won a championship...that's how good he was 😝
@@HarryHeath-pb6rv He lacked a real punch and a championship--that's how good he was.
Bomber gave an all time great a hell of a fight, losing a tight decision.
Reflect on that if you think Graham wasn’t a very, very good fighter indeed.
Herol Graham was elite level who didn’t have much luck. Chris Eubank wouldn’t fight him because he knew he had no chance. Mike McCallum also a legendary fighter. Two close fights with James Toney. A lapse in concentration and show boating against Julian Jackson cost Graham the fight.
He wasn't a good fighter. He was a good boxer only at the professional level He had decent boxing skills but not the physicality or stamina for world class professional boxing, hence the good European record which is easy to pad up. Against both Jackson, who was just a hitter, and the 33 year old McCallum, he'd had enough and was slowing after 3 rounds.
You can't win a middlewieight world title bouncing around like Mr Bean directing traffic for 3 rounds. You have to produce some power punches at some stage.
@@jodyforbes674 Mike McCallum - who was 32, not 33, and still very, very good - to a split decision is a remarkable achievement for someone you deem not to have been a good fighter.
@@DHTCF McCallum may have been still good, but he was on the slide. All of his best victories came prior to this fight . Chasing this tomato can around the ring for another 9 rounds after Graham had fought the requisite 3 that amateurs do doesn't change that.
Well he is regarded as one the best defensive fighters in Europe, he was a brilliant fighter
Graham always said that Mike McCallum was the best he ever faced.
It doesn't take a Herol Graham to find that out😆
Graham was busting some on MM the body snatcher
Everyone that ever faced McCallum said that, the man was like a god inside the boxing ring.
HEROL GRAHAM SHOULD BE IN THE BOXING HALL OF FAME AS A CONTENDER
5:41 McCallums right is always in a good position to come up and protect against the hook. Jab by Graham while McCallum correctly has his rear heel off the floor 5:43
Round 6 , Pure Class -close up unadulterated in fighting from a bygone era. The skill & endurance of both fighters was on another level. Anyother fighter Herrol Graham would have won but McCallum was tough as they come and was never really recongnised as a true great.
You Know Your Stuff.
McCallum and Graham are two underrated Gentlemen
Herol never won a title...he's got to be the best fighter I've ever seen not to win a title....herol reminds me of erislandy Lara the Cuban...the footwork the judgement of distance the wiry strength...very similar
I agree i think with his style a lot of fighter's avoided him.
@@aaaa-pe1zi The promoters of Eubank and Benn avoided him. Collins too. None of them would have had much of a chance.
Reminds me of Naz, it's said he views Herol like a mentor,and both of them was good too!
They both had one loss and they were both to Sumbu Kalambay… He’s never mentioned but had to be good
That 1 punch first rd KO at the hands of Michael Nunn is what most people remember. Kalambay fought everybody and was a world champion. He was 2-0 against Graham and 1-1 against McCallum. Yup, he was good.
@@peterwhite507 same thing with Mike Spinks
@@MB2.0 yup
@@peterwhite507 he beat a peak Collins as well.
@@peterwhite507 Good fighter but Graham was robbed in Italy in the rematch. Ref was on his case all the way through, still won the fight easily even with the joke point deductions.
This is the kind of commentary I like. Let people watch the fight then talk after. Brilliant. I had this a draw. Herold like Naseem, was a strange mix of amateurish and very sleek. When both his upper body and lower body are working in tandem he was the sleekest. It’s when their bottom half stops moving when they struggle, both of them suffer with their heads being too upright, with very little lower body movement. Which makes them easy targets. We saw this with Barrera vs Hamed.
Herol and Naz were stablemates at Brendan Ingle's Gym in Sheffield. I'm sure Naz saw Herol as a mentor: hence the similarities in style.
I had it a draw too, McCallum very lucky to get the decision in Grahams homeland.
Horribly difficult fight to score, very close though I think McCallum shaded it. I don’t think I could really argue if Graham got the nod though.
Although it was a loss, probably one of Herol’s best performances, McCallum is a decent shout for top ten all time middleweights
Very good shout for top 10 light middles, but not middle
Top 10 Jamacian MW's, perhaps.
Top 10 all time, no.
Off the top of my head,
Zale, Robinson, Monzon, Hagler, Hearns, Duran, Leonard, Nunn, Jones, Hopkins, Toney, GGG, Canelo.
