Frank Bruno fought heavyweight legends Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis in their prime, but has named another opponent as the strongest he ever faced in the ring.
Bruno was one of the most popular British sportsmen of his era. He famously had four cracks at a world title, first losing to Tim Witherspoon in 1986, then to Tyson in the first of their fights in 1992 when he was stopped inside five rounds.
He then fought Lewis in 1993 and was stopped in the seventh, but finally he reached the pinnacle of the sport when he beat Oliver McCall at Wembley in 1995.
His last ever fight was a rematch with Tyson in 1996, out in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden and it ended with a swift third-round knockout loss.
Speaking to The Ring Magazine, Bruno reflected on the strongest man he ever faced and went with Pierre Coetzer.
“Coetzer stands out in my mind as one of the strongest. When I fought him, I can remember thinking this isn’t easy. This guy is strong. He was super-fit and used to train with the South African Army. When he landed a punch, it hurt more than most.”
Bruno, who has previously said Floyd Cummings hit him hardest, met Coetzer in London in October 1992, three years on from his first clash with Tyson and he delivered a commanding performance to stop the South African in the eighth round.
Coetzer, however, clearly made his presence felt, which is no real surprise given he’d shared the ring with heavyweight greats like Riddick Bowe and George Foreman.
