By Olly Campbell: I have already experienced some criticism for my use of the word great in my last piece in this series, on Naseem Hamed, so I can well imagine that some of those very same critics will be spitting out their coffee when reading the headline of this one!
I, however, enjoy a healthy dose of controversy, so shall state it once again before I continue on; Frank Bruno, IS, AND WAS, a truly great Brit, both inside, and outside, of the ring.
I have no regrets choosing Frank, as of all of my choices for this trio of pieces, none have transcended the sport of boxing to tap into the public consciousness in quite the way Bruno has. I know what the supposed boxing muses of the comments will be thinking: He chose a supposedly great British heavyweight and he didn’t pick Lennox Lewis?
That’s correct. Perhaps if I had been focusing solely on achievement within boxing, then perhaps I would have done so, though as was highlighted in the ’93 Lewis/Bruno clash in Cardiff. Lennox Lewis isn’t really a TRUE Brit, is he?. Back in 93, listening to his Canadian accent, I didn’t think so, and years later, learning of his Olympic gold for Canada, I STILL didn’t think so, and just because a donkey is born in a stable, it doesn’t make it a horse….does it?
Growing up, thanks to his public persona and likeability, I developed a soft spot for Bruno, which throughout his many, often public, trials and tribulations, has stayed with me. He carries a real warmth of personality that simply isn’t there in a fighter like Lennox Lewis. I remember being around seven or eight years old and being more familiar with his “d’ya know what I mean ‘arry” catchphrase (thanks to his on screen rapport with BBC boxings Harry Carpenter) than I was with the man himself. There are not many in Britain, boxing fan or not, who can say they haven’t been touched in some way by the story (especially post ring career) of Franklin Roy Bruno, MBE.
Early on in his career, Bruno showed a hell of a lot of promise. 21 straight knockouts from his first 21 contests had many in the game, including respected boxing scribe Colin Hart, believing they were witnessing the development of a future world champion. Whilst it may be fair to say this opposition was not of particularly high standard, it was no easier than what would be expected of any developing fighter and the consensus was that Bruno was well on the road to big things. The train was chugging along quite nicely, until there was a bump in the tracks in the form of James “Bonecrusher” Smith.
The American Smith, a future world champ himself, and then with only one professional blemish in his very first fight, knocked out Bruno in the final round of a ten rounder, in Brunos London backyard. Unbeknownst to us all then, the blueprint of that fight would eerily come back to haunt Frank in many of his future steps up in class. The pattern, as we later saw, became familiar. Bruno, the more skilled, up on the cards, finds himself gassing out slightly, making a suspect chin all the more vulnerable. In other words: Often or not, his opponent didn’t win. Frank lost.
Despite the defeat to Smith in May of 1984, Bruno bounced back with a series of wins that put him in the position to challenge for his first world title, against the man with the most “Terrible” nickname in all of boxing; Tim Witherspoon. The dangerous Witherspoon, in his second world championship reign, came over to London in the July of 1986, confident of victory. For much of the fight hs confidence appeared to be misplaced, as Bruno, with his effective jab controlled the action. However, the Bonecrusher blueprint returned that night, and with his stamina deserting him in the championship rounds, Bruno shipped two massive rights from the champion which had him crumpled in the corner in round eleven, his world title hopes, and those of 60,000 Brits ringside, crumpled.
In spite of the defeat, Bruno remained as popular as ever with the British public, appearing in television adverts and as a guest on various panel and chat shows. Once again returning to winning ways, he managed to work himself into world title contention once again, however, for a heavyweight fighter at that time, perhaps the era of the baddest man on the planet, wasn’t the best one to occupy. Despite this, Bruno travelled to Vegas in 1989 for the first of his two showdowns with “Iron” Mike Tyson.
To say Frank was the underdog would be an understatement. Even the thousands of travelling British fans there in Vegas to cheer him on, knew in the back of their heads just what the likely outcome would be. It’s worth remembering that at this time, Tyson was still an undefeated animal, almost all 35 victories coming early. Since his 2nd round wrecking ball job of the late Trevor Berbick for the WBC belt, he had added both the WBA and IBF belts, with admittedly rare decision victories. He was still THE premier knockout artist in the division however, and regrettably, as we know, Frank became just another victim that night. The fight ended in the fifth, but not before Bruno did something previously unseen. He hurt and wobbled the champion. Sadly, that too was just another thing that awoke the beast within, and Tyson was typically vicious, spiteful and powerful. No shame in being ko’d by arguably the biggest heavyweight puncher of all time, is there?
