Titles and more titles and uncrowned champion Billy Graham

It is a widely accepted view that the sheer number of boxing world titles has resulted in them being devalued.

A common misconception is that it is a problem that first occurred in the 1980’s, as early as the 1960’s this issue was rising to prominence. In the 1962 Boxing News annual, J. Onslow Fane, the President and Chairman of the British Boxing Board of Control was quoted as saying “It is totally undesirable to have two different boxers recognized as a World Champions at the same weight in different parts of the world.” These concerns were a result of two British boxers of that time, John Caldwell and Terry Downes, being recognized as Champions of the world everywhere other than by the N.B.A of America who had other ideas.

While the N.B.A was disbanded that year; Fane would be disappointed to hear that fight fans today can only dream of there being two world champions per weight division.

Sadly, there are now four recognized world bodies, one of whom has two world champions per weight division. With some observers even arguing that the IBO is a creditable title, it can be ascertained that in the eyes of some there are over one hundred paths to world titles across the various weight divisions.

This is quite simply astounding in comparison to Fane’s era and the years that preceded his involvement when the eight weight divisions offered just the one route to a world title.

It is for that reason that phenomenal fighters such as Billy Graham never won a world title.

The New Yorker has a boxing resume that some of the current world champions could only dream of and below we take a look at why many consider him to be the greatest boxer never to earn world honors.

Born in 1922 he made his debut aged 18 and began with a 41-fight unbeaten streak which was compiled over nineteen months between April 1941 and November 1942. The Second World War meant a seventeen-month break from the ring. However, he continued on the unbeaten run until in his 59th fight when he dropped a split decision to fellow New Yorker Tony Pellone.

Over the following four years he went on to have another 27 fights before securing a fight against future hall of famer Kid Gavilán. At the time Graham held a record of 83-5-

6 and he improved on that record with a split decision victory on 10th February 1950.

The two contested another non-title bout nine months later with Gavilán then nicking a majority decision. The following May, Gavilán outpointed Johnny Bratton to become World Champion and this finally gave Graham the chance to fight for the World Welterweight title at Madison Square Gardens on 28th August 1951.

Gavilan was awarded a split decision victory, much to the disgust of onlookers, the involvement of mobsters such as Frankie Carbo and Blinky Palermo considered pivotal to the scoring. Graham was not contracted to them.

Graham fought Gavilán for a fourth time in what was his only other world title fight a year later. This time he lost clearly in Havana and spent the rest of his career on the periphery of the world welterweight title scene until his retirement in 1955.

His record was 102-15-9. As well as fighting Gavilán he also contested fights against future hall of fame fighters Carmen Basilio and Joey Giardello. He beat, lost and drew against Basilio While he lost a trilogy with Giardello two bouts to one.

Gavilán, Basilio and Giardello of course held world titles at some time or another, for Graham he had to make do with just his two unsuccessful attempts. Despite this he was inducted to the International and World Boxing Hall of Fame, was considered the ninth greatest welterweight of all time by Herb Goldman, and was never knocked down in his 126-fight career.

He fought at Madison Square Garden eighteen times while also displaying his stylish and subtle style in infamous locations including the War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse, and Chicago Stadium.

If we were to make a direct comparison with champions of today the WBA “regular” welterweight champion is currently Alexander Besputin. While this is not a slight at Besputin, after all he is a former amateur European champion, he contested his first world title fight after just thirteen fights against what is best described as limited opposition. Graham had 103 against some of the best boxers of the time.

Of course we are not expecting boxers in this day and age to contest as many fights as Graham did before a world title tilt. However, fighters not even close to the level of Graham can claim to be world champions. Graham may never have been a unified or undisputed champion if today’s titles were up for grabs in the 1950’s.

However, he would have been a world champion of some kind, we have no doubt about that.