Bruno question

[MightyWarrior]

As well as stamina, you could say that Frank had a chin problem too. When the first half decent fighter he met, Jumbo Cummings, caught him with a punch mid fight, Frank shockingly dropped both hands by his side and stared at the canvas: a sitting duck for the follow up.

The bell rang immediately, and Terry Lawless jumped in to guide a sleep walking Bruno back to his corner.

Frank recovered well during the minutes rest, but that was the first indication we had of Bruno's major flaw.

[MightyWarrior]

And yes, very good book by Frank last year ( and the journo ) one of the most honest boxing bios I've read. Admitting so many of his opponents were stumble bums is near unheard of in the fight game.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Bruno would no way have Beaten Byrd, Byrd is too slick and has a good chin, and would have tired Bruno out. Mad as it sounds, I could see Byrd stopping a shattered Bruno late on.

Rahman, like McCall would have been within Bruno's compass, especially as Rahman would struggle with that long jab and get cut up. Rahman would always have a shot at the KO though.

Bruno's power would probably be enough to get him past Wlad Klitchsko who would be terrified, Vitali would have absolutely murdered him I think/ Brewser Wins by late KO. Toney stops him late too.

Your fogeting todays fighters are really poor and Byrds a middleweight - I think Taylor hits harder than Byrd - they call his punches featherdusters - I think thats been unfair to featherdusters. You saw what Vitali and Wlad did to Byrd, even old Golota beat him. They are all similar to Bruno. This is 1 fight I'm sure Bruno would win. I think Bruno may just go through like a knife through butter.

Does anyone think Bruno was managed wrong, fighting bums (which taught him nothing) followed by fights against top5 comp, too much of a step up, maybe he'd have done better, if they put him in with good defensive guys who'd take him rounds and teach him a thing or 2.

Actually, I've spoken to fighters who faced Byrd, and they said his shots are heavier than people think. Sure he doesn;t hit hard for a heavyweight, but hard enough for people

I think Bruno's confidence was undermined the first time he lost. After feasting on the bum of the month club, he got clobbered by Witherspoon.

Then again, had he faced top 5 comp, he may well have got beaten, which is why his management moved him so cautiously. Problem was, Bruno never learned to overcome a crisis. He either destroyed people or got hurt then lost.

Vitali is a very effective fighter, he uses his skills well, obviously we never got to see him in with another really good heavy in their prime. Lewis was old, fat and undertrained.

Frank was very predictable and slow, I think Byrd would have danced rings around him all night.

BTW, Byrd isn't a middleweight, he only fought at 160 twice, very early in his career.

Wlad and Vitali were much better technically offensively than Bruno, who stood too square and had poor footwork. His jab was a thing of beauty, but he was so robotic. Wlad v Bruno would have been brutal, if it was the pre-sanders Wlad. Great fight while it lasted.

Byrd could have fought his career at middleweight whereas Bruno was a teenage heavyweight - its a complete different world of strength. Bruno in his younger years was far more flexible - the version that fought Tyson/McCall was the worst version. I think your underating his boxing skills - he outboxed Smith and Witherspoon until he tired.

Your also fogeting Byrd likes to lay on the ropes

I really think fighting the likes of Byrd/Ruiz would have been Brunos ideal opponent as he didn't have to fear a huge punch. Smith/Witherspoon/Lewis/Tyson/McCall are all murderous punchers

Do you remember all those threads Klitchko fans put up - Vitali has never been behind on the cards in any fight - the same is true of Bruno, discounting his Tyson losses.

And if you saw the first Tyson fight I don't think you can say his chin is poor - who took flush Tyson shots like Bruno did? Tyson threw combo after combo and didnt go down.

Actually this has made me think - imagine if Bruno got it on with Spinks/Berbick instead of Smith/Witherspoon - mnay have been diffferent

[Syntax Error]

Well since the Heavyweight division was better during Bruno's time say if he was born at least 10 years later and once Lewis retired do you think he could of been a better champ now?

He was underated in his time and had good skills and could punch just the problem was his mobilty into later rounds and once he got hit with a good punch. Even gave Lewis(was winning at first) and 80's Tyson problems when he hurt him but let Tyson fight back.

Because the division is so bad now and the best is a fat former middleweight, do you think if Bruno was born at least 10 years later do you reckon he could take advantage of this current batch of HW's?

Absolutely right.

Bruno would have had the measure of the current crop of sorry heavyweights.

I could see Byrd, with his mobility & flashy skills beating him, plus Toney too, but aside from that, it's big Frank all the way.