Onwards and upwards went the Bruno show, his popularity in the UK as big as ever. Once again returning to the win column, we fast forward to a night that helped cement my love of boxing, alongside many other classic 90s contests. It truly was a special decade for us Brits, and one I personally shall always remember. Back in the world title picture once more, Frank challenged then WBC champion Lennox Lewis, in a fight that became known to some as the Battle of Britain but was billed as History In The Making, for it was the first time ever that two Brits had contested the World heavyweight title.
The reasons I mentioned at the start for not choosing Lewis became a massive bone of contention in the build up to this fight, his dual Canadian citizenry cited by Frank to rile the champion. Lewis countered by calling Bruno an Uncle Tom, a particularly nasty and culturally sensitive insult. The majority, including my 12 year old self, wanted Frank to win, however the consensus was that once again, Frank would come up short, and it wasn’t to be third time lucky. The consensus opinion proved right.
In a packed Cardiff Arms Park, (an undercard incidentally featuring the pro debut of Joe Calzaghe) what i have come to call the Bonecrusher blueprint in this article, once again reared its ugly head, and Frank found himself in familiar territory……let down once again by a fateful combination of stamina and chin. Lewis, having struggled all night with Brunos stiff jab and big right hand, eventually found his way through in the seventh, leaving many asking the question: Will it ever really come together for Frank Bruno?
He may not be the flagship promotional force nowadays that he once was, but back in the mid nineties, Frank Warren still possessed something of the midas touch, and overtaking promotional duties for Brunos career, it was he who delivered what he himself describes as the most magical night in British boxing at that time. Brunos crowning glory against Oliver McCall at Wembley.
McCall was the new WBC champion, scoring a second round knockout of Lennox Lewis a year prior. To me, a case of fate for Frank, and revenge at last for us true Brits, especially for that much publicized, ” I like England, I love Canada” comment, Lewis had made to the media. After a defence against a faded Larry Holmes, McCall came over to London for his, and Brunos date with destiny.
For the first time in his career, the bonecrusher blueprint was torn to bits. Frank worked and got most of the early rounds in the bag. A McCall punch in the first multiplying the difficulty of the task in hand by inflicting an eye injury that would help end Franks career less than a year later. The arena was packed to the rafters and every cheer from the raucous Brits pushed Bruno on in what by the end became a somewhat ugly, scrappy affair. As he gassed, Frank clinched and spoiled, McCall, sensing he was behind began looking for that one big punch. As the final minutes ticked down, many watched through their fingers with gritted teeth, letting out sighs of relief and cheers of jubilation at the final bell. With UD scores of 117-111 twice and 115-113, Britain had, finally, at his fourth time of asking, perhaps the most deserving champ in history.
And that was almost all she wrote for Bruno. Retirement then would have capped a fairytale ending, but in the McCall contract, a clause implemented by the slimy Don King, ensured Franks first defence would be against Mike Tyson. Out of prison and looking to recapture former glory, Bruno would once again go to Vegas to face the man who beat him seven years before.
We know how it went, and the odds were always against Frank. His bloody, battered face after the second KO loss to Tyson finally brought the curtain down on his uphill, downhill career. The fact he received for million UK and Tyson got 30 million US, shows just what the promoters thought of Brunos chances. The eye injury suffered in the McCall fight only confirmed the worst. Bye, bye Frank Bruno.
Like many fighters, Bruno it seems, found retirement difficult to adjust to. Reports of drug use and domestic problems culminated in his high profile admission to a secure hospital in 2003 and subsequent diagnosis with bi-polar disorder. Bouts of depression have featured heavily in his post fight career, and as recently as December of 2013 he was featured in the British media, as always lending his profile and support to mental health charities in a bid to drive awareness. These qualities are to me, what make Frank Bruno such a remarkable man. With his fantastic charity work and world title winning boxing career he has already been made an MBE. His continued fight against depression and continued fight for these causes and others suffering with them, make me wish that alongside his MBE, we, the British public, shall one day hear the words “arise, Sir Frank”.
D’ya know what I mean, ‘arry?…..
As always, thanks for reading. Contact me on Facebook, Olly Campbell, Olly.Campbell.666 or email me, ollygothroxxx@gmail.com.
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