Lewis-Bruno vs. Joshua-Fury : “Best of BrItish”

[gilgamesh]

Is this thread just discussing how memorable both events are or would be? Or is it asking which would be bigger?

Because Joshua vs Fury would undoubtedly be bigger.

[JimStone]

I have lost touch. Boxing seemed so much bigger back then than it does now, certainly amongst the general public and relative to population size changes. There's more noise around now if you are into boxing but that applies to everything else. As tap room, school bus and work canteen conversation is boxing really bigger now?

[Onamastus]

Less than 2% of the UK had a Sky dish in 1993, and the man in the street barely knew who Lennox Lewis was. It was Team Lewis who wanted it staged in Cardiff, because they felt London would give Bruno the hometown advantage, and they also wanted to avoid the ignominy of Lewis being booed in Britain, which he would have been at Wembley vs Bruno. Instead he suffered the ignominy of defending his title in a half-empty stadium with about 100K people watching on TV. Bruno's next fight, back on the beeb versus Jesse Ferguson, had 15m viewers.

Fury/joshua is the much, much bigger fight. Sans Covid they could get 100K in the stadium, with millions watching around the world.

[gilgamesh]

I have lost touch. Boxing seemed so much bigger back then than it does now, certainly amongst the general public and relative to population size changes. There's more noise around now if you are into boxing but that applies to everything else. As tap room, school bus and work canteen conversation is boxing really bigger now?

Boxing is not bigger as a whole no.

But Fury vs Joshua is a bigger fight than Lewis vs Bruno.

[JimStone]

Less than 2% of the UK had a Sky dish in 1993, and the man in the street barely knew who Lennox Lewis was. It was Team Lewis who wanted it staged in Cardiff, because they felt London would give Bruno the hometown advantage, and they also wanted to avoid the ignominy of Lewis being booed in Britain, which he would have been at Wembley vs Bruno. Instead he suffered the ignominy of defending his title in a half-empty stadium with about 100K people watching on TV. Bruno's next fight, back on the beeb versus Jesse Ferguson, had 15m viewers.

Fury/joshua is the much, much bigger fight. Sans Covid they could get 100K in the stadium, with millions watching around the world.

How old are you? Your stats are probably right about the Sky dishes but my memory is very different to yours. Everybody was talking about that fight, the papers were full of it.

[JimStone]

I have lost touch. Boxing seemed so much bigger back then than it does now, certainly amongst the general public and relative to population size changes. There's more noise around now if you are into boxing but that applies to everything else. As tap room, school bus and work canteen conversation is boxing really bigger now?

Boxing is not bigger as a whole no.

But Fury vs Joshua is a bigger fight than Lewis vs Bruno.

I don't believe it is a bigger fight in the UK in terms of general public awareness and interest. I know you are American, it is a bigger fight for you chaps. No doubt.

[mickey1975]

I have lost touch. Boxing seemed so much bigger back then than it does now, certainly amongst the general public and relative to population size changes. There's more noise around now if you are into boxing but that applies to everything else. As tap room, school bus and work canteen conversation is boxing really bigger now?

Boxing is not bigger as a whole no.

But Fury vs Joshua is a bigger fight than Lewis vs Bruno.

I don't believe it is a bigger fight in the UK in terms of general public awareness and interest. I know you are American, it is a bigger fight for you chaps. No doubt.

I am sure it’s bigger here.

[gilgamesh]

I have lost touch. Boxing seemed so much bigger back then than it does now, certainly amongst the general public and relative to population size changes. There's more noise around now if you are into boxing but that applies to everything else. As tap room, school bus and work canteen conversation is boxing really bigger now?

Boxing is not bigger as a whole no.

But Fury vs Joshua is a bigger fight than Lewis vs Bruno.

I don't believe it is a bigger fight in the UK in terms of general public awareness and interest. I know you are American, it is a bigger fight for you chaps. No doubt.

It'd get a lot of hype in the weeks and months leading up to it if it were actually scheduled. Right now there's not a lot of talk of it because nobody's holding their breath expecting it to happen anytime real soon.

[JimStone]

Boxing is not bigger as a whole no.

But Fury vs Joshua is a bigger fight than Lewis vs Bruno.

I don't believe it is a bigger fight in the UK in terms of general public awareness and interest. I know you are American, it is a bigger fight for you chaps. No doubt.

I am sure it’s bigger here.

You may well be right. Like I say, I'm out of touch. I know the money involved will be bigger now but I distinctly remember more people of all ages talking boxing then than now.

[Gnome]

I loved Jamie Cox's take on mindgames..