He wasnt even the best MW in his own era.
Really gutsy performance...tough gritty fit and technical
We always lament the fights McCallum never had vs the big 4 champions. But look how many good fighters he faced and alltime hall of fame fighters he faced.
He was obviously too old in his last 2 fights vs Roy Jones and his final fight vs Toney to have a chance to win. Prior to those fights McCallum had 11 fights vs good to great champions and his record in those fights was 7-3-1.
He beat Curry-McCrory-Graham-Steve Collins-Julian Jackson and Michael Watson. He split 2 fights with Kalambay.
He had 2 razor close fights with James Toney an alltime great who was 11 1/2 years younger than him!
One of the alltime greats not just one of the best of an era.
I love fights like this very high level defense & quick counter puncher's
The audacity of Herol to walk around Mike with his hands down were the actions of a man either disturbed or so sure of himself he did not care. I don't think another fighter other than James Toney was that unafraid of Mike's power.
This fight was close as hell
Thanks for the video!!
Great fight. Just became a big fan of Herol Graham!
The good old days when they weighed in the day of the fight
Jim Cameron weight in was changed thought to be safer
Chris Thornburn big discrepancy in weights come fight time now, not so safe if your on the wrong end of it
Jim Cameron it was to do with dehydration said to be cause of brain injury
@@ChrisThornburn-ke5xk It has made boxing even more dangerous now, because fighters are cutting so much weight nowadays. And you can't get fully restore the water in time for the fight. Especially around the brain.
Wallee may be so but dehydration was reason for change in weigh in
remember its not the age what catches up on you its the number of fights you have
If only Herol had the sense to keep his hands up instead of dodging all the time. Could have been a legend.
Usually a fighter does that for a reason, he relies on reflex instead of his guard cause it works for him. Just not against Mccallum
@@beans3158I mean whatever type your guard is McCallum just snatches body shots that you can't dodge anyways
@@HaraDuran McCallum is my favourite fighter right now, all his counters are revolved around his body punching. Like you said no matter the guard or style he always finds a route.
@@beans3158 honestly I can see him with Mayweather being the smarter ones in boxing,and I believe McCallum can beat him, since no matter what you use, McCallum's body blows can't be dodged or blocked, he'll snatch,snatch and snatch until you go into deep waters.
McCallum is top 3; best boxers in the history of the sport, absolutely insane fight IQ.
He is good but not that good buck old sam langford would of knocked him out hears prime duran hagler loads more middle boxes who were tuffer top 15 middle class yer
34:45 that's his specialty, he does that in every fight
McCallum throws two jabs out of range then graham throws a jab the a weak left hand from 5:45-5:55.
and?
Before Prince Naseem Hamed, there was Herol Graham. Notice the resemblence.
But Graham actually had fundamentally better footwork than Prince.
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Hamed was also artist nothing like this clown. Hamid copied Chris Eubanks style not Graham.. You'll dont know shit about boxing. Therr awhile documentary with Eubanks and Nasem was a kid at one of his fights learning his style. He admired Eubanks secretly. He denies it but Eubanks had facts.. Sonething you'll dont have. Graham has no Hall of Fame claim but you'll giving it to this pity pat running clown. No where near a great fighter well maybe in England he was.
@@emergencycrimepreventionll5154 do some research before insulting someone
@@emergencycrimepreventionll5154 You know that Hamed and Graham had the same trainer right??
@@emergencycrimepreventionll5154 Herol and Naz were from the smae gym, mate: Brendan Ingle's Gym in Sheffield. I think Herol's style may have rubbed off on him more likely than Eubanks'.
Graham was the mandatory next fight for Hagler. Hagler refused so he could fight Leonard for much more money but it cost him one of his belts.
Who told you that bs. Graham got knocked out by Jackson at 160 for a vacant title.
@@chiefdonreed6353 Jackson fight was at 160.
@@DHTCF Jackson was 154 he went to 160 for the vacant title..
@@DHTCF it was his first fight at 160..
@@chiefdonreed6353 yes, but before you edited your comment, you had said it wasn't.
You're welcome re the correction ;-)
The biggest negative for Graham was that he didn't carry Enough power to deal with the very best at MW. Including Julian Jackson, McCallum
Alan Minter World Champion said they sent Herol as a sparring partner and could not put a glove on him.
My goodness, this is May of 1989, but the introductions feel like from a bygone era far older than the late 80's.
