Lennox Lewis/ Frank Bruno Fued

No. everyone wanted bruno to win. Lewis never had the affection of any part of britain

The two both liked each other. Unlike MAB and Erik

 

Bruno was a mainstream celebrity, everyone in Blighty knew him. Lewis was known to be very good, but at the time was thought of by many as Canadian.

Eventually we got to know Lennox, and although never quite the love affair we had with The Bomber, Lewis became much respected in the Country (probably helped by losing; we love a loser). And by the time the Holyfield fights came around Lewis was very popular. It peaked when he won the very prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1999 (which is won on a public vote).

At the time (of Lewis/Bruno) I know Lewis dropped the 'Uncle Tom' bomb on Bruno, which must of pissed Bruno off...

As for Britain, there was little division, I would think 80% of boxing fans and 99% of the public who knew of the fight, were behind Bomber Bruno.

 

I just rewatched Lewis Bruno. That animosity looked genuine. Mickey Vann trying to halt the proceedings and Lewis just had to pump in another right.

 

White Britain wanted Bruno to win, I think Blk Britain wanted Lennox to win, Witherspoon said black British people were cheering for him to win when they fought.

Wrongly imo Bruno was labelled an Uncle Tom, in his crowning moment against McCall he went into a rant about how he wasn't an Uncle Tom, it was more important to him to deny that than what he achieved. Lennox degraded him, calling him an Uncle Tom before their fight, which was more humiliating when he lost.

What I dislike most about boxing is how how 2 bit losers degrade a boxer who maybe 2nd or 5th bestin the world after they lose to the best. I remember after Tyson smoked Bruno in the second fight some 14yo bimbo talking about how useless Bruno was

 

People didn't like Lewis because he was brought up in Canada. Bruno wore trunks that said True Brit. The fans very much wanted Bruno to win.

 

Not really, Bruno did kind of play up to the Uncle Tom thing, with his banter with Harry Carpenter (A British Boxing Commentator on the BBC):

"Now I have won this fight, I am going on 'oliday to top up mi tan, you know what I mean 'arry? ha ha ha ha ha ha!'

 

Not all black Britain wanted Lewis to win- it was a hostile pocket of the community who disliked how mainstream Frank went. He kind of became to represent the establishment and belonged to all of Britain- like a mascot. To them he should have belonged to just them, It was played down how a significant group felt, and I think frank himself even stopped a story in the press explaining how some within Brixton thought he'd sold out, dressed like a white man etc, but some would say that it was just the angry part of the community, many were proud to be represented on the whole by Frank.

It was a bit like the Irish situation with mcguigan- a hostile pocket who were anti British hated the fact Barry became a British citizen 2 further his career and become British champion purely for business. Barry always said "as an amateur I fought for Ireland as an professional I fought for money." But he was on the whole (like frank) loved by the mainstream in Ireland and Britain.

Lewis never went mainstream until much after so at the time EVEN AS CHAMPION he was still in Franks shadow. I think it genuinely irritated Lewis that he never caught on even after becoming the first Brit to win a title since Fitzsimons and that Frank was still very much the countries favourite son. I think he expected to be huge in the UK when he landed a title but it was like everyone wanted to see Frank win a title. It was tough for any Black British fighter to compete with the relationship Frank had with the nation.

Later Lewis got the recognition when he beat Holyfeild but by then he wasnt living in the UK all of the time. Lennox was posibly was too "international" to ever get the same bond that Frank had with the public.

 

Bruno was always destined to be loved by the British public because of his colourful and extremely friendly personality. Lewis was more guarded and serious.

 

I loved Bruno but wanted Lewis to win. What i wanted from the fight was for Bruno to have a good showing and Lewis to win. Which is what happened.
I realised Lewis was a serious player and it would better all around for him to win. Plus i liked Lewis from the start.
No doubt Lennox was second fiddle to Frank with the British public but i don't think it was as pro Bruno as some make out.
Bruno was loved by the general public for sure, but there is a lot of cynical people in England like there is anywhere, and a lot of them always seen Bruno as a loser. Lewis always had problems with his dual nationality.

 

Lewis allegedly referred to Bruno as a 'Uncle Tom' Apparently it was settled out of court.

 

I used to ahve this Tyson-Lewis documentary back in the days on Video and there was a clip of Tyson in Brixton. Apparently Tyson was even more popular than Lewis in Brixton. This was when he came over for the Francis fight.

And the safest place for Tyson to hide from the crowd was in the local Prison!!!!

It was also ironic that the guy to beat him was Danny Williams, The brixton bomber (former Francis victim)

 

Bruno was the old popular fighter facing the new dog Lewis. The british public was solidly behind the old guy even though he was the heavy underdog. The fight and build-up was very much reminiscent of the older changing-of-the-guards fights where the young guy beat the old and wasn't loved before some time had passed.

The old changing of the guards fights includes Cooper over Erskine, Bugner over Cooper, Bruno over Bugner and Lewis over Bruno.