Frank Bruno’s road to a world title was a long, punishing one, marked by detours and setbacks that made his eventual triumph as much about perseverance as ability.
One of British boxing’s most beloved figures, Bruno was a formidable physical specimen with a strong jab and serious power — yet doubts about his durability followed him every time he came up short.
Two of the greatest heavyweights of all time, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis, stood unmoved by the nation’s desire to see “Big Frank” crowned champion. Tyson dealt with him in typically savage fashion; Lewis, by contrast, was cold, clinical and precise.
Bruno’s brave but brief effort against Tyson in 1989 is often remembered for Harry Carpenter’s famous cry as Bruno stunned the seemingly invincible champion early in the fight. But just as in their 1996 rematch — when Bruno entered as WBC champion — the affable Londoner was ultimately overwhelmed by Tyson’s ferocity.
Arguably, his defeat to Lewis in 1993 was even crueller. Ahead on the cards and having rocked Lewis more than once, Bruno appeared closer than ever to fulfilling his dream. But a perfectly timed left hook in the seventh round changed everything, and referee Mickey Vann soon stepped in to halt the contest.
It was little surprise, then, that Bruno became the ideal man to compare Lewis and Tyson when the two finally met in their past-its-sell-by-date megafight in June 2002. Speaking to ESPN, Bruno said:
“I boxed Tyson twice and I boxed Lennox Lewis, and I would rather box Lennox Lewis five days a week than to fight a Mike Tyson. He’s awkward, short, dangerous, and when he’s fit, he’s very dangerous.”
By then Tyson’s best days were well behind him, and Lewis had little trouble neutralising what remained of the former “baddest man on the planet”, easing to an eighth-round knockout victory.