Frank Bruno vs. Wladimir Klitschko (Primes)

Against who? His losing effort to pre-steward Lewis was probably the best fight he ever had. He got sparked by Bonecrusher Smith who was 13-1.

He came back from three bad defeats to establish himself as the lineal champion and hasn't lost in 11 years. I'd say that's mental toughness enough, and Bruno was not as imposing as your making him out to be. He was plenty timid in the ring.

Who did Bruno "survive" to beat?

 

Against Tyson.

Going off the Lewis fight tells me he would get to Wlad and turn him over. Wlad was not half the fighter Lewis was and Bruno gave him plenty of trouble.

Since moving to Germany his career has been joke. Rigged fights so he doesn't have to deal with his opponents style. And his opponents have gotten worse on top of it.

Wlads reign since moving to Germany if bogus and meaningless as far as im concerned. Who knows how many losses he'd have had the rules been enforced.
There is a reason why nobody wants him and why he is reduced to fighting on Eurosport..

 

Audley Harrison disagrees with you

 

Bruno's heavy jab and power would see him giving Wlad problems early. Wlad's never had a to face someone who could out jab him and in the clinch Bruno could be very rough and dirty. This would not be an easy night for Wlad.

But I see Wlad stopping Bruno late. His class would just tell in the end. Wlad's speed and ability to beat Bruno to the punch would see him through.

 

Thats IF Bruno doesnt get him out of there quickly, Bruno can punch and Wlad has been Ko'd

Out of the 2 id say Wlad is more vulnerable, Bruno to a certain extent can mix it up a bit for a few rounds until he tires or gives up. Wlad cant even do that and i dont see Wlad outboxing Bruno, at least not for the first half of the fight.

If both men are still around in the second half of the fight, things get interesting.

Bruno can punch, he stopped all but two of his opponents (Mcall being one of them)

 

Bruno got his ass kicked by Tyson. He landed some decent shots and took some as well, but it was hardly a stellar losing effort. And let's not forget that this was the Tyson who had just changed management, was in a recent car accident and going through a divorce. Frank still got killed and beaten worse in the rematch years later.

The Lewis who Bruno fought as well as ( presumably ) the Wlad you're placing him against, were both Pre-Steward versions of those men.. Lewis improved vastly in the years following the Bruno fight, as did Wlad after losing to Sanders and Brewster.

Rigged fights? Are you saying that he's the product of bad decisions, fixed contests and ducked opponents?

If you're alluding to the Povetkin fight, I can agree that his holding tactics were excessive. But he beat the **** out of that guy. Had him down some four or five times. A friend and I watched that fight together and both of us wanted it stopped in the mid rounds. He didn't need holding to beat Povetkin.

Yet some 60 million viewers watched his last fight.

 

The point was that Bruno could bring it and throw down like a terrier. That was against Tyson. Wlad is no Tyson and would just clam up.

90's , pre Steward Lewis was still better than any version of Wlad. Manny didn't make Wlad any better. He masked his weaknesses by teaching him how to hold on , a technique Wlad has exploited beyond all control. His comp has also got worse.

He is the product of favourable and illegal officiating.

He most certainly had to implement the holding and hugging to win. Why else would he of done it?
That was practised in camp. Wlad is the ultimate pro who follows the gamplan down to a T. His first move of the fight was a clinch ffs.
Povetkin had a decent counter left hook and timing. They didn't have the skills to box him so drafted in Pabon to allow him cheat his way to victory.
Wlad is nothing if he can't grapple and bear hug a guy.
It only took Brewster a few rounds to get him out of there when after Wlads 3rd warning for illegal holding.
Id give Bruno a good enough chance in Germany with Wlads foul play due to his size , strenght and punching power.
In England or anywhere else where Wlad is forced to box he doesn't stand a chance.

I was one of them. So what?

 

No. The point is, he got his ass kicked badly and early and against a champion who had just changed management and had plenty of problems outside the ring. This argument doesn't bolster your position and neither will ignoring the facts.

