FRANK BRUNO’S legacy ought to be rewritten following the brand new documentary chronicling his two-fight rivalry with Mike Tyson.
The 59-year-old Brit was unashamedly crushed twice by the Baddest Man on the Planet and stopped by heavyweight boxing’s final undisputed king Lennox Lewis.
Because of KO defeats to underrated dangermen James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith and Tim Witherspoon, Bruno’s fame was certainly one of a virtually man who all the time choked on the closing hurdle.
However not like a number of the sport’s most revered exhausting males – like Roberto Duran and Sonny Liston – Bruno by no means give up a combat and was all the time stopped by the ref or his nook when a brutal shot had robbed him of his senses.
And hall-of-fame promoter Frank Warren – who promoted the tear-soaked 1995 world title win at Bruno’s fourth try – hopes the brand new era of combat followers now see Bruno for the hero he actually was.
“Frank bought a horrible quantity of stick, some from boxing followers and a few from different fighters, and he appeared to take all of it to coronary heart,” Warren advised SunSport forward of his Saturday evening BT Sport present.
“However maintain his report up now, return and watch these defeats – the place he was damage however refused to take a knee or didn’t know the tips of the commerce to purchase some restoration time – and you will notice an excellent fighter.
“I by no means wished to return and watch these losses, they had been conclusive and painful for Frank, but it surely’s simple to overlook the punishment he took and the way he was too proud to fall over and take a rely.”
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Mischievously, Tyson Fury’s co-promoter added: “If Frank was round now I’d fancy him to beat Anthony Joshua.
“Frank was a giant bloke, with a great jab and he may bang. His chin was a bit suspect however we all know that so is Joshua’s. It could be very exhausting to separate them.”
Bruno had a booming proper hand that earned him 38 of his 40 wins inside the space however his personal punch resistance was his painful downfall.
Darkish arts like hitting-and-holding and spoiling a bout by no means got here naturally to South London’s light big.
However ultimately he did beat American Oliver McCall for the well-known inexperienced and gold belt in probably the most iconic – and tear-soaked – nights in British boxing historical past, that ranks proper on the high of Warren’s best achievements.
“When Frank was hit on the button his complete physique went inflexible, his arms dropped and his legs stiffened up,” Warren remembered, “However hardly anybody may survive prime Tyson in these early rounds.
“We took him to observe Oliver McCall beat a really outdated Larry Holmes in Las Vegas in his first defence and hatched our plan at ringside there after which.
“When Frank lastly bought that win again at Wembley Stadium, over the total distance with lots of his contemporaries ringside, it was fantastic as a result of he had been by way of the mill.
“When his arm was lifted, the entire place went loopy and we had fireworks for him, it was very emotional.
“We booked an open-top to parade round London for the subsequent day and naturally it p***** down with rain however everybody nonetheless got here out to see Frank, it was sensible.”
Tommy Fury returns to the ring dwell on Saturday twenty seventh February, 7.30pm on BT Sport 1 HD