Best commentary to a fight I've ever heard: totally unbiased. Bad refereeing to let the wrestling go unchecked but good that he deducted a point when it overspilled. Bad that he called 'break' without separating the fighters or telling them to restart. Dirty that Graham punched on the break taking advantage of this. The Bodysnatcher's by a distance.
Mccallum at light middleweight could be the greatest at that weight ..i loved NORRIS..JACKSON..
HEARNS..SERGIO MARTINEZ... TRINIDAD AND OSCAR at 154...but Mike McCallum all round the best....(Just an opinion)😊
I despair for herol and watson....and Howard Eastman
Ability wise, these were better than other British world champions who've captured versions of middleweight titles
Great upload cheers
It was very unfortunate that Herol Graham had to face two great fighters in Mike McCallum and Sambu Kalambay who incidentally beat McCallum!!
Dont forget Julian Jackson.
@@alanfinch8763 Yes Agree Jackson was a murderous puncher and was dangerous to the last second.
This fight shows how just how good a peak Herol Graham was
Graham was sorely underrated and the best to never win a title, but an aging McCallum clearly out landed and had the more telling blows while pushing the fight. Graham had a lot of dirty tactics that didn't work on the savvy veteran, 7-4-1 McCallum.
McCallum wanted no part of a rematch with Graham though
I would say that Graham was just slightly past his peak.
McCallum looks lethargic throughout this whole fight . See the Watson fight when mccallum was 37 to see how much slower he moves& punches . Still have him winning this fight pretty easily . Not sure how people see this as a draw or Graham winning (maybe they also agree with the mccalllum knock down !.) ?reminds me of Barrera Vs Hamed where Hameds unorthodox style was exposed. The last 3 rounds Graham was running &falling into holding clinches with McCallum. Great heart shown though.
Never understood fighting with your hands down. What's that all about?
It's because ..
A. you can throw shots at a greater variety of angles compared to having your hands up. Like you can shoot straight or hook your punches. Try it!
B. It's so you can make your opponent miss, then hit with a counter outside your opponents peripheral veiw. I.e. they can't see it
@@shaz2761
Right. How did that technique work out for Graham against Julian Jackson?
@@cquilty1 no technique is flawless. My point is, that is how the technique works. It's designed to make people miss and then counter with an angled shot you don't see.
@@shaz2761
This technique clearly didn't work with Jackson so was therefore extremely flawed.
@@cquilty1 It's not that the technique didn't work but rather that Graham made a mistake. Jackson really had no answer for him
I will never understand fighter's who keep their hands down by their waist especially a fighter like Graham who doesn't take a good punch.not many people have reflexes like Roy Jones
It probably helps with balance whilst moving quickly.
Graham’s reflexes were sharper in his prime.
Graham is no bum, He destroyed Rod Douglas's career But he made was crucial mistakes which cost him at least 2 world titles
In this fight he was deducted one point by wrestling McCallum to the floor And in the Jackson fight he was celebrating cele🎉 winning the fight before the round was over in other words he got cocky and careless and got sparked out 😮
Graham looks huge, he’s taller and has thicker limbs. McCallum looked slim and drained. I wonder how Graham kept the size, speed and power
I thought they both looked a bit thin for full size middleweights. I'm thinking maybe they weighed in on the same night.
Graham was a fitness fanatic, who did a ton of roadwork. Never once saw him look anything but top shape, even when he lost to Charles Brewer at 38. Both listed at just under 6' but I think McCallum was a half inch taller. He's naturally the bigger man imo, with wide shoulders and quite thin legs, whereas Graham is more proportioned.
@@martytdd1606Back then they did weigh in the same day. Most middles only regained about 7lbs of water-weight by the evening.
Graham unconventional but dirty
Hagler would of destroyed Graham in 4
In 1987 when Graham was mandatory? Hagler was old and had declined enormously by that point. He looked vulnerable against Mugabe and all but shot in 1987. There's a decent chance that even that Hagler would have caught up with Graham at some point but I think he'd have looked bad doing it, and it definitely wouldn't have been within the first four rounds.
Based on what? Just because Hagler knocked Hearns out in 3 rounds, but was not some huge hitter like Julian Jackson. When they could have fought, in 1987 we saw the problems Hagler had with Leonard's movement. Graham was more evasive than Ray and far, far more unorthodox. I think personally he gives Hagler a massive headache. Marvin wins a decision, because he was outstanding, even in 1987, but it would have been a frustrating night.
