Frank Bruno

Franklin Ray Bruno (born November 16, 1961) is a British former boxer whose career highlight was winning the WBC world heavyweight championship in 1995. Altogether, he won 40 of his 45 contests. He is also well known in the UK for acting in pantomimes.

Boxing career

Bruno became a professional boxer in 1980, quickly racking up a streak of 20 consecutive wins by knockout. This streak caught the attention of many international boxing magazines, such as Ring Magazine, KO Magazine, Boxing Illustrated, The Ring En Espanol and many others. In March of 1984, however, future world Heavyweight champion, American James Bonecrusher Smith, then a boxing journeyman, halted that streak when he defeated Bruno by knockout in the tenth and final round of the bout, with Bruno leading on all three judges' cards.

Bruno got back into title contention with wins over the likes of former WBA world champion Gerrie Coetzee (by knockout in round one), and, in July of 1986, he challenged Tim Witherspoon for the WBA world Heavyweight championship. After once again leading on the cards for most of the fight, he ran out of steam and was defeated by knockout, in round eleven.

In 1989, Bruno, whose training partners included celebrities like Sting, challenged Mike Tyson for the unified world Heavyweight title. After being sent down in round one, Bruno finished that round by rocking Tyson with a left hook. However, Tyson beat Bruno by knockout in round five.

Frank Bruno kept winning fights and he kept his spot as one of the world's leading Heavyweights, and in 1993, he had a third chance, against young Lennox Lewis, who was making his second defense of his first of two championship reigns. Lewis beat Bruno by knockout in round seven.

In September, 1994, Oliver McCall beat Lewis in London, and, after defeating Larry Holmes, he went to England to defend the WBC title against Bruno. Bruno finally became world champion by outpointing McCall over twelve rounds.

Bruno did not last long as champion: his first defense was a rematch with Tyson. Tyson beat Bruno by knockout in round three, in what turned out to be Bruno's last bout as a professional.

Outside boxing

Bruno grew up with five siblings in a terraced house in south London, where his parents had settled after moving to England from the Caribbean. In 1990, he married his partner Laura at a small church in Hornchurch, an area of Greater London near the border with Essex. They had three children. However, their relationship deteriorated, and they divorced in 2001.

In 1995, the year of his world championship, he released a cover version of "Eye of the Tiger", the theme song of the movie Rocky III. It reached #28 in the UK charts.

In January 2001, Bruno announced that he wanted to stand as the Conservative candidate in the traditionally safe Tory seat of Brentwood and Ongar against the independent MP Martin Bell. However, this idea was quickly dismissed by Conservative Central Office.

On September 22, 2003, Bruno was taken from his home near Brentwood in Essex by medics, assisted by police officers, under terms of mental health legislation. He was taken to Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford, where he underwent psychological tests. He had been suffering from depression for several months beforehand. The psychologist Professor Cary Cooper expressed the opinion that the end of Bruno's boxing career, the breakdown of his marriage, and the suicide of his former trainer George Francis in 2002 all contributed to his condition.

Media coverage of the situation raised controversy, with the media being accused of insensitivity, in particular The Sun, whose headline in the first editions the next day read Bonkers Bruno Locked Up. Second editions retracted the headline and attempted to portray a more sympathetic attitude towards Bruno and mental health in general. They also established a charity fund for the victims of mental illness, although some mental health charities condemned The Sun's latter action that day as being grossly cynical in the light of the former. By 2005 he was able to appear on BBC Radio as a guest expert at a boxing match.

External links

• "Frank Bruno marriage ends (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/798060.stm)" - BBC News article dated Tuesday, June 20, 2000
• "Bruno considers election fight (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1113507.stm)" - BBC News article dated Friday, January 12, 2001
• "Blow for Bruno's election plan (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1113968.stm)" - BBC News article dated Friday, January 12, 2001
• "Bruno to divorce (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1479749.stm)" - BBC News article dated Wednesday, August 8, 2001
• "Profile: Frank Bruno (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3130780.stm)" - BBC News profile dated Monday, September 22, 2003
• "How Bruno's troubles began (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/3131690.stm)" - BBC Sport article by Tom Fordyce, dated Tuesday, September 23, 2003
• "Goodwill messages for Bruno (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3130376.stm)" - BBC News article dated Wednesday, September 24, 2003