"They don't work on me - I@m too thick"

that's fantastic, what a quote.

[coghaugen11]

Less than 2% of the UK had a Sky dish in 1993, and the man in the street barely knew who Lennox Lewis was. It was Team Lewis who wanted it staged in Cardiff, because they felt London would give Bruno the hometown advantage, and they also wanted to avoid the ignominy of Lewis being booed in Britain, which he would have been at Wembley vs Bruno. Instead he suffered the ignominy of defending his title in a half-empty stadium with about 100K people watching on TV. Bruno's next fight, back on the beeb versus Jesse Ferguson, had 15m viewers.

Fury/joshua is the much, much bigger fight. Sans Covid they could get 100K in the stadium, with millions watching around the world.

Everyone knew who Lennox Lewis was in 1993! Massive name. I watched it with 8-9 others, everyone did. It was the talk on everyone's lips, from mums to nans. As was Benn and Eubank.

Joshua and Fury wouldn't be pointed out accurately in a police type line up by the average Janes or Joes, they've just heard of them.

[coghaugen11]

Boxing is a side show thing now. A secret little society of delusion.

[coghaugen11]

The brat pack (19-23yo) would come out to watch at the gate for the crack, who idolise AJ's biceps.

[Onamastus]

Less than 2% of the UK had a Sky dish in 1993, and the man in the street barely knew who Lennox Lewis was. It was Team Lewis who wanted it staged in Cardiff, because they felt London would give Bruno the hometown advantage, and they also wanted to avoid the ignominy of Lewis being booed in Britain, which he would have been at Wembley vs Bruno. Instead he suffered the ignominy of defending his title in a half-empty stadium with about 100K people watching on TV. Bruno's next fight, back on the beeb versus Jesse Ferguson, had 15m viewers.

Fury/joshua is the much, much bigger fight. Sans Covid they could get 100K in the stadium, with millions watching around the world.

Everyone knew who Lennox Lewis was in 1993! Massive name. I watched it with 8-9 others, everyone did. It was the talk on everyone's lips, from mums to nans. As was Benn and Eubank.

Joshua and Fury wouldn't be pointed out accurately in a police type line up by the average Janes or Joes, they've just heard of them.

Yeah but weren't you a boxer? The company you kept may not be representative of the nation as a whole.

Bloke boxed almost exclusively on Sky. He was a name the majority of people didn't actually watch fight. If he was interviewed on terrestrial he made no impression because of his lack of personality and Jamaican-Canadian accent.

I don't give a crap about Fury or AJ but they have clearly crossed over, and people who don't have Sky can watch them for free on Youtube, while their careers are in progress.

Lewis, big name who couldn't fill up 5000 seat Wembley Arena in 94 post Bruno, or even when he was undisputed champ in 2000 after all the Holyfield publicity.

[coghaugen11]

Nobody will waste their time searching YouTube to watch AJ or Fury, unless it's some absolutely sickening knockout or something.

They weren't boxing fans. Everyone knew Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno going into that fight.

[coghaugen11]

A big boxing event at Millennium or Wembley now is more of a night out, it wasn't popular back then with no Internet or social media or hype.

[coghaugen11]

TV was the thing, and The Sun.

[gilgamesh]

Nobody will waste their time searching YouTube to watch AJ or Fury, unless it's some absolutely sickening knockout or something.

They weren't boxing fans. Everyone knew Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno going into that fight.

Joshua and Fury would be a big thing for the same reason Fury and Wilder was a big thing. The same reason why Cooney vs Holmes was a big thing. The same reason why Mayweather vs McGregor was a big thing.

It's not really about the fight. It's about something else to a lot of people. Just one of them f*cked up things, but in the world we live in today, that's the energy that's in the air. That's what'll sell.

[Onamastus]

A big boxing event at Millennium or Wembley now is more of a night out, it wasn't popular back then with no Internet or social media or hype.

What? Tyson filled up 20,000 seat MEN versus a punching bag months before Lewis couldn't give tickets away in 5,000 seat Wembley.

Big boxing events not popular back then? Sleep through all those Naz, Eubank, Benn, Collins nights then? Shocking post even by your standards.

[Onamastus]

Nobody will waste their time searching YouTube to watch AJ or Fury, unless it's some absolutely sickening knockout or something.

They weren't boxing fans. Everyone knew Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno going into that fight.

Joshua and Fury would be a big thing for the same reason Fury and Wilder was a big thing. The same reason why Cooney vs Holmes was a big thing. The same reason why Mayweather vs McGregor was a big thing.

