Herol Graham - The Best I've Faced
Posted: 08 Dec 2015, 22:04
Best I've Faced : Herrol Graham
Best boxer:
Sumbu Kalambay for the European middleweight title. It was a very close fight, but he caught me with a big punch and I slid across the ropes. I have to give him that, it was a great shot, and that probably took the fight away from me, if I’m being honest. He was a quality opponent, who won and lost a fight with Mike McCallum after that.
Best puncher:
The best puncher was Julian Jackson, come on, please. I don’t even have to think when it comes to that question. One shot and I was gone and it came just after the referee was going to stop the fight in my favor. I made the mistake of going for a sucker punch, when he was in the corner, and Jackson responded with a knockout punch. I had to go to the hospital and there were some scary moments because I couldn’t remember a thing about the fight. Three or four hours later it all came back to me and that was a really powerful right hand shot. There were a lot of broken hearts in Britain that night, especially mine. Another extremely hard puncher was Lindell Holmes, who I outpointed in Sheffield, but nobody tops Jackson.
Best defense:
Maybe Sumbu Kalambay but there wasn’t anyone who really excelled defensively. Even McCallum wasn’t difficult to hit and although Kalambay was a big puncher with long arms, he was still findable. That said I didn’t hit him as often as I wanted to, so Kalambay edges it.
Fastest hands:
Mine (laughs). For the most part my hand speed was superior, so it’s difficult to think of someone who troubled me. You could say Vinny Pazienza had the quickest hands but he couldn’t hit me with anything. It was funny because after that fight Pazienza told me that I didn’t touch him. I said; “What about the marks all over your face, Vinny? There’s blood coming from your eye and you have swollen lips, but I didn’t touch you?” He was going on like I didn’t win the fight (laughs). He did have quick hands because he was short limbed and exploded on the inside, but his style was easy to box against.
Fastest feet:
Nobody, come on now, don’t mess about (laughs). I kept it long and my stance was wide, so I leaned back out the way. The suspension of a bridge is long, is it not? If I wanted distance then I created it, so nobody was able to counter me in terms of footwork – nobody.
Best chin:
Well I can’t say me for this one because I got knocked out (laughs). It’s got to be Charles “The Hatchet” Brewer. I got him down twice, but couldn’t finish and he ended up stopping me. The fight was in Atlantic City, on the undercard of Lennox Lewis vs. Shannon Briggs.
Best jab:
Nobody bothered me with the jab. I expected a great jab from Mike McCallum, but his didn’t trouble me at all. He was forced to hustle and bustle with me, because boxing wasn’t working for him.
Strongest:
Sanderline Williams in 1985. I remember him because he wore army trunks, but more so because his shots seemed to go right through me. I really had to move that night, because he hit so hard. I would still give punch power to Julian Jackson though. I have to because he knocked me out.
Smartest:
Sumbu Kalambay or Mike McCallum. Both of them were smart technicians who made you think, but I pushed both of them all the way.
Best overall:
Mike McCallum, but I thought I beat him. He tried to dictate the pace and I could see that, so I changed the tempo and did my thing. I boxed, frustrated him with my movement and, although he scored points by applying pressure, nothing was landing. The judges scored aggression but it wasn’t effective aggression. This was The Body Snatcher, right? Watch the fight and you’ll see – he couldn’t touch me to the body. It was a great experience and he was a great fighter, but he couldn’t get off the shots that he wanted to get off. I was perhaps guilty of not throwing enough back, but I thought I earned the decision.
Best boxer:
Sumbu Kalambay for the European middleweight title. It was a very close fight, but he caught me with a big punch and I slid across the ropes. I have to give him that, it was a great shot, and that probably took the fight away from me, if I’m being honest. He was a quality opponent, who won and lost a fight with Mike McCallum after that.
Best puncher:
The best puncher was Julian Jackson, come on, please. I don’t even have to think when it comes to that question. One shot and I was gone and it came just after the referee was going to stop the fight in my favor. I made the mistake of going for a sucker punch, when he was in the corner, and Jackson responded with a knockout punch. I had to go to the hospital and there were some scary moments because I couldn’t remember a thing about the fight. Three or four hours later it all came back to me and that was a really powerful right hand shot. There were a lot of broken hearts in Britain that night, especially mine. Another extremely hard puncher was Lindell Holmes, who I outpointed in Sheffield, but nobody tops Jackson.
Best defense:
Maybe Sumbu Kalambay but there wasn’t anyone who really excelled defensively. Even McCallum wasn’t difficult to hit and although Kalambay was a big puncher with long arms, he was still findable. That said I didn’t hit him as often as I wanted to, so Kalambay edges it.
Fastest hands:
Mine (laughs). For the most part my hand speed was superior, so it’s difficult to think of someone who troubled me. You could say Vinny Pazienza had the quickest hands but he couldn’t hit me with anything. It was funny because after that fight Pazienza told me that I didn’t touch him. I said; “What about the marks all over your face, Vinny? There’s blood coming from your eye and you have swollen lips, but I didn’t touch you?” He was going on like I didn’t win the fight (laughs). He did have quick hands because he was short limbed and exploded on the inside, but his style was easy to box against.
Fastest feet:
Nobody, come on now, don’t mess about (laughs). I kept it long and my stance was wide, so I leaned back out the way. The suspension of a bridge is long, is it not? If I wanted distance then I created it, so nobody was able to counter me in terms of footwork – nobody.
Best chin:
Well I can’t say me for this one because I got knocked out (laughs). It’s got to be Charles “The Hatchet” Brewer. I got him down twice, but couldn’t finish and he ended up stopping me. The fight was in Atlantic City, on the undercard of Lennox Lewis vs. Shannon Briggs.
Best jab:
Nobody bothered me with the jab. I expected a great jab from Mike McCallum, but his didn’t trouble me at all. He was forced to hustle and bustle with me, because boxing wasn’t working for him.
Strongest:
Sanderline Williams in 1985. I remember him because he wore army trunks, but more so because his shots seemed to go right through me. I really had to move that night, because he hit so hard. I would still give punch power to Julian Jackson though. I have to because he knocked me out.
Smartest:
Sumbu Kalambay or Mike McCallum. Both of them were smart technicians who made you think, but I pushed both of them all the way.
Best overall:
Mike McCallum, but I thought I beat him. He tried to dictate the pace and I could see that, so I changed the tempo and did my thing. I boxed, frustrated him with my movement and, although he scored points by applying pressure, nothing was landing. The judges scored aggression but it wasn’t effective aggression. This was The Body Snatcher, right? Watch the fight and you’ll see – he couldn’t touch me to the body. It was a great experience and he was a great fighter, but he couldn’t get off the shots that he wanted to get off. I was perhaps guilty of not throwing enough back, but I thought I earned the decision.
thanks for that Rasta.
and that's that.
)