Herol Graham

Herol Graham

Herol "Bomber" Graham (born 13 September 1959 in Nottingham, England) is generally acknowledged as one of the best British boxers of the post-war era never to have won a world title.

In 1978, after winning the ABA light-middleweight title, he turned professional, fighting out of Brendan Ingle's gym in the Wincobank area of Sheffield.

He became well known for his appearances in pubs and clubs in Sheffield where he would invite people to try to hit him while having his hands behind his back. He was so quick no one could ever lay a glove on him.

Graham went 38 fights undefeated, winning the British, Commonwealth and European Light-Middleweight titles and the British and European Middlewight titles. He eventually lost his unbeaten record in a European Middleweight title defence to future world champion Sumbu Kalambay in 1987. Herol fought for world titles three times at Middleweight and Super-Middleweight. In his first attempt, he took Mike McCallum to a close decision. Points deducted for low blows cost him the verdict. A year later, in another world title challenge, he lost to Julian Jackson in another closely fought contest. The one punch that struck Graham knocked him out cold before he hit the canvas.

Four years of inactivity were followed by an unexpected comeback in which Graham put together a series of victories to gain a last shot at a world title in March 1998. Challenging American Charles Brewer for the IBF super middleweight title, he was stopped in the tenth round. Graham then retired from the ring and now lives in the Dore area of Sheffield, working as a personal trainer in partnership with Terry Carbendama at Virgin Active. He specialises in boxing-based exercises.

In February 2009, Graham's son was injured in what police described as a "targeted shooting" at Westfield, Sheffield.