Frank Bruno was a central figure in some of the most memorable heavyweight clashes of the 1980s and ’90s, including against greats like Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson.
Following a brief but impressive amateur career that saw him pick up 20 wins and just one loss, Bruno turned professional in 1982 and made an immediate impact, knocking out all 21 of his first opponents.
His first real test came at Wembley Arena against James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith. Bruno controlled much of the bout but was stopped in the 10th and final round. He rebounded with four straight victories and went into his first world title shot against WBA champion Tim Witherspoon. Though he looked dominant early on, fatigue set in and he was cornered and stopped before his team threw in the towel.
Later, Bruno stepped up for the first of two high-profile showdowns with Mike Tyson, and though he landed some heavy shots after being dropped in the opening round, he was stopped in the fifth, and similar happened in his world title contest with Lewis when he was stopped in the seventh.
Persistence paid off, however. His fourth and final attempt at world honours came against Oliver McCall in 1995 and he won on points to become the WBC champion.
Speaking to The Ring Magazine, Bruno picked Witherspoon as the most skilful he faced.
“Tim Witherspoon was definitely a good all-rounder and a lot better than people give him credit for.”
Witherspoon famously fought Larry Holmes and lost by split decision, as well as often working as a sparring partner for Muhammad Ali. The two-time world champion beat the likes of James Page, Smith and Tony Tubbs. He hung up the gloves in 2003 with 55 wins from 69 fights.
