Prime..BERBICK V BRUNO

If it's the best of both, Trevor never gassed, and had three stoppage wins beyond round ten. He'd also gone the championship distance with Holmes in a bout where I thought Larry shut him out, but where Berbick also continually advanced.

Trevor was a durable guy, and far more accomplished than Frank over longer distances. I also think he'd tax Bruno by putting him on the back foot and belaboring the body. When Berbick was on, and aiming to win [which he didn't attempt to do with Holmes or ST Gordon], he could maintain a pretty good work rate.

Attrition does it for Trevor in the double digit rounds. He was more relaxed than Bruno, better established over the long haul, and did hit hard enough to hurt Frank late. Staying low and coming forward would allow him to neutralize Bruno's own power a bit, and I don't think Frank would replicate what Mercado and Tyson did to Berbick.

Four wins over HW titleholders up to Pinklon Thomas in March 1986 for Berbick [Tate, Ali and Page prior to Thomas]. Trevor would have had a very serious experiential advantage over Frank if Bruno had been the first challenger for Berbick's WBC Title in late 1986, instead of Tyson. What a poorly conditioned Witherspoon did to Frank at Wembley that July showed Bruno simply wouldn't have been ready for a well conditioned Berbick either then.

 

Berbick no doubt.

 

My pick would be Berbick. However it would be a good matchup, and I think Bruno would have his moments, but in the end TB grinds him down.

 

Prime vs prime:

Well Bruno makes a good start, winning many of the opening rounds, Berbick starts turning the fight around, around the eighth and wins by championship round stoppage.

Cannot get more cliché than that!

 

This fight almost happened after Bruno beat Ken Lacusta easier than Berbick did. Berbick came over to fight in London on a Bruno card. With Berbick holding the commonwealth title it was a doable fight in 1984-85

Having lost to Renaldo Snipes and ST Gordon Berbick was out of the heavyweight picture and going the distance with guys Bruno Kayoed like Lacusta and Walter santimore. For some reason the fight was not made and Bruno went for the Euro title and Berbick went after the USBA title.

The cartel must have known something because in 1985 Berbick found some form beating up David Bey and unbeaten Mitch Green in back to back fights for the USBA title. These wins got Berbick the Thomas fight that nobody expected him to win. That same month Bruno fought Gerrie Coetzee who was the #1 with the WBA.

Interesting that Both Berbick and Bruno peaked for their best recorded career wins in March 1986. Interestingly their victims Thomas and Coetzee drew against each other exactly 3 years earlier.

Bruno should beat Berbick but pressure got to him on big fights. If it was a non title fight indoors Bruno wins by early KO in 1985.

However, With a title on the line, in a football stadium Bruno would wilt after 5 rounds and gets ground down by Berbick.

 

There was also talk of Berbick/Bruno in 87.

 

Berbick had no trouble beating Mark" White Lightning" Lee at Wembley, and looked good doing so.Bruno caught a flat and uninterested Coetzee who coming down to the ring looked flabby and lacking muscle tone, the result flattered Bruno,as first round kos can do,[Johannson v Machen!& Coetzee v Spinks.]

 

Bruno. Berbick may well be the worst fighter to every hold a heavyweight belt.

 

Really, he holds wins over.
Thomas
Bey
Tate
Page
Which prime heavyweight of any stature did Bruno ,or Mike Spinks beat?

 

Bey was never all that and a bag of chips. The others were all quite capable of going on a food or coke binge and losing to the guy holding the spit bucket. That's the problem with most of the '80s contenders: Most of them where wildly inconsistent due to drugs and/or lax training habits and weight swings despite the fact that some like Thomas and Page had real talent.

Bruno did have a win over a prime not-melting-down McCall and Spinks' two wins over a past-it Holmes was better than any of Berbick's wins. That isn't say either Bruno or Spinks were outstanding heavyweights: They weren't. But they were certainly better than Berbick

 

I would pick Bey,Page,Tate, and Thomas to beat Bruno the majority of whose fights I saw from ringside.

 

I'd pick Page and Thomas to beat Bruno but I would also understand that both were quite capable of uncorking coke or buffet line induced stinkers and losing to just about anyone. Bey and Tate I've never thought highly of; during their heyday I considered them run-of-the-mill fringe contenders and nothing I've seen over the past 30 years has made me think differently.

 

Spot on. Nothing more I can add. :good

 

Bruno takes Berbick late, around the ninth round.