It was Graham’s dream to challenge Hagler after he moved up to middleweight in 1984. Hagler would have retired if Leonard hadn’t come out of retirement to face him. In a newspaper article after the Hagler v Leonard fight, Graham said that Hagler was there for the taking. He was at his peak, and was confident he would have beaten him if given the chance. Graham was more elusive than Leonard, and if he had fought Hagler in April of 87, it is conceivable he could have won by a close decision, but Herol would have had to be at the top of his game to do it.
Nostradamus.
@@johnniea4684 hagler forght wrong fight still one
Was Harry alright ? No commentator was quite mad
Did the ring announcer go to Eton?
Why aren't the commentators saying anything during the fight?
There was industrial action, hence no commentary during the rounds.
Even the greatest lose fights and The Bomber was one of the UK's greatest. For much of the fight he's giving McCallum (another great) a boxing lesson...brilliant.
Best from Britain to never win a world title
@@kieran6696 Alongside Watson who also gave Mcallum a great fight. In FA t Mcallum himself said Watson was the strongest fighter he ever fought. All legends 👍👍
@@alexperry491 Watson was outclassed by McCallum, it wasn't even close
@@stevo62ful I agree m8. Not trying to debate who was better. Watson was a tough dude tho and gave Mcallum (in his words) one of his toughest fights.
Wot was the reason for the lack of commentary??
Robin Evans there was a strike of some staff, as I recall.
Strange how the commentary team only speaks between rounds.
There was a strike at the bbc
For real? That explains it then.
5:47 No counter jab by Graham, he was too negative here. Also at 5:50!
Super fight
Up to 6:09 Graham landed some sharp punches, he`d of boxed rings around Eubank but was hurt badly by him in sparring, weak chin.
Mark Ant absolute fantasy Eubank said wouldn’t go near him so hard to catch never hurt badly in sparring
Both these fighters were avoided,Herol Graham in UK was avoided, Mike Mcallum in America was avoided, shame because prime Herol Graham was a HoF level fighter,but like our football we don't like dribblers or flash players, that's why we never win world cups
Unfortunately McCallum wasn't a big drawcard/star. He's complained a lot about being avoided by Hagler/Duran/Hearns/Leonard since he retired but basically what he wanted was a big payday fight courtesy of their starpower. Was he on the same level - absolutely but he certainly would never stir up the same interest as any of those four.
Its great to watch a fight with no in round commentary.
Rds 1-4
Graham pecking, poking & unsettling McCallum in the first 2.
McCallums consistency & quality starting to shine in 3 & 4
Even fight so far.
Rds 5-8
Graham being a very awkward southpaw in 5,6 & 7
McCallum maybe won the 8th
5-3 Graham.
Rds 9-12
9 McCallum, 10 Graham, 11 & 12 McCallum but it was all very scruffy, scrappy n almost too close to call.
McCallum very lucky to get the decision but he was the better boxer in attack, the optics on Graham didnt look good as he tired.
Graham was so awkward, Jullian Jackson did his homework on him & noticed that double left cross he led with now n again but other than that, he was an ugly nights work for even the best of them, no wonder Eubank & Benn TOTALLY ducked him n tried to make out like he didnt exist.
I think more than anything this fight displays the gulf in class between the best of the rest & Hearns, Duran, Hagler & Leonard. It wasn't until the mid 90's when Roy Jones emerged as the top dog that their quality was rivaled.
It makes sense based on their style..
9:48 Baby Joe Joe Miller?
Chief Don Reid you dont know much about boxing lol. Herol was a great boxer and just unlucky to miss out on a global title.
I know way more than you do.. You're a spectator I was a real fighter and if you like Graham I want to see you praising Floyd Mayweather every chance you get.. In my opinion Graham was horrible..
Hard fight to score.
The point deduction made up for the slip/ knock down.
Very close, but at the end of the day I think the right man got the nod.
Graham was a fantastic boxer, always just missing out on a title.
Craig Nevermind it didn’t judges never scored knock down Graham was very unlucky punch landed ref scored it as knock down
Craig Nevermind ant agree mccallum beyond lucky without harsh point deduction and knockdown not getting scored by judges Graham UD
So good at slipping punches was Herol ( except with Julian Jackson lol ) but he was neve rgonna be big box office with that style..so unusual, quite brilliant really but not one for boxing fans alas
MIKE GEE GUITARMAN not one for uneducated fans he made mccallum look ordinary thought Graham won
A hard fact
But everytime an ingle fighter fought a great fighter,they lost.