It's not really about the fight. It's about something else to a lot of people. Just one of them f*cked up things, but in the world we live in today, that's the energy that's in the air. That's what'll sell.

What planet are you on? Fury and AJ will sell because it's two big names plus an unknown outcome. That sells.

If you think Mayweather/McGregor was a hit because of race you are a moron.

[gilgamesh]

Nobody will waste their time searching YouTube to watch AJ or Fury, unless it's some absolutely sickening knockout or something.

They weren't boxing fans. Everyone knew Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno going into that fight.

Joshua and Fury would be a big thing for the same reason Fury and Wilder was a big thing. The same reason why Cooney vs Holmes was a big thing. The same reason why Mayweather vs McGregor was a big thing.

It's not really about the fight. It's about something else to a lot of people. Just one of them f*cked up things, but in the world we live in today, that's the energy that's in the air. That's what'll sell.

What planet are you on? Fury and AJ will sell because it's two big names plus an unknown outcome. That sells.

If you think Mayweather/McGregor was a hit because of race you are a moron.

You knew what I was talking about and I didn't even say it.

I'm on the planet that is seeing Mini Race War type scenarios pop up in Cities all over. Much as I wish this wasn't the case. It is. It's the world we live in whether we like it or not.

If you think that ain't why a lot of your average Joe's bought Floyd vs Conor you're kidding yourself.

I saw the people who were interested in that fight that aren't interested in any other fight. I know some of them. They didn't come right out and say it, but they didn't have to.

[coghaugen11]

A big boxing event at Millennium or Wembley now is more of a night out, it wasn't popular back then with no Internet or social media or hype.

What? Tyson filled up 20,000 seat MEN versus a punching bag months before Lewis couldn't give tickets away in 5,000 seat Wembley.

Big boxing events not popular back then? Sleep through all those Naz, Eubank, Benn, Collins nights then? Shocking post even by your standards.

To go for a one off night out at Wembley or Millennium. Nobody really knew how to get tickets, today it is easy just go online and go for the crack.

[Fray Bentos]

Less than 2% of the UK had a Sky dish in 1993, and the man in the street barely knew who Lennox Lewis was. It was Team Lewis who wanted it staged in Cardiff, because they felt London would give Bruno the hometown advantage, and they also wanted to avoid the ignominy of Lewis being booed in Britain, which he would have been at Wembley vs Bruno. Instead he suffered the ignominy of defending his title in a half-empty stadium with about 100K people watching on TV. Bruno's next fight, back on the beeb versus Jesse Ferguson, had 15m viewers.

Fury/joshua is the much, much bigger fight. Sans Covid they could get 100K in the stadium, with millions watching around the world.

I don't think that's true at all, the average person (and definitely the average British sports fan) knew who Lennox Lewis was by 1993 - they just didn't care all that much about him. Bruno was a bonafide A list British celebrity - everyone knew him and was very popular, the reason the fight wasn't as big as it should have been because nobody expected Bruno to win.

2% of households had a dish by 1993? I don't like the look of that percentage, have you got anything to back that up? We had a dish and if we had a dish that means more than 2% of the British population had one...

[Fray Bentos]

I have lost touch. Boxing seemed so much bigger back then than it does now, certainly amongst the general public and relative to population size changes. There's more noise around now if you are into boxing but that applies to everything else. As tap room, school bus and work canteen conversation is boxing really bigger now?

Boxing is not bigger as a whole no.

But Fury vs Joshua is a bigger fight than Lewis vs Bruno.

I don't believe it is a bigger fight in the UK in terms of general public awareness and interest. I know you are American, it is a bigger fight for you chaps. No doubt.

Agreed.

Everyone knew who Frank Bruno was, Lennox Lewis was known by most people - most didn't care about him.

Fury vs Joshua will be bigger at the gate because it is a 50/50 fight but as far as public perception and interest... you're right... neither Fury or Joshua have a 10th of the popularity or exposure Frank Bruno did.

[mickey1975]

A big boxing event at Millennium or Wembley now is more of a night out, it wasn't popular back then with no Internet or social media or hype.

What? Tyson filled up 20,000 seat MEN versus a punching bag months before Lewis couldn't give tickets away in 5,000 seat Wembley.

Big boxing events not popular back then? Sleep through all those Naz, Eubank, Benn, Collins nights then? Shocking post even by your standards.

To go for a one off night out at Wembley or Millennium. Nobody really knew how to get tickets, today it is easy just go online and go for the crack.

Try getting a face value ticket for Fury-AJ and then tell me how easy it was.