Billy Graham,Vastly overrated trainer?

[lefty]

I remember when he was training hatton ie Ricky and he said that Ricky was the greatest fighter in the world and when Mayweather beat him he said he couldnt work out how it happened.Aside from that who has Graham trained thats been any good in all honesty?!Just my opinion though!

[black panther]

I remember when he was training hatton ie Ricky and he said that Ricky was the greatest fighter in the world and when Mayweather beat him he said he couldnt work out how it happened.Aside from that who has Graham trained thats been any good in all honesty?!Just my opinion though!

Farnell, Gomez...and didn't he train Ensley Bingham - who went twelve with Winky Wright? Okay not genuine world class guys but very good domestic fighters. Gomez had six wins contesting the British Superfeather weight title. That's no mean feat.

[TerribleTerry]

Learnt the game from a legend in Phil Martin too

[lefty]

If im wrong on that il admit it,just an outsiders view of it.

[Dioufy]

Hatton, in hindsight, should never have left him. It was very endearing that a fighter could stay with one trainer throughout his career. Not to mention that Hatton looked absolutely lost after the first round of the Pacquiao fight listening to Mayweather and Beard.

[chris s]

A trainer is only as good as the fighter.

Look at the Shinfield's. They handled journeymen for years. In walks Rendall Munroe and they get praised. Don't remember too much lyrcial being waxed when they were looking after Seamus Casey.

That doesn't mean they were bad trainers then, but their abilities only got noticed when Rendall had success.

[orbtastic]

I remember when he was training hatton ie Ricky and he said that Ricky was the greatest fighter in the world and when Mayweather beat him he said he couldnt work out how it happened.Aside from that who has Graham trained thats been any good in all honesty?!Just my opinion though!

Farnell, Gomez...and didn't he train Ensley Bingham - who went twelve with Winky Wright? Okay not genuine world class guys but very good domestic fighters. Gomez had six wins contesting the British Superfeather weight title. That's no mean feat.

All ex champ's camp fighters though? Frank Grant & Mo Core too.

[Arnie]

Not bad was Billy

[palooka]

I always liked how Graham came across. He learnt his trade and applied it with lots of fighters before he got his big break with Ricky Hatton. He didn't do too bad with him did he? Mayweather was a league; and a weight division away from Hatton. I reckon Billy Graham was a very good trainer who got the best he could out of the fighters he had. (+ from what I've read he got treat pretty crap when it went tits up).

[JamesH]

I think some fighters are ideal for some coaches, stylistically and in terms of their relationship. I think Graham and Hatton was a good match in both respects and that he did a good job. I like reading or listening to his thoughts on other fighters too, he seems to read situations and fights well.

[palooka]

I think some fighters are ideal for some coaches, stylistically and in terms of their relationship. I think Graham and Hatton was a good match in both respects and that he did a good job. I like reading or listening to his thoughts on other fighters too, he seems to read situations and fights well.

Good post

[lefty]

A trainer is only as good as the fighter.

Look at the Shinfield's. They handled journeymen for years. In walks Rendall Munroe and they get praised. Don't remember too much lyrcial being waxed when they were looking after Seamus Casey.

That doesn't mean they were bad trainers then, but their abilities only got noticed when Rendall had success.

Yeah thats a very valid point.It was more of a question than me saying he was definietly an overrated trainer.

[Jeff Thomas]

Ricky Hatton- multi World champion and British Champion
Carl Thompson- 2 x World champ, euro champ and brit champion
Ensley Bingham- British champ and world title challenger
Paul Burke- 3 time commonweath champion and british champion
Steve Foster- Commonwealth champ and world title challenger
Maurice Core- British champ
Peter Judson- IBF intercon champ

And i'm sure he had more then that......

Not at all over-rated.

[mickey1975]

Ricky Hatton- multi World champion and British Champion
Carl Thompson- 2 x World champ, euro champ and brit champion
Ensley Bingham- British champ and world title challenger
Paul Burke- 3 time commonweath champion and british champion
Steve Foster- Commonwealth champ and world title challenger
Maurice Core- British champ
Peter Judson- IBF intercon champ

And i'm sure he had more then that......

Not at all over-rated.

Farnell,Smith,Foster Jr,Gomez,Hatton Jr....

[martin_g91]

Nearly all of the names mentioned with Graham have been inherited, gone to him from other trainers or joined him because of other boxers. Everyone seemed to go there when Ricky took off.

Graham will always be best known for Ricky Hatton. I think they made a good match. They are both very basic and both very good at what they did (and I dont mean that in a bad way. it worked to a level)

But like an earlier post rightly said, its the fighter that makes the trainer, not the other way around. Was Enzo Calzaghe the best trainer in the world ? (I title he won), would Freddy Roach suddenly not be the best trainer in the world if Pacquiao left him ? Is Angelo Dundee one of the best ever or did he just have two of the best ever to work with ?

I am not a huge Graham fan but I agree with an earlier post that it appears he got treated poorly at the end.

