The Story of Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham

The Story of Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham

By Simon Graham 

When I was school boy boxer a very good friend of mine nicknamed me “Bomber” not because I was a KO specialist but because of my name sake who incidentally was a far better boxer than I ever was.

While I was having amateur bouts up and down the country Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham was on a professional parallel path that would lead him to British, Commonwealth and European glory.

After winning the ABA middleweight title, Graham turned professional in 1978, fighting out of Brendan Ingle’s gym in Sheffield. Gifted with an enormous sense of humour and smile that could light up a dimly lit room, Graham could box a bit too, highly regarded as the most gifted fighter to come out of Britain.

Throughout his career Graham would be frozen out by the likes of Marvin Hagler even though he had a superb record of 38 straight victories 17 by TKO or KO, Hagler ignored the call to defend his title against the Englishman, when Hagler was stripped of his belt by the WBA and IBF for fighting Sugar Ray Leonard instead of his Mandatory Graham.

It would take another two years until he would get his first shot at World level.

British middleweights too would openly refuse to take on Graham, revelling in their lucrative business deals the likes of Michael Watson, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank would side step Graham, Eubank famously announcing:
“I wont fight him because I can’t hit him” it was true too.

Brendon Ingle would constantly boast that he would take Graham to workingmen’s clubs and invite the punters to try and hit his man, time and time again they would fail.

Graham fought for the world title 3 times losing a narrow points decision to Mike McCallum in 1987, in 1990 he tried again against the much feared hard punching knock out specialist Julian Jackson.

Graham was in total control of the fight out boxing and out punching the American. Midway through the 4th round trapped on the ropes and taking a beating Jackson threw a right hook counter which landed flush on the chin of the Bomber rendering him unconscious before he hit the canvas, it was devastating set back.

Graham would try one last time to add a world title to his resume after a 4 year layoff Graham put himself into title shot contention beating Chris Johnson and Vinny Pazienza for the WBC international belt.

Hoping to make it 3rd time lucky Graham stepped into the ring in 1998 with Charles Brewer for the IBF super middleweight world title.

Boxing superbly and dropping the champion twice in round 3 Graham began to tire the referee stopping the fight in round 10 in favour of Brewer.

Graham found life difficult after boxing. One of Britains greatest talents never to win a world title would face his biggest battle a much-published fight with mental illness.

Thankfully and more importantly than any of his previous fights it is a battle that Graham is winning, a boxing legend that we should be celebrating at every opportunity for his efforts inside and outside the ring.