Witherspoon-Bruno July 1986

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 05 Jun 2004, 08:14

I'm in the early stages of preparing an article on this fight.

These things are harder to research than you might realise! Any anecdotes, memories or directions to decent material (articles, magazines, books) gratefully received.

It was a HUGE fight and one I think many people have forgotten about.

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 05 Jun 2004, 08:26

The whole event was weird because it wasn't shown live on TV. If memory serves it was shown at midnight or something (even though live at Wembley) and they had 'stars' in the studio talking about the fight even though they weren't showing it.

I remember Anita Dobson (was famous at the time as Angie in EastEnders) being one of the 'stars' on the BBC.

I listened to events unfold on the radio, there had been some kind of dispute between the Beeb and Don King over TV money. I was gutted when Bruno fell apart after seemingly doing so well for so long.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 05 Jun 2004, 09:41

Cheers Goz. I just remember that it was the biggest fight 'event' for some time in Britain. Yes, it was certainly on TV but the mists of time have made me forget the delay...everyone just felt pity for Frank when he was getting pummelled and not doing anything to cover up. Took him another ten years to learn to keep his hands up when getting hit!

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 05 Jun 2004, 09:49

I remember Witherspoon's appearance at the weigh-in, when he looked like a bouncy castle, prompted a flood of betting on Bruno and made him a pre-fight betting favourite. It was a fight Frank could and should have won. Witherspoon was already demoralised at the carving up of his purses, but Bruno's lack of natural fighting instincts came to the fore when he was hurt in the 11th. He just froze. Witherspoon hit him several times when he was down and prompted some ugly scenes with a few chairs being thrown in the American's corner and plenty of abuse being hurled. Lloyd Honeyghan, Bruno's stablemate, fell out with him over the loss, telling him he had blown it. A couple of months later, Honeyghan showed him how it was done by going to the States and destroying Don Curry.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 05 Jun 2004, 10:23

It was defintely on the Beeb - I remember Carpenter going crazy about Spoon hitting Bruno when he was down, saying he should be disqualified. Then he didn't mention in in his interview with Tim.
A lot of people gave Frank a great chance, based on Spoon's weight and the fact Bruno had looked like a destroyer in his previous fight, blasting out Coetzee inside a round.
But alot of people also remembered the way Frank froze when hurt against Jumbo Cummings...
Frank made a great start too.

Yes I remember Anita Dobson was there.......Jesus Christ

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 05 Jun 2004, 10:31

Didn't ITV also screen it. I seem to remember the Beeb and ITV screening it, ITV possibly the following morning.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 05 Jun 2004, 10:36

bennie wrote:Didn't ITV also screen it. I seem to remember the Beeb and ITV screening it, ITV possibly the following morning.

Could be...can't remember. It was a Duff show, so you'd think the BBC had first call.

Ian, check out the money paid to both - Bruno made a helluva lot more than Spoon - The Kings took everything from Witherspoon. Charged him HUGE training expenses. I'm sure there's something about it in Duff's book. 20 and out??
Also that book about Don King too.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 05 Jun 2004, 10:40

bennie wrote:Didn't ITV also screen it. I seem to remember the Beeb and ITV screening it, ITV possibly the following morning.

If so, this reflects the importance of the bout to the general public at the time.

Cheers for the info (can always rely on you two!) and keep it coming if anything comes to mind.

Met Tim Witherspoon recently. I think he is living locally to me somewhere in or around Sheffield and has married some lass from Liverpool. If anyone has a contact for him, a PM would be appreciated.

dandantheweatherman · Post by **dandantheweatherman** » 05 Jun 2004, 11:33

I seem to recall the fight being shown the next morning on ITV...I wasn't really that into boxing at the time so didn't watch it, but I do remember a newspaper reporting that one of the ITV regional presenters (I think it was a woman in Southampton) gave the result away just before the fight started!

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 05 Jun 2004, 11:36

dandantheweatherman wrote:I seem to recall the fight being shown the next morning on ITV...I wasn't really that into boxing at the time so didn't watch it, but I do remember a newspaper reporting that one of the ITV regional presenters (I think it was a woman in Southampton) gave the result away just before the fight started!

Yes, that's exactly what I remember. Many people had deliberately avoided the result to watch the fight 'live' so to speak the following morning and this announcer blew the result and prompted a flood of complaints.

mickeybeard · Post by **mickeybeard** » 05 Jun 2004, 12:09

Yeah, I remeber getting up to watch it. I also remember Witherspoon hitting Frank on the top of the head with the bottom of his fist while Frank sagged in the corner. Then again, I took so many drugs between the ages of 18 and 22, I wouldn't advise trusting any memories of mine.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 05 Jun 2004, 12:13

Useless info - next day's terrible joke was:

Did you hear Frank got mugged last night?
With a knife??
No, with a spoon.

hitman_hatton1 · Post by **hitman_hatton1** » 05 Jun 2004, 12:14

i've got the ITV version of the fight with reg and jim doing the commentary

bruno did well for the 1st 6 rds then was hurt in the 7th and witherspoon began turning the heat up bit by bit and u could c bruno was tiring. i had it 6 rds to 4 to bruno going into that 11th rd so it was well up for grabs. not sure how the judges had it any1 know??

those 2 hits from witherspoon when frank was down were definitely out of order especially the 2nd shot :x 1st punch was more forgiveable but the 2nd one was blatant. but bruno was gone anyway so its no use crying over spilt milk i suppose.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 05 Jun 2004, 12:23

You know, if Frank had really believed in himself and piled into Witherspoon, I'm sure the fat American would have capitulated. In Witherspoon's next fight, Bonecrusher Smith took him out in the very first round by going all out from the bell. But Bruno stood off and outboxed Witherspoon, and that played into the champion's hands. He was able to fight at his own pace, measure Bruno for the big right hand and eventually nail him in the 11th.
The referee was an arsehole. He was later banned for life by the WBA for refusing to stop the Juan Martin Coggi-Eder Gonzalez fight and allowed a defenceless Bruno to be hit several times. It nearly caused a riot.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 05 Jun 2004, 12:59

MightyWarrior wrote:Useless info - next day's terrible joke was:

Did you hear Frank got mugged last night?
With a knife??
No, with a spoon.

I remember that one, yeh it was a bad one, a bit too Jimmy Tarbuck.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 05 Jun 2004, 19:47

Something tells me, I was only a nipper, but I'm convinced Don Curry was there - didn't he do a little guest analyisis (ala Steve Murray tonight).

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 06 Jun 2004, 06:53

Good info lads. MW - Yes, one of the classic stats about that fight was that Tim's purse was $1 million. He got $90K of it!

That pushed him over the edge to fornicate King off. His career went to shit after this but he kept his dignity.

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 07 Jun 2004, 12:13

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:
bennie wrote:Didn't ITV also screen it. I seem to remember the Beeb and ITV screening it, ITV possibly the following morning.
If so, this reflects the importance of the bout to the general public at the time.

Cheers for the info (can always rely on you two!) and keep it coming if anything comes to mind.

Met Tim Witherspoon recently. I think he is living locally to me somewhere in or around Sheffield and has married some lass from Liverpool. If anyone has a contact for him, a PM would be appreciated.

You acn contact Spoon via Dennis Hobson, his number is on the back of Boxing News.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 07 Jun 2004, 15:47

Cheers.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 08 Jun 2004, 05:47

It was on in the morning, of that I am sure, as were all of the Don King heavyweight tournament series as I recall. I remember the fight so well, Bruno draped lifeless in the corner as Witherspoon comes in clubbing him with that spin bowlers overhand right.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 08 Jun 2004, 12:18

From what I recall Bruno and Witherspoon both landed right hand punches at the same time but Witherspoons had the big effect as Bruno dropped in a corner.

In the post fight interview I remember Tim saying " I'm a Capricorn, like all the great Champions like Ali and Frazier"

I'm also sure a couple of days before the fight Witherspoon was on TV being interviewed whilst frying up a BBQ!

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 08 Jun 2004, 12:20

stujones wrote:Something tells me, I was only a nipper, but I'm convinced Don Curry was there - didn't he do a little guest analyisis (ala Steve Murray tonight).

It was Sugar Ray Leonard.

hitman_hatton1 · Post by **hitman_hatton1** » 08 Jun 2004, 12:20

bruno just falls apart so quickly :( in that 11th rd. he had a good 10th after a few tricky rds in 7,8 and 9. and then just got nailed and couldn't recover and tim followed up well and also put in a couple while bruno was slumped in he corner. :x quite embarassingly for bruno the referee stopped him and then tried to pick him out take him back to his corner

so he was dragging him across the ring while witherspoon's followers were lapping it up.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 08 Jun 2004, 14:10

bennie wrote:
stujones wrote:Something tells me, I was only a nipper, but I'm convinced Don Curry was there - didn't he do a little guest analyisis (ala Steve Murray tonight).
It was Sugar Ray Leonard.

Are you sure, I thought it was Curry. I remember in School when we were talking about Boxing, nobody knew who was the current Welterweight champion untill the Bruno vs Witherspoon fight (I remembered him vs Jones). Then a few months later some checky kid as me who was Welterweight champion I said "Don Curry", they go wrong its Lloyd Honeyghun an I was like

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 08 Jun 2004, 14:15

Well, Leonard was certainly there. He complimented Jim McDonnell on his jabbing after McDonnell outboxed a tough Italian on the undercard.