[Smigga]

He wasn't overrated. Very good trainer, common sense, told it how it was and very knowledgeable.

[hitman_hatton1]

legend.

over and out.

[whiskey]

I think the style that Ricky fought with all the way up to world level, was perfect for Billy to train.

His methods were about attacking, being strong, determination. Swarming and overwhelming opponents.

Unfortunately there was always the boxers out there, that would see it coming and tackle it accordingly.

Macklin used the same approach against Moore and he unravelled. Hatton was in against a super-power in Floyd and whilst the referee did him no favours, Floyds unforecasted reach and accuracy, plus Ricky being wide open to a left hook at times, sealed the deal.

I think the feints and timing, the skills that Ricky had early doors in his career where somewhat revived under Beard and witnessed against Paulie. He performed much better than against Lazcano which was a woeful, stale outing from Hatton.

By the time Ricky hopped in and was taken care of by Pacquiao, he was an altogether different beast mentally and physically. Would the Graham forumla had worked that night? Being honest i'm not so sure the outcome would be any different. The resulantant loss would have remained.

Overall Graham was a good trainer, he had his ideas and views that maybe others agree/disagree with. But I think it perhaps ran it's course with Ricky in the end. Throw in a few pots of gold and public adoration and suddenly everyone felt invincible until Floyd pooped the party.

It would have been epic if Ricky pulled it off and retired there and then. Sadly the manner of the two defeats have since stained the minds of boxing fans when it comes to ricky. But i'll forever remember some of the exciting journeys with Tszyu etc that he provided.

In closing, I felt that maybe a second man could have joined their team and freshen up things up alongside Graham. That would have been the correct thing. Not sure if Billy would have stood for it though.

But it's all in the past now.

[toomanyshots]

Being a good trainer is about getting the best/most out of a fighter, while pressing ur experience/opinion on them!!

[hurlock]

he done allright whatever you think.

i never liked how he'd get his gun's out & walking into the ring pumped staring out the opposition like he was fighting :!: had he been like that in his own career it would be justified.

[Smigga]

he done allright whatever you think.

i never liked how he'd get his gun's out & walking into the ring pumped staring out the opposition like he was fighting :!: had he been like that in his own career it would be justified.

I have no idea at all what this line means, but what he did in his own career is irrelevant to what he did as a trainer. Ask Freddie Roach & Angelo Dundee.

Billy was close to all his fighters, some will say too close. Being in there was as much for him as it was for his fighters, he'd gladly take the punches with us if he could. He loves the game, as I said he maybe took his role too far with the ring walks but give me a passionate, knowledgeable, caring and bang up for it trainer over one that doesn't give a toss about me any day.

There's too many trainers in the game who are in it for the dough, only.

[lefty]

he done allright whatever you think.

i never liked how he'd get his gun's out & walking into the ring pumped staring out the opposition like he was fighting :!: had he been like that in his own career it would be justified.

I have no idea at all what this line means, but what he did in his own career is irrelevant to what he did as a trainer. Ask Freddie Roach & Angelo Dundee.

Billy was close to all his fighters, some will say too close. Being in there was as much for him as it was for his fighters, he'd gladly take the punches with us if he could. He loves the game, as I said he maybe took his role too far with the ring walks but give me a passionate, knowledgeable, caring and bang up for it trainer over one that doesn't give a toss about me any day.

There's too many trainers in the game who are in it for the dough, only.

Thats a vaild point.

[hurlock]

he done allright whatever you think.

i never liked how he'd get his gun's out & walking into the ring pumped staring out the opposition like he was fighting :!: had he been like that in his own career it would be justified.

I have no idea at all what this line means, but what he did in his own career is irrelevant to what he did as a trainer. Ask Freddie Roach & Angelo Dundee.

Billy was close to all his fighters, some will say too close. Being in there was as much for him as it was for his fighters, he'd gladly take the punches with us if he could. He loves the game, as I said he maybe took his role too far with the ring walks but give me a passionate, knowledgeable, caring and bang up for it trainer over one that doesn't give a toss about me any day.

There's too many trainers in the game who are in it for the dough, only.

i never looked at it like that, i suppose your right.

[Neri]

Billy Graham also trained Andy Holligan I think.

Graham was a good trainer before Hatton. Hatton was one of a kind of course and a great talent from this country but i'm not so sure every other top trainer from these shores could have took him as far. They both went hand in hand and their abilites and talents both complemented each other.

In hindsight Hatton shouldn't have left Graham but it was a great ride for UK boxing fans and a time which should be looked back on with a smile. I enjoyed those nights at the MEN for Hatton fights.

[hurlock]

i think grahams arm's were shot & he couldnt give 100% & wouldnt let another trainer take control.
hatton should of retired after the laczano fight himself. im not a fan of graham but felt he was treated very poorly by team hatton, ive read how the top pro's in the phoenix would play second fiddle to hatton who was treated like billy's love child :!: