Bruno vs Tyson

[revporl]

Yeah it was a bunch of clips without proper context and the narrative/chronology was quite mangled, it was as if nothing at all had happened to them since they sparred when they were young until they fought each other. I don't think Bruno's fight against Witherspoon was mentioned at all. It was all very scattershot and cobbled together I thought.

[handsofstone]

Thought it was a decent enough watch until they met up, it was too awkward, like both just wanted it over as soon as possible

[CaptainSpacerod]

Definitely worth a watch. It was a nice walk down memory lane with some good grainy archive footage. Was that Jim McDonnell shadow boxing in the background while Bruno was being interviewed in the gym above the pub ?

The meeting at the end though manufactured was nice to see and did reveal some genuine warmth between two middle aged guys whose paths crossed many years ago. Interesting to see Tyson’s reaction when Bruno mentioned his first wife - the utterly beguiling Robin Givens who set Mike on the path to self destruction.

In different ways they’re both legends of the game and it’s nice to see them looking well and doing well for themselves.

[jameswilson]

Definitely worth a watch. It was a nice walk down memory lane with some good grainy archive footage. Was that Jim McDonnell shadow boxing in the background while Bruno was being interviewed in the gym above the pub ?

The meeting at the end though manufactured was nice to see and did reveal some genuine warmth between two middle aged guys whose paths crossed many years ago. Interesting to see Tyson’s reaction when Bruno mentioned his first wife - the utterly beguiling Robin Givens who set Mike on the path to self destruction.

In different ways they’re both legends of the game and it’s nice to see them looking well and doing well for themselves.

I think Mike respects Frank for having suffered mental health himself, we've seen Mike go off the rails when journalists or interviewers mention some of the more unsavoury parts of Tyson's life.

[CaptainSpacerod]

I think Mike respects Frank for having suffered mental health himself, we've seen Mike go off the rails when journalists or interviewers mention some of the more unsavoury parts of Tyson's life.

True although it was indicative of how competitive Tyson still is that he couldn’t help but mention that he’s been a patient in mental hospitals many more times than Frank has.

[bennie]

Definitely worth a watch. It was a nice walk down memory lane with some good grainy archive footage. Was that Jim McDonnell shadow boxing in the background while Bruno was being interviewed in the gym above the pub ?

The meeting at the end though manufactured was nice to see and did reveal some genuine warmth between two middle aged guys whose paths crossed many years ago. Interesting to see Tyson’s reaction when Bruno mentioned his first wife - the utterly beguiling Robin Givens who set Mike on the path to self destruction.

In different ways they’re both legends of the game and it’s nice to see them looking well and doing well for themselves.

I haven't seen it but it would have been McDonnell at the Royal Oak gym in Canning town, where Terry Lawless trained his illustrious stable of fighters. McDonnell failed in a world title crack under Lawless at the hands of Brian Mitchell and then switched camps to Matchroom and ended the career of Barry McGuigan in four rounds on cuts. McDonnell was smart before the fight when he objected to the appointment of Larry O'Connell as referee. O'Connell had made no secret of his admiration for McGuigan and the Irishman's ability to attack and yet not get hit, so the Board dropped O'Connell for Leeds referee Mickey Vann and Vann promptly waved it off with the fight still up for grabs.
McDonnell went on to challenge the great Azumah Nelson for the WBC super-featherweight title at the Albert Hall in November 1989 and put up a magnificent challenge before he was rescued in the 12th round. Ringsider and Boxing News editor Harry Mullan was scathing of Matchroom's decision to send McDonnell out for the last round and it has to be said that Lawless, for all his greed, would never have sent McDonnell out in the same situation. Lawless never wanted his fighters to get hurt.
The Nelson fight ruined McDonnell, who was badly knocked out by Kenny Vice in a subsequent outing.

[orbtastic]

Yeah, horrible KO.

[Controversial]

I enjoyed it mainly for the back story and build up to their fight, I was expecting Tyson and Bruno meeting up to be longer though and it all seemed a bit staged and awkward.

I forgot how many Uncle Tom insults were thrown at Bruno. I also felt sorry for him when they showed the BBC Sports Personality of the year award and Tyson said 'I hear you are a singer now Frank, give me a song' only to be followed by the BBC showing a clip of Bruno in panto dressed as a women, Bruno looked embarrassed.

[jamesmcdonnell]

It was like they'd gone out of their way to humiliate him. Tyson was definitely having a pop, and that clip was just shameful in that context, they made a complete fool of him.

You could see Frank visibly squirm, and it was like he was dying inside.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Definitely worth a watch. It was a nice walk down memory lane with some good grainy archive footage. Was that Jim McDonnell shadow boxing in the background while Bruno was being interviewed in the gym above the pub ?

The meeting at the end though manufactured was nice to see and did reveal some genuine warmth between two middle aged guys whose paths crossed many years ago. Interesting to see Tyson’s reaction when Bruno mentioned his first wife - the utterly beguiling Robin Givens who set Mike on the path to self destruction.

In different ways they’re both legends of the game and it’s nice to see them looking well and doing well for themselves.

I haven't seen it but it would have been McDonnell at the Royal Oak gym in Canning town, where Terry Lawless trained his illustrious stable of fighters. McDonnell failed in a world title crack under Lawless at the hands of Brian Mitchell and then switched camps to Matchroom and ended the career of Barry McGuigan in four rounds on cuts. McDonnell was smart before the fight when he objected to the appointment of Larry O'Connell as referee. O'Connell had made no secret of his admiration for McGuigan and the Irishman's ability to attack and yet not get hit, so the Board dropped O'Connell for Leeds referee Mickey Vann and Vann promptly waved it off with the fight still up for grabs.
McDonnell went on to challenge the great Azumah Nelson for the WBC super-featherweight title at the Albert Hall in November 1989 and put up a magnificent challenge before he was rescued in the 12th round. Ringsider and Boxing News editor Harry Mullan was scathing of Matchroom's decision to send McDonnell out for the last round and it has to be said that Lawless, for all his greed, would never have sent McDonnell out in the same situation. Lawless never wanted his fighters to get hurt.
The Nelson fight ruined McDonnell, who was badly knocked out by Kenny Vice in a subsequent outing.

Was it the Nelson fight Magri trained him for?

Whichever it was, Magri said McDonnell had to lose a tonne of weight as he got on the scales the morning of the fight and he was several pounds over.

[jamesmcdonnell]

I think people forget aside from the one punch, Bruno did alot of holding and hitting in fight 1. There was alot of fear there in the fight also. Whilst Richard Steel was Tysons favourite ref, he was quite right to dock a point in the opener

He was guilty of similar holding and hitting in fight 2....yes even more

Bruno was a fking dirty fighter. Hitting and holding in close, and usually rabbit punches as well.

[margaret thatcher]

ya but he was our frank

[bennie]

Definitely worth a watch. It was a nice walk down memory lane with some good grainy archive footage. Was that Jim McDonnell shadow boxing in the background while Bruno was being interviewed in the gym above the pub ?

The meeting at the end though manufactured was nice to see and did reveal some genuine warmth between two middle aged guys whose paths crossed many years ago. Interesting to see Tyson’s reaction when Bruno mentioned his first wife - the utterly beguiling Robin Givens who set Mike on the path to self destruction.

In different ways they’re both legends of the game and it’s nice to see them looking well and doing well for themselves.

I haven't seen it but it would have been McDonnell at the Royal Oak gym in Canning town, where Terry Lawless trained his illustrious stable of fighters. McDonnell failed in a world title crack under Lawless at the hands of Brian Mitchell and then switched camps to Matchroom and ended the career of Barry McGuigan in four rounds on cuts. McDonnell was smart before the fight when he objected to the appointment of Larry O'Connell as referee. O'Connell had made no secret of his admiration for McGuigan and the Irishman's ability to attack and yet not get hit, so the Board dropped O'Connell for Leeds referee Mickey Vann and Vann promptly waved it off with the fight still up for grabs.
McDonnell went on to challenge the great Azumah Nelson for the WBC super-featherweight title at the Albert Hall in November 1989 and put up a magnificent challenge before he was rescued in the 12th round. Ringsider and Boxing News editor Harry Mullan was scathing of Matchroom's decision to send McDonnell out for the last round and it has to be said that Lawless, for all his greed, would never have sent McDonnell out in the same situation. Lawless never wanted his fighters to get hurt.
The Nelson fight ruined McDonnell, who was badly knocked out by Kenny Vice in a subsequent outing.

Was it the Nelson fight Magri trained him for?

Whichever it was, Magri said McDonnell had to lose a tonne of weight as he got on the scales the morning of the fight and he was several pounds over.

Yes, Magri is in the corner, although Darkie Smith is the man in charge. Magri must have replaced Freddie King at Matchroom because King was there (with Smith) when McDonnell toppled Barry McGuigan in his previous fight. Unfortunately, King and Smith didn't get on so there was always tension in the gym and in the corner and one or the other had to go. McDonnell v Nelson was trainer Smith's first experience of a world title fight and the occasion proved too big for him. He blew it but Barry Hearn is no help, cheerleading in full view of Smith. Between them, they got a fighter hurt for the second time in the space of a few months. Jess Harding had been badly knocked out by Gary Mason in another Matchroom promotion in 1989.

[dbf]

I was dissapointed with this documentary to be honest. The talking heads were never shown, thought it was poorly cobbled together and just a bit boring. Shame really because could have been so much more.

The bit at the end with the two of them meeting up was just awkward.

Love Frank though. Wonder how he would have faired with todays heavyweights?

[polecateddy]

I was dissapointed with this documentary to be honest. The talking heads were never shown, thought it was poorly cobbled together and just a bit boring. Shame really because could have been so much more.

The bit at the end with the two of them meeting up was just awkward.

Love Frank though. Wonder how he would have faired with todays heavyweights?

In a different era I could have seen him being happily accommodated by the Klitschko brothers, and being stopped in the mid to late rounds. I think a rein as European Champion could have been achievable, as during the same time that was relatively weak. European level was where Frank sat really.

[danconnollyeire]

Yeah it was a bunch of clips without proper context and the narrative/chronology was quite mangled, it was as if nothing at all had happened to them since they sparred when they were young until they fought each other. I don't think Bruno's fight against Witherspoon was mentioned at all. It was all very scattershot and cobbled together I thought.

Yeah they were at the Lewis-Bruno press conference, all of a sudden, he was fighting McCall

[Jimmy2020]

People always forget to mention that Tyson was coached by an old Polish man when he was young. The old man died when one of Tyson's racing pigeons went mental and started stabbing people. If it hadn't been for Charles Atlas putting a gun to the pigeon's head who knows what might have happened. Anyway, Tyson was never the same. Mickey Rooney trained him for a while but things went south when Mike shacked up with Robin Gibb, got high and raped Denzel Washington.

[Counter-puncher]

People always forget to mention that Tyson was coached by an old Polish man when he was young. The old man died when one of Tyson's racing pigeons went mental and started stabbing people. If it hadn't been for Charles Atlas putting a gun to the pigeon's head who knows what might have happened. Anyway, Tyson was never the same. Mickey Rooney trained him for a while but things went south when Mike shacked up with Robin Gibb, got high and raped Denzel Washington.

[orbtastic]

Cus Tomato

[Syntax Error]

People always forget to mention that Tyson was coached by an old Polish man when he was young. The old man died when one of Tyson's racing pigeons went mental and started stabbing people. If it hadn't been for Charles Atlas putting a gun to the pigeon's head who knows what might have happened. Anyway, Tyson was never the same. Mickey Rooney trained him for a while but things went south when Mike shacked up with Robin Gibb, got high and raped Denzel Washington.

[Monzon83]

It's crazy when you think at the time of the first Bruno fight Tyson was still only 22 years old. An age when many elite boxers are just getting started he had already unified the HW division, cleaning up most of the top 10 HW'S

I don't think he's more than 60% fighting shape for the first Bruno fight but he was still far too strong and powerful for Frank. A genetic freak if ever there was one.

[rio]

Random one but anyone know why Bruno and Herbie Hide never fought? They were around the same time and you would think it would have been an easy and huge British fight to make especially when Hide was WBO champion.

Would of been a great fan friendly fight with a guaranteed ko

[Jimmy2020]

Random one but anyone know why Bruno and Herbie Hide never fought? They were around the same time and you would think it would have been an easy and huge British fight to make especially when Hide was WBO champion.

Would of been a great fan friendly fight with a guaranteed ko

Timings were not right. Herbie beat Bentt for the WBO in 94 and got beat by Bowe in 95. He then had to rebuild by which time Frank was retired. Herbie wasn't ready before 94.

[Tuan_Jim]

Random one but anyone know why Bruno and Herbie Hide never fought? They were around the same time and you would think it would have been an easy and huge British fight to make especially when Hide was WBO champion.

Would of been a great fan friendly fight with a guaranteed ko

Timings were not right. Herbie beat Bentt for the WBO in 94 and got beat by Bowe in 95. He then had to rebuild by which time Frank was retired. Herbie wasn't ready before 94.

No. Hide could easily have fought Bruno but was too scared to (Akinwande ditto). The entire Sky broadcast of Hide vs Bentt is on YouTube. Bruno is at the fight and very keen on fighting Hide. Sky are keen on it. But when pressed on the subject in the post fight interview Hide could not articulate a single valid reason as to why he wouldn't engage in a lucrative defence against Britain's most famous and popular heavyweight. Just to put this into context: Herbie Hide was an unknown, had just won an off-brand belt and desperately needed exposure, and a credibility boost. Fighting Bruno would have been the biggest payday of his life. He wouldn't do it.

Before anyone says, 'But he fought Bowe!' Bowe was his mandatory. Just like Klitschko was his mandatory.

Twice in his life Hide fought real opponents, and both times he was forced to do it.

[orbtastic]

What was the fight where he kicked off and was throwing tables around. I think from memory he was wearing a red England top so must have been an international the same weekend.