Billy Graham (September 9, 1922 – January 22, 1992) was an American boxer from New York City who had a professional record of 102 wins and 15 losses. Though a leading lightweight contender, Graham was never the recipient of a world title. Graham did however, have the remarkable distinction of never having been knocked off his feet in his long career. He was elected into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1987, and is also in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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Early life and career
Graham was born in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan on September 9, 1922. Billy's father operated a candy store on Second Avenue between East 35th and 36th streets, which later became a bar after the end of Prohibition and moved to the corner of Second Avenue and East 36th Street. His early life centered on the neighborhood surrounding his father's saloon, which included St. Gabriel Church and St. Gabriel's Park.
At the age of ten, Billy began learning how to box at the Catholic Boys' Club, which was a converted tenement on East 37th Street between First and Second avenues and included a gym on the top floor. He later boxed for the Madison Square Boys' Club. Graham defeated Walker Smith Jr. (Sugar Ray Robinson) in a three-round decision at Greenwich House in the West Village for the Boys' Club Athletic League championship when they were both amateurs in New York City. At the time, Graham was thirteen years old and both kids weighted about 90 pounds (41 kg). Years later, after Robinson had become a boxing legend, Graham saw him and reminded him of their fight. Robinson smiled and responded, "Lots of people beat Sugar Ray Robinson. But you're the only man who ever beat Walker Smith." Graham went on to compile a record of 80–2 as an amateur boxer.