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Bruno, Frank

The Boxer

One of the most popular British boxers of all time, Frank Bruno's unique personality, laugh and catchphrase ‘Know what I mean Harry? endeared him to a nation. Bruno has a solid record as a heavyweight, 40 wins out of 45 bouts, and finally reached his goal of becoming WBC heavyweight champion in 1995.

While Bruno was outclassed when fighting the best in his division, notable Tyson, Lewis and Witherspoon, he had his moments in each of these fights, and was never scared of dodging a tough fight. After a loss, Bruno always went back to winning ways, which ensured he was always near the top of the heavyweight rankings.

Bruno was noted for his knock out punch, 38 out of his 40 wins were by KO. Bruno finally won the WBC title in his second to last fight. It is fair to say his opponent, Oliver McCall, was mentally unstable during the fight, crying on his entrance to the ring. Bruno won on points, a deserved victory, though he needed to hang on in the twelfth.

Most fight fans and writers urged Frank to quit on a high, of course, like most fighters, he came back for another big pay day. This time against Tyson, who made short work of Bruno for a second time. It's interesting to note, Tyson said that nobody hit him as hard as Bruno in their first fight.

Statistics

  • Born - 16 / 11 / 1961
  • Weight participated at - Heavyweight
  • Born - Hammersmith, London, England
  • Nationality - British
  • Stance - Orthodox
  • Reach - 82
  • Height - 6 foot and 3 inches

Boxing record

  • Total fights - 45
  • Losses - 5 = Smith, Witherspoon, Tyson, Lewis, Tyson
  • Wins - 40
  • Wins by Knock Out - 38
  • Draws - 1
  • No contests - 0

Noted bouts

Debut

  • Date - 17 / 03 / 1982
  • Against - Lupe Guerra
  • Held - Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London
  • Result - Won
  • Round - One, Knock Out

First world title

  • Date - 02 / 09 / 1995
  • Belt - WBC heavyweight title
  • Against - Oliver McCall
  • Held - Wembley Stadium, Wembley, London
  • Result - Won
  • Round - Twelfth, Unanimous Decision

First defeat

  • Date - 13 / 05 / 1984
  • Belt - n/a
  • Against - James Smith
  • Held - Empire Pool, Wembley, London
  • Result - Lost
  • Round - Tenth, Knock Out

Recent News Headlines

  • December 2008 - Bruno is part of a fundraising campaign for a spinal muscular atrophy charity.
  • March, 2001 - Frank puts his name forward as a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservative party.

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