6:46 Graham`s lead arm is as low as his thigh!
43:12 impressive
You gotta put herol Graham in the boxing hall of fame
Hell no.. May the British Hall of Fame..
I thought Herol got it
They robbed graham again sad
Graham was wining in the first few rounds then McColum(my spelling) was winning the later rounds.
Love uy Mik
14:07 Up to this point Graham`s being completely outboxed.
Mark Ant what are you watching
Mark Ant how can’t agree Herol was never completely out boxed at any point in this bout
With all respect for both, this must be Graham`s or at least a draw.
Vladimir Lagoun have to agree knockdown wasn’t scored by judges and point deduction was harsh thought mccallum was in trouble in 12 th very un lucky for Graham no favouring home fighter
No way
at 6:20 an illegal duck below the waist from McCallum, Eubank SR and Eubank JR do this in fights that I have seen on youtube, McCallum`s eyes are not on Graham as he ducks here so could be caught as he comes up because he is blinded to what is going on.
It wasnt his fault the blue shorts guy went up in the air
5:44 Graham throws a pawing jab he didn`t use his lead that much here.
Mark Ant he counter punched mccallum thought he won
Mike McCallum won the fight, but Herol Graham gave him fits in a superb, close contest. The match was spoiled by the miserable, one dimensional commentary by these two Britbong clowns.
It did seem a bit odd without commentary during the rounds.
Good fighters but non of them would have lasted with a prime Hagler
McCallum fought James Toney when he was over the hill. A guy who ended up blasting guys at cruiserweight and Heavyweight. What was John Mugabi greatest achievement?
McCallum also beat Steve Collins who was ducked by Roy Jones.
Hagler was never in the ring with someone bigger than him. He also dick punched Hearns into oblivion.
@@SBroconis522 Jones ducked Collins? News to me.
@@johnniea4684 Yup. The fight was talked about for many years but never materialized. Jones never mentioned him at all despite Collins expressing his interest in interviews. Jones also priced himself out of a Calzaghe bout when they were both younger in 2001. He also completely ignored the existence of light heavyweight lineal champion Dariusz Michalczewski. In 1998 Jones and the WBC agreed to strip Graciano Rocchigiani of the title to arrange a match between Roy and Lou del Valle.
I have it 6-6, 113-113 draw. Very close fight to score.
Graham and Pernell Whitaker have the same style 👀 McCallum is my Sleeper Goat though ❤️💪💯❤️💪💯
check out Grahams other fights , he won them all pretty much easy until his jaw shattered, shame he had a glass jaw , Julian Jackson poleaxed him that pretty much was it after that and Kalambay , but these were top raters
JendrixHimi glass jaw that is stupid fought brewer and gave him hell very unlucky
@@ChrisThornburn-ke5xk yes I know he had a good chin just having a laugh I thought feminin Errol was one or the best ever. For skill . Something just didn't go right for him on the major nights, Mike Mccallum didnt help. Imagine trying to beat that slippery bastard
JendrixHimi bad luck in mccallum fight judges never scored knockdown and point deduction very harsh with out this and knock down Graham UD
JendrixHimi thing was Jackson was beaten then for some reason Graham stopped being counter puncher went forward not his style at all
@@ChrisThornburn-ke5xk agreed . And this was against The Snatcher!.. That's how good Errol was. Not many beat him and he never got ko. Ring general
Graham had skills but zero power or he could have been a world champion.
Herol won by 2 rounds, movement unrivalled no wonder they were all wary
Graham got his hea boxed off and was just running, he tired towards the end badly.
Mark Ant so stupid clearly won 12 th mccallum was in trouble
julian taylor have to agree is the fact judges didn’t score knock down the ref gave count so they should and the point deduction was harsh mccallum did a bit of holding and hitting in later rounds no point deducted
Mark Ant you are very naive if you think Graham got head boxed off I thought at time and now Herol was clear winner
@@markant9534 nope, if it hadn't been for the point deduction, I would've had it a draw. It was really close
Graham got robbed. McCallum barely landed if you look close. First 5-6 rounds were Graham's easily except 3 and part of round 4. As far as I'm concerned he won most of the later rounds too.
