Middleweight great backs Eastman

By Ben Dirs

Live coverage on BBC Radio Five and this website Highlights on Sunday Grandstand and on BBC Two at 2230 GMT Eastman's title tilt on the BBC

British middleweight legend Herol Graham reckons compatriot Howard Eastman can pull off a major upset against Bernard Hopkins on Saturday.

Graham, who lost three world-title tilts, believes Eastman has the power to achieve what he never could.

Graham told BBC Sport: "Hopkins deserves his pound-for-pound tag but Howard has a puncher's chance.

"And Howard can fight. His boxing ability is proven and he's done the job time and time again."

However, Graham feels Hopkins is cute enough not be drawn into a war in Los Angeles and will probably shade the "Battersea Bomber" over the distance.

Eastman not only shares a soubriquet with "Bomber" Graham but also some notable career traits.

Like Eastman, Graham had shots at the world middleweight crown - but came up short each time.

Eastman disappointed in his first stab at a world title in 2001, controversially losing on points to American William Joppy.

He will be hoping to go one better than Graham second time round. Having dropped a split decision to rugged Jamaican Mike McCallum in 1989, Graham was laid out by the huge-hitting Julian Jackson the following year.

TALE OF THE TAPE Hopkins . . . . .v . . . . Eastman 40 . . . . . . . . Age . . . . . . . . 34 6'1. . . . . . . Height . . . . . . 5'11 75'. . . . . . . Reach . . . . . . . 74' Orthodox. . .Stance . . Orthodox 45(32)-2-1 . Record. . . 40(34)-1 Richie Woodhall's fight prediction

Graham also lost an IBF super middleweight challenge to Charles Brewer in his last professional encounter and twice lost out to Italy's Sumbu Kalambay in European title fights.

But even in defeat, the slick Nottingham-born southpaw, like Eastman, earned a reputation as someone to be avoided at all costs.

The template for fellow Brendan Ingle fighters Naseem Hamed and Johnny Nelson, Graham fought with low-slung hands and relied on lightning reflexes for defence.

McCallum, a world champion at three different weights, described fighting the slippery Graham as his "worst nightmare".

Jackson, who knocked out 49 opponents in 55 wins, was being completely outfoxed before exploding a devastating right hand on Graham's outstretched chin.

While Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran were ignoring him, Graham claims domestic rivals Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn were running screaming to the hills.

Graham, 45, reflects: "I was too good for my own good! That's why they wouldn't box me.

"Eubank swore blind he would never box me and Benn wouldn't fight me because he was a fighter. I was a boxer and I liked tormenting people."

Consequently, Graham's public profile was never as high as it should have been and he missed out on Britain's boxing boom of the early 1990s.

Graham's career record was 48 wins from 54 fights

"I love it when they say 'Bomber' Graham was awful to box and you couldn't do anything with him - but I didn't earn the money."

This country's love of boxing has given way to ambivalence and Eastman's public stock is lower than Graham's ever was. A lack of quality domestic foes and wariness from across the Atlantic mean he is virtually unknown beyond the boxing fraternity.

Sometimes coming across as brooding and cantankerous, Eastman has hardly gone out of his way to rectify the situation.

"I find him quite eccentric," says Graham. "I don't think he mixes and approaches people that well.

"Because of that, not many people outside boxing notice. He'd earn a lot more money if he was a lovable character."

However, one suspects Graham would have swapped much of his geniality for Eastman's heavy hands and strength of chin.

"I wasn't clever enough against Julian Jackson. I stuck my chin out and it took me six minutes to get up," says Graham.

"Howard can punch - and it only needs one punch to do the damage."

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VERDICT: Hopkins on points - but Eastman has puncher's chance

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