Where Does Frank Bruno Rate, In European Heavyweight s?

Off the top of my head all these rate above him. I think maybe he sneaks in the top 10 or just outside it IMO.

Johansson
Wladimir
Vitali
Lewis
Joshua
Usyk
Schmeling
Povetkin

 

In 1986 at British and European level he was the man. He wasn't quite good enough at world level not getting being get past James Bonecrusher Smith and Tim Witherspoon (who's knockout of Frank Bruno doesn't get enough mentions for my liking) He took on Joe Bugner a year later in 1987 who also came back a few years later to fight Scott Welch in 1996.

 

Joe Bugner went the distance with Ali twice, Frazier and Ron Lyle. He got off the deck against Shavers only to be stopped on a cut eye.
Frank couldn't have lived in that company.

 

Bugner, as good as he