McCallum being the aggressor and pushing the action doesn't mean you win, when none of the punches are actually landing.
this was a goofy fight
McCallum is hanging on at the end just
هذا مايك مايكوري اخطر ملاكم
Graham hurts mcCallum at the end of the fight. A tough, hard fight.
Errol Graham just showed how he could go in there with the best of them. McCallum, Jackson and Brewer all said he was the most awkward fighter and a night mare to fight with. Haglers People wanted NO graham just because he would make Hagler look ordinary.Emanuel Steward said he would Never put any of his fighters in with Graham just because of his style.Even Nigel Benn admitted on Television that he didn't ever want to fight him.
Karl Convey Boxers don't like fighting clowns like this.. All they do is run and make boxing look bad.
@@chiefdonreed6353 He also bent the rules a great deal.
Chief Don Reed he sould stand and trade that’s boxing hit and get hit wake up
🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@ChrisThornburn-ke5xk Read your sentence it make no sense wake up.. Graham was a bum.. period.
5:20 MCcALLUM MISSES COUNTER RIGHT.
A good fight, but both were past their prime & a weight above their natural best..
Would've been one for the ages if they'd met at light-middle a couple of years earlier.
Neither were past their prime, and both were clearly full fledged Middleweights. This is where the bulk of their major fights and accomplishments took place.
MCcallum was past his prime at 33. Graham was in his prime at 29. Although MCcallum was never big box office, he was still a world class pro in that era. Graham was only European standard.
@@jodyforbes674 they were 2 of the best technical boxers i've ever seen. at 154 a few years earlier it woulda been a classic.
McCallum was 32 not 33, and still had a lot left. He went on to beat Collins, Watson and Kalambay. Then drew with a young James Toney. Graham’s reflexes were in decline.
What's with those pitty-patty punches by Graham? It looks spectacular but most of them misses and he's the one getting hurt in the exchanges. Biased commentators!
เอ้าชนะไดไงวะ
I have this fight a draw. 113/113.
McCallum clearly won this fight. Graham clowns too much and his unconventional style doesn’t help his defense.
Sadly, Errol is mad now.
As soon as Graham back touch that rope Hearns and Hagler would have knocked his ass out..
Clown?? Herol was a top class boxer!! Name of the game is to hit and not got hit, were very proud of our fighters in sheffield and bomber is up there with the best
Lee fauvel fauvel Don is dumb hit and get hit his idea of boxing
@@leefauvelfauvel5271 He was a British bum.. Your clown ass would be the first to say Mayweather was a bum but praise this clown fool in the ring.. GTFOH..
If Graham was an American fighter you would have never heard of him..
Hit and not get hit, Graham is run and not get caught because he can't hit for shit.
Graham was very basic and exploited his long reach.
Basic?...😲
Herol Harole Erol whatever his name is the one Jackson knocked out..
Chief Don Reed no shit
Chief Don Reed obviously you don't know boxing
Herol nobhead
Harold Graham is the worse fighter I've seen fight for a title.. Horrible.. Thumbs down..
The one on the stretcher..
you clearly haven't seen alot of boxing then.
Graham was a good very good boxer, and his style would be very suitable for actual fighting (MMA). Calling him a horrible fighter couldn't be more out of line and further from the truth.
Chief Don Reed his is boxing mccallum head off idiot
@@ChrisThornburn-ke5xk wtf are you talking about?
Graham, one of my favorites of all time. Anyone know how he is today.
He's doing great and coaches at North London boxing club in Southgate, I'm lucky enough to have him as a coach!
kieranm999
Ha
GlAd to hear that mate. You got a friend for life. When you see him next show him this message from me. I am now 77 and retired in Thailand. I have been here for 14 years now, and I have promised myself that should I return to the UK for a visit my first stop would be bombers gym.
Please keep in touch mate. My email address is, expattaffy@gmail.com
kieranm999
Please ask Graham if he has an email address mate.I also use Skype which is free. Would love to talk to him on Skype
Fancy meeting you here! Herol is up there with Charley Burley in terms of greats who never won a world title, but he was poorly advised throughout his career & should never have moved up from light-middle, where he was a lot stronger.
@@kieranmaharajah6933 tell him the steel city still loves him 🙏
I saw a video where Eubanks was asked, Why don't you fight Graham. Eubanks replied, Whats the point of fighting someone you cant hit