William Neil Graham (born ) is a New Zealand boxing trainer and former amateur boxer. He won four New Zealand titles at light welterweight, plus an

Australasia Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...

n title and the Jamieson Belt. Born in

Naenae Naenae (, occasionally spelled NaeNae) is a suburb of Lower Hutt, New Zealand. It lies on the eastern edge of the floodplain of the Hutt River, four kilometres from the Lower Hutt Central business district. A small tributary of the Hutt, the ...

, and trained by the legendary Dick Dunn, Graham's amateur career was outstanding. He did not turn pro, but in the late 1960s Bob Jones wrote the following about young Graham: When Graham was 28, his coach told him it was time to stop boxing. Graham left boxing after 18 years in the ring without ever having taken a blow to the head. He now runs the Naenae Boxing Academies in Naenae and Cannons creek, These academies help kids of the street and save their childhoods which has gained recognition from several newspapers.

Honours and awards

In 2011, Graham was named the Local Community Hero of the Year at the New Zealander of the Year awards. In the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours, Graham was appointed a

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ...

, for services to youth and the community.

References

External links

Billy GrahamBilly Graham's Naenae Boxing AcademyBilly Graham Naenae Charitable Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Billy Sportspeople from Lower Hutt New Zealand boxing trainers New Zealand male boxers Light-welterweight boxers Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit 1940s births Year of birth uncertain Living people 20th-century New Zealand sportsmen