Top 5 Trainers In The Game????? History?????

[grayfist]

I'm sorry but I'm thinking of more than five: (In no particular order)

D'Amato

Futch

A Dundee

Benton

Goldman

Blackburn

Ray Arcel

Whitey Bimstein

Gil Clancy

William Muldoon (trainer and friend of John L. Sullivan, particularly for the fight against Jake Kilrain, when, as reports had it, he threatened Sullivan with a baseball bat whenever Sullivan wanted to skip training for trips to the bar).

[BuddyChacon]

I think Ruby Goldstein was a referee, not a trainer. He reffed Griffith-Paret. From what I have read Chickie Ferrara was a great trainer.

[K-DOGG]

I think Ruby Goldstein was a referee, not a trainer. He reffed Griffith-Paret. From what I have read Chickie Ferrara was a great trainer.

Yeah, I meant Charlie Goldman....brainfart. Sorry 'bout that.

[BuddyChacon]

I have a feeling we are leaving off some great non american trainers. Nacho Beristain, The Mexican Professor whose name excapes me, Brusa from Argentina, and Cornelius Boza Edwards trainer he was British and had all the great black brits for a time. Any help on his name would be apprieciated.

[Left2body]

The 1974 ABA North West Counties welterweight champion walked into the original Phoenix Gym in Salford (not the current one at Betta Bodies) in the Autumn of 1988 with his kitbag ready to start boxing again, but his old buddy Phil Martin threw him the bodybag and pads and told him to forget about boxing again but to help him out as a trainer instead. In the mid-70's, Graham had 12 wins and 2 losses as a professional boxer, then competed in a lot of 'smokers' (unsanctioned fights) in the late 70's before calling it a day.

Graham started working with Steve Foster and Ensley Bingham in January 1989, and vast improvement was shown in both boxers over the next few years with Graham eventually leading them to world title shots by the mid-90's. Graham had took over the gym himself in the early 90's and had a gym-full of champions and prospects, with no helpers. He had taught himself how to be a trainer.

The bodybag and pads were always out, the gym always had fighters in it with Billy taking a slamming alday as he brainwashed them with his technique while they were hammering away at him. He was training more fighters than any other trainer in the country, and always improving them. Maurice Core was the first fighter to turn pro under Graham, and Graham led him to a European title shot.

He's trained his share of world-level fighters like Ricky Hatton, Michael Brodie and Carl 'The Cat' Thompson. He's also trained the likes of Andy Holligan and Pat Barrett to world title shots. He helped Mark Winters with his technique. He created a very good prospect called Mark Haslam who fell out with Billy and left him after a fight with Tommy Pea****, Haslam did nothing after getting rid of Billy. John White was another very good prospect that Graham created, but he got thrown in prison. He took Michael Gomez on in 1998 and moulded him from very raw material into a multiple champion. He trained Wayne Rigby to his wins over Hugh Collins and Tanveer Ahmed, Rigby replaced Billy with another trainer (Bobby Shannon) for a fight against Bobby Vanzie and lost (and did nothing after getting rid of Billy).

His rules have always been simple: he refuses to train any fighters who smoke (even though he smokes himself!), he refuses to train any fighters who won't use weights, and he refuses to train any fighters who aren't straight with him.

His current stable includes the likes of Ricky Hatton, Matthew Hatton, Matthew Macklin, Anthony Farnell, Stephen Foster (Steve Foster's son), and Patrick J Maxwell.

I would say that Billy Graham is the best 'attack-minded' trainer that Britain has ever seen, and he has a very advanced boxing brain. Look at that job he did with Ricky Hatton, he single-handedly learned Ricky how to effectively work off opponents leads and thread punches through small gaps. He single-handedly learned Ricky how to move his head on the way in and throw a little jab on the way out. He single-handedly learned Ricky how to shift his position and step around to open an opponent up. He single-handedly learned Ricky where to place his body shots to have the best effect. Ricky had none of those tools in the amateurs (Graham didn't start training Hatton until December 1986), he was a heck of a talent as an amateur but over the years with Billy his skills became super-advanced.

I actually know Patrick J. Maxwell and his brother, and he has sparred with Hatton and we have discussed before about who would win Hatton vs PBF with him debating from the side that Hatton would beat PBF at 10 or 10 1/2 stones.

Anyway yeah, I see how you can think that Graham is a good trainer and I dont argue that but he is currently no where near as great and Elite a trainer as some of the others already mentioned, he has 1 elite fighter. The same way that PBF senior isn't considered a great trainer yet. I would still say that based on the performance of there fighters that Graham isn't an elite trainer the way Stewart, Goosen, Roach, McGirt, Futch...etc are or were. Perhaps he will develope into that and Patrick will become an Elite figthter and further enhances Grahams stable but presently, IMHO he is not an Elite Trainer.

BTW thanks for the info on Graham it was a good read and nice to see Patrick's name up there .

[Galindezs]

I actually know Patrick J. Maxwell and his brother, and he has sparred with Hatton and we have discussed before about who would win Hatton vs PBF with him debating from the side that Hatton would beat PBF at 10 or 10 1/2 stones.

Anyway yeah, I see how you can think that Graham is a good trainer but his no where near as great as some of the others already mentioned, he has 1 elite fighter. The same way that PBF senior isn't considered a great trainer yet. I would still say that based on the performance of there fighters that Graham isn't an elite trainer the way Stewart, Goosen, Roach, McGirt, Futch...etc are or were. Perhaps he will develope into that and Patrick will become an Elite figthter and further enhances Grahams stable but presently, IMHO he is not an Elite Trainer.

He's always improved his fighters, he may not of had elite fighters join him, but he has always developed his fighters. And he's just an absolutely great guy to talk boxing with. His tactical knowledge is very cute, IMO.

[Galindezs]

I don't recall actually seeing J Maxwell yet, is he any good?

[Galindezs]

I don't know if it was J Maxwell, but I saw a guy called Patrick something (I seem to recall his surname began with S) on a Hatton undercard a few years back, I swear fighting the guy Eubank used to use as a punching bag (Lee something). I don't know if that's him.

[grayfist]

Cornelius Boza Edwards trainer he was British and had all the great black brits for a time. Any help on his name would be apprieciated.

Mickey Duff? He was involved with Boza-Edwards, Mugabi, Conteh, Winstone and Minter, among others.

Edit: Some people know Mickey as matchmaker, though. So, I'm not sure he's the one you're looking for.

[Galindezs]

Duff was no trainer. I'm sure he means George Francis.

Jimmy Tibbs is my favourite British trainer, of my lifetime. I think he's the man.