By Terence Dooley (photo by Loura Conerney)

When visiting Billy Graham’s Phoenix Gym I am constantly reminded of the scene in The Godfather when Tom Hagen is asked which law firm he represents and he answers that he works for a family firm with a limited, exclusive clientele.  A small clientele, when nurtured, can often create massive business.  The Phoenix is now home to three boxers at very different stages in their careers overseen by Graham who has enough time to ensure that all his charges are given the full benefit of his experience.

His most famous charge, Manchester’s own Ricky Hatton has recently fought for the WBA Welterweight title, and he won it, don’t let the negative press fool you into thinking he lost his fight with Collazo.  Ricky is currently back in the gym gearing up for another fight against an, as yet, unnamed opponent.

Ricky’s brother Matthew is also back in the gym looking to push on from his US debut and launch himself into the British title mix.

Finally Matthew Macklin is fine-tuning himself ahead of his make or break fight with Jamie Moore in Manchester this September.  Matthew was taking a deserved day off on my visit so I spoke to Billy about the upcoming Moore fight, Ricky Hatton, then the upcoming WBC world-title tilt featuring Junior Witter and DeMarcus Corley.  I then spoke to Ricky about that tough fight with Collazo before also moving onto the topic of Witter and Junior’s upcoming title clash here in the UK against DeMarcus Corley in September.

Billy Graham must have the British title on his mind, or at least the current holder of the light-middleweight British title Jamie Moore.  Manchester is buzzing about this fight; it is a rarity in modern British boxing, two active and outstanding British fighters going at one another for the right to be the top dog at 154lb, in the UK at least. 

I recently interviewed Jamie and spoke to Billy about the Salford southpaw who will be facing off versus Macklin on September the 29th and asked him about the views of the camp.  Firstly Billy made it clear that in the opposite corner from his fighter Matthew Macklin will be a man he considers a friend in Jamie Moore, both Billy and Jamie hail from Salford and have brought boxing glory to that place.  Secondly Billy made it clear that he also considers Oliver Harrison, the trainer of Moore, a friend and someone he respects.  The cross-camp feeling of friendship had been evidenced earlier when Ricky had told me he was planning to phone Jamie to congratulate him on his win over Mike Algoet.

Still, there is a fight to be fought, friendship and respect must be tempered with competitive desire and the will to win.  My own feeling when the fight was made was one of surprise, in truth both men could move onwards and upwards and set higher targets without having to derail one or the other.  Yet this is not the case and Moore tells me he is burning for this fight, Macklin assures me he feels the same.  Certainly, I feel that this fight could be a barnburner, indeed I smell a trilogy or at least a double in the air as these men clash to be the best in Britain as well as for the right to move onwards with their careers. 

Here is what Billy had to say about the fight:  “How do I see the fight panning out?  I see a real hard fight; potentially it is a really tough fight.  I think Jamie Moore is a proud man who won the Lonsdale belt outright and is probably at his peak.  He is incredibly game, he is a southpaw and he is tough.  Look, I know Jamie really well and consider him to be a friend of mine.  We could sit around to be honest and wait for Jamie to move on and bide our time (because Matt is relatively inexperienced) but that is not what we want to do.  Matt wants to take the belt off the Champion and I like that in him.”

Talk around the gyms pre-Christmas had been about how cautious Billy can be and that the Moore – Macklin clash would not be taken up yet it is almost upon them now so the Graham camp must feel pretty comfortable about things: “Yeah, I’m normally pretty cautious, very cautious, but I think that Matthew will beat Jamie, otherwise I wouldn’t take the fight.”

In the past Birmingham versus Salford clashes have been football-style passionate affairs, who can forget Robert McCraken versus Steve ‘The Viking’ Foster in 1994?  Did Bill think the added spice of him, a Salford man, going back to try and take the title off a Salford fighter would throw fuel on the flames of this fight:  “This will be a great fight, I just hope there isn’t any trouble, from both sides.  Boxing isn’t football and fight fans come and appreciate a fight without any of that stuff outside the ring going on.  I hope the crowd on both sides know that I respect and consider Jamie my friend; I also respect and consider Oliver Harrison to be my friend." 

"Matthew Macklin likes Jamie and thinks he is a nice lad so I  hope the fans from Birmingham and Salford realise there is no animosity between our camps so why should there be any animosity between them?  I hope they take it as what it is, a sporting event, and give both boys the credit they deserve for taking the fight, and may the best man win.”

Still it must be hard for Graham to take Macklin into a fight against Jamie Moore who has achieved so much fighting for Salford and his fans there:  “I think it is unfortunate in one way for me that I have to go against a man from my home town that I admire but is business and I’m a coach.  Matthew Macklin is my fighter and I’m his trainer, we’ve got a job to do and we intend to do it.  It should be a great night of boxing, I’m going against a kid from my home town and I don’t like that but that is how it is.”

Indeed it had been widely assumed by many that Graham would take the coaching role when Moore turned pro but fate, it seems, had selected a different path for both men to follow:  “There was a reason why I didn’t train Jamie Moore and the reason is, absolutely, it is no secret I have a lot of injuries but I can nurse my injuries because I’m so experienced at training with orthodox fighters.  So the only reason I didn’t train Jamie is that the injuries are so bad, and Jamie so good, that I could have given Jamie a session on the pads and been out for months.  I actually phoned Jamie up and told him that.  I felt bad not training Jamie, Jamie is a fighter I would have loved to have trained but he is a southpaw and at the time I was really suffering with injuries, that is the only reason.”

In terms of Macklin there has been a big difference in Matthew under Billy, particularly in his footwork and ability to keep his sense of balance when pursuing a moving target: “Macklin is a great talent to be honest with you, he is great with me and we just gel.  He is the most improved fighter, the fastest improving fighter, I’ve had since Ricky Hatton to be honest, and he is very talented so the talent was there.  I didn’t know how much until we met, he just needed someone to bring the talent out of him.  Matthew is a very intelligent guy.  I got him moving across the canvas faster, worked on his feet and balance and he amazes me sometimes as he improves at such a rate.” 

Having such a fast-improving fighter must be a quandary, when do you let them off the leash:  “That is why I can’t hold him back from a fight with Jamie.  He wants to take it (the Lonsdale belt) off Jamie while Jamie is Champion and I think he is capable of doing it.  Matthew will win the title.”

Hyping up a war with a southpaw can be a constant source of danger.  Jamie is aggressive and a come forward type but he had told me he was looking to get more Hagler into his work and use his boxing more.  What would Macklin do if Jamie comes out boxing stylishly in much the way he did versus Michael Jones, would Macklin be able to cope:  “Jamie is a very good fighter; he can box going backwards and going forwards.  I’ve got to prepare for whatever way Jamie wants to play it.  If he wants to come forwards and take it to Matt then we are ready for that.  If he wants to go off the back foot and get the rounds in the bank we will be prepared for that, either way we’ll be prepared for what he does." 

"I cannot underestimate a fighter like Jamie Moore because he is a proud fighter, he is a conscientious fighter.  I know I’m going against a really good Champion here in the shape of Jamie Moore and I’ve told Matthew that but I’m confident.  Matthew is going to be a little bit special.”

So what about it is this going to be the biggest British title fight since Mason – Lewis? 

“I think it will be a better fight and that is for sure!  It is a huge fight to be honest with you.  To be honest with you I think it should be at a classic arena, maybe on neutral ground.  In my opinion it deserves to have been fought a little bit later-on when the guys are getting more money but it is going to be a classic: it is what the boxing public wants, it is what the TV Company wants and it is what my fighter wants.  It is going to be a great night for everybody and a real sporting spectacle.  It is a massive fight for me to be honest.  I don’t think anyone will be disappointed.”