Wrong. His outside fighting game was VASTLY improved by Steward and holding or no holding, he'd be difficult for Frank to hit flush. Bruno Folded when things didn't go his way as well. He was beating both Witherspoon and Smith until they actually HIT him, then it was all over..

The same could be said for Tyson who used elbows. Holyfield for head butting, Holmes for thumbing and Ali who held behind the head excessively. Wlad's holding techniques are not the only thing he brings to the table, but you're sure hell bent on insisting they are.

It didn't take holding and hugging to put Povetkin on the deck four times, but let's just ignore that too.

What a bunch of crap.. He beat the **** out of Povetkin, and now Alexander is the better boxer.

He's fought and won in plenty of places over the course of his career, and he'd beat Bruno regardless, even if it were held in Frank's living room.

You're the one who argued that he lost popularity and that " nobody" wanted to see him.... I pointed out that he had 60 million viewers in his last fight, and not only do you have nothing to say about it, but confess that you watched it yourself.

 

If this fight actually happened you would be an absolute fool to be on Bruno, I'm sorry.

Bruno isn't pressuring Wlad and making this a slugfest. He would box with Wlad and lose.

 

The point is that he gave a good account of himself and staggered Tyson standing his ground going toe to toe. The point is vital when he is going up against a mentally weak, timid , glass jawed fighter.

Bruno's jab was proven against a guy with a great jab. What jabber did Wlad prove himself against?
Bruno was snapping back Lewis with his jab, a jab that would be to much for Wald.
Bruno is proven. Wlad is not.
And Lewis had to summon the dog within to get Bruno out of there. Had he not Bruno would of landed one to many brutal over hand rights.
Wlad proved he can't fight fire with fire. It only took a couple of shots from Snaders to end him.

Who is his best win? He was on wobbly legs against Wach who couldn't break surface water if he hit it. Wach could of finished him if he had any talent.
40 year old Mormek got inside on him over and over and got hugged to death for 4 rounds. That is to many rounds for Wlad to be in with against Bruno and one thing is for certain- Bruno will not surrender to Wlads tactics and he will be gunning for him from the very first minute.

Bruno beat MaCall and stopped Tilis after he took Tyson the distance. Those are better names than anybody on Wlads record.

A bunch of crap you have no answer for. If Wlad did not need to hold , why did he hold more than he threw punches?

 

Please.. He landed one or two good shots and Tyson dazed for a second. And once again, this is a tyson who saw 91 seconds of boxing action within the previous year, had new management and **** loads of problems outside the ring, yet he KILLED Bruno and you make it sound like Walcott's effort against Marciano.. Pretty hilarious actually.

Let's make sure we're talking about the right Klitschko ok?

Bruno got his ass kicked against a guy who was still a work in progress. Let's not try and turn that into a win... Incidentally Chris Byrd, Eddie Chambers, Calvin Brock and a whole myriad of others had good Jabs. Not exactly a rarity in boxing.

So you think Bruno is stopping Wlad with a " jab"? That in and of itself is ludicrous, and if you start a poll asking people who had the better jab between Bruno and Wlad, I'm quite confident that I know what the consensus would be.

More bull****... The only thing Bruno has on his resume is a win over Oliver McCall and some galant losing efforts.. Wlad Klitschko has been rating by the ring for more than 10 years and has been their number one for the past 5. He's a lineal champion with numerous title defenses and has beaten men who are as good or better than Bruno..

He had to summon the dog against Ray Mercer too.. Not something I give much credence too, and again, a galant losing effort doesn't mean he'd beat another man who was lesser than Lewis.

It took more than a "couple." and that was against a south paw with fast hands.. Left hooks are what did Wlad in and preferably before Steward took over his corner.. Bruno is a right handed fighter who is equally if not more timid. Not happening.

Chris Byrd, Lamon Brewster, Sam Peter, Ruslan Chagaev, Eddie Chambers and Alexander Povetkin are all comparable in quality to Frank Bruno. Not saying that every one of them was better, but if Frank was fighting today he would definitely NOT be in a league of his own.

McCall had Bruno on Wobbly legs near the end of their fight. Bonecrusher smith knocked him the f-ck out. If you think those guys are better fighters than Klitscko then you are either A. looking through rose tinted glasses, or B. In dire need of going back and watching fights.

Wlad killed Mormek. Bruno would be outboxed. And most of the fights you're making reference to happened when wlad was 36+.. What was Bruno doing beyond about age 33?

His fight with Bruno was nothing spectacular pal. It was for the most part, a dull affair ( the same kind you accuse Wlad of engaging in ), with McCall being passive for most of the evening until Frank gassed late and unloaded on him. Fortunately for Frank the bell saved him. And lots of men stopped James Tillis when a 19 year Tyson with 18 pro fights could not. Nothing particularly telling about that effort.

LOL

He didn't hold more than he threw punches and he decked povetkin four times which most referees would have put a halt to.. Funny how you discredit Pabon for not DQ'ing Wlad but mention nothing about how he let that fight continue when Povetkin was a thoroughly beaten fighter.

 

Haye near had Wlad layed out from an overhand right in the 12th when he decided to go for broke. Bruno wouldn't wait till the 12th. He would be right at him at a pace from round 1.

Those are the years that Wlad is supposedly at his best. If Mormeck was able to hang around for 4 rounds and get in on Wlad , what do you think Bruno will be doing?

Mormeck was pushing 40 years old and had been out of the ring for 2 years. He was a joke of an opponent and Wlad still had to lean, hug and jump all over him.

Wlad never faced a guy who could jab like Bruno, but Bruno fought a guy who jabbed better than Wlad and Bruno out jabbed him.

Reality tells me Bruno drives him back with snappy jabs and nails him flush on the pucker and puts him out for the count.
All the candy asses Wlad fought never followed through with an attack because they hadn't the ability.
Lewis had to use his legs and lateral movement to evade trouble. Wlad pulls back in straight lines. Makes it a lot easier for Bruno to set up a big shot after the jab.
Wlad is one dimensional , stiff and robotic who never beat an elite level fighter in his career.
Bruno would be another guy to expose him

 

Bruno was somewhat unfortunate to come up against a number of ATG fighters in his title shots (with the exception of McCall). He was always a really good fighter but lacked the athleticism, stamina and resilience to make that step up to elite level. Having said that the attributes of a ram rod jab and tremendous power would have a very good chance of derailing Wladimir pre or post steward. He would be very likely to catch Wlad in the same way as he did Tyson (first fight), Witherspoon and Lewis difference is with Wlad his jaw would be shattered . People who say that Wlad would tie him up don't understand the sheer strength that Bruno had and this tactic only works against weaker fighters. The old adage of styles make fights I think is very true in this case.

 

Haye didn't do **** to Wlad, let alone come anywhere near close to beating him.. And David had more fluidity and skill than Bruno had.

I rate Wlad's prime as being somewhere between 2005-2009. And using a fight in which his opponent got beaten to a pulp in FOUR rounds is desperate to say the least.

I can describe about 35 of Bruno's opponents who fell into the category of "joke opponent."

I listed several.. You merely chose to ignore them.. And what's more, Bruno trying to out jab Wlad is the exact opposite of what he should do to beat him, as Wlad is a far superior outside fighter.

He's not out jabbing a man who far exceeds him in that department, and unfortunately, Bruno had the wrong style for getting to him.

And once Bruno gets badly hurt he's borderline useless.. Wlad at least fought through adversity to beat Sam Peter and a few others. Bruno NEVER fought through adversity to beat anyone..

LOL@ YOU of all people trying to make an attempt at a styles argument after claiming that a predominantely right handed fighter would knock out a guy who was only dispatched by left punches, and furthermore would out jab a man who's jab was far superior.

You just described big Frank to a "T"

Who did Frank beat who was "elite?"

Maybe if they fought n 1999.

 

He was still a good boxer, but didn't have the chin to compete at the top level.