Gary Mason v. Frank Bruno

[drunkenpiper36]

I wouldn't rank him as a top 10 for any given "decade" per say, but I think he could have been a top 10 "contender" during any given fragment of time. Obviously if you take the best of an entire decade no matter which 10 year period you pick, there's going to be a lot of competition. To illustrate my point, lets take the ring's top 10 ratings from 1973, which incidentally was a fairly talent packed year. The scene looked as follows:

1973
George Foreman, Champion
Muhammad Ali
Joe Frazier
Ken Norton
Jerry Quarry
Ron Lyle
Earnie Shavers
Oscar Bonavena
Joe Bugner
Jimmy Ellis
Chuck Wepner

I find it hard to believe that there isn't a single man on that list who Frank Bruno could have beaten. Especially when we get towards the bottom of that list.... How about another strong year in the sport like 1991?

1991
Title Vacant
Evander Holyfield
Mike Tyson
Riddick Bowe
Razor Ruddock
Ray Mercer
George Foreman
Tim Witherspoon
Tony Tucker
Lennox Lewis
Michael Moorer

A pretty solid top 10 as one can clearly see. But would you not give him at least a chance at the likes of Michael Moorer, Ray Mercer and perhaps an aged Tucker or a very green Lewis? Point being, I wouldn't rank Frank Bruno as the best of any decade, but on a monthly or even an annual basis, he damn well could have made most or even all top 10's.

[Dubblechin]

Frank Bruno versus Ken Norton is an interesting match.

Does Ken Norton just start launching overhand rights - like he did against Duane Bobick -- and take Bruno out early?

Does Frank land a couple hard jabs or a left hook, and Ken backs up into his horrible cross-armed defense and gets bombed out early himself?

Or is it a great, evenly matched bout featuring two excellent jabbers looking to land their big shots?

That would've been a sweet fight.

[drunkenpiper36]

Does Ken Norton just start launching overhand rights - like he did against Duane Bobick -- and take Bruno out early?

:

Not picking one over the other, but I just don't see the above prediction happening. For one thing, Norton rarely fought that aggressively and for another, Bobick's chin was among one of the weakest in division history. As for Frank, in every instance it took a fairly hard puncher and with multiple shots landed to make him fold. No way does Ken Norton ( and an aged one at that ) take out Bruno in 60 seconds the way he did Bobick.

[palooka]

No way did Duane Bobick have the worst chin in heavyweight division history.

[drunkenpiper36]

No way did Duane Bobick have the worst chin in heavyweight division history.

He makes the fraternity then.

[palooka]

It'd be a big frat house, many many heavyweights get chinned.

[palooka]

Bruno beat Joe Bugner but it was in '87 and not 73, he also beat a Chuck but it weren't Wepner it was Chuck Gardner and there was an outcry.

[drunkenpiper36]

It'd be a big frat house, many many heavyweights get chinned.

Bobick would be the ceremonial hazing master of that frat house.

[palooka]

It'd be a big frat house, many many heavyweights get chinned.

Bobick would be the ceremonial hazing master of that frat house.

I bet they'd have some great parties.

[drunkenpiper36]

It'd be a big frat house, many many heavyweights get chinned.

Bobick would be the ceremonial hazing master of that frat house.

I bet they'd have some great parties.

Especially with all the "glass" beer mugs.

[Woldemar]

Herbie Hide also had a chinny

[palooka]

It's strange how some of the most heavy handed have chin problems.

[Broomhall]

It's strange how some of the most heavy handed have chin problems.

Is it that they have chin problems or just ignore defence trying to land the bombs? I have known many punchers who were also excellent technicians, but often just went looking for the KO especially as they got older.

[palooka]

It may be that broomhall; the thrill of the KO may be very addictive and lead to risks.

[Broomhall]

It may be that broomhall; the thrill of the KO may be very addictive and lead to risks.

You are clearly as bored as I am at the moment. My wife isnt talking to me and is cross because I am on the laptop and not glued to location location as Phil and Kirsty take another set of time wasters round some houses

[palooka]

My wife's watching a food programming, about fresh food, my son is trying to get my attention by torturing the cat - I'm off to bed in 10 mins, I've given today all I have.

[misterpunch]

my wife has just popped out for an hour - she says that the milkman down at No. 87 needs someone to check his books for tomorrow, so she's helping the feller out.

[Bricks]

I wouldn't rank him as a top 10 for any given "decade" per say, but I think he could have been a top 10 "contender" during any given fragment of time. Obviously if you take the best of an entire decade no matter which 10 year period you pick, there's going to be a lot of competition. To illustrate my point, lets take the ring's top 10 ratings from 1973, which incidentally was a fairly talent packed year. The scene looked as follows:

1973
George Foreman, Champion
Muhammad Ali
Joe Frazier
Ken Norton
Jerry Quarry
Ron Lyle
Earnie Shavers
Oscar Bonavena
Joe Bugner
Jimmy Ellis
Chuck Wepner

I find it hard to believe that there isn't a single man on that list who Frank Bruno could have beaten. Especially when we get towards the bottom of that list.... How about another strong year in the sport like 1991?

1991
Title Vacant
Evander Holyfield
Mike Tyson
Riddick Bowe
Razor Ruddock
Ray Mercer
George Foreman
Tim Witherspoon
Tony Tucker
Lennox Lewis
Michael Moorer

A pretty solid top 10 as one can clearly see. But would you not give him at least a chance at the likes of Michael Moorer, Ray Mercer and perhaps an aged Tucker or a very green Lewis? Point being, I wouldn't rank Frank Bruno as the best of any decade, but on a monthly or even an annual basis, he damn well could have made most or even all top 10's.

Thanks for clarifying this.it's a well made list.but in 1991 moored was a fast hungry lean punches,I think it's a explosive brawl but Bruno is stopped.Mercer the same thing stops frank.Tucker was still pretty useful and over 10 it would be a very close boxing match that bruno shades.a green Lewis is a hard one to predict but broadly I'll give u it Bruno wins on pts over ten as Frank had a good year stopping Carl Lewis over 10

The seventies he beats Ellis and wepner.

Your point holds up I stand corrected

[polecateddy]

I think Bruno was more likely to be in the 7-12 range of heavies in the mid to late 80s. By the 90s he was more likely around 12th on ability.

[orbtastic]

I thought the punch That effectively ended the bobick fight was one to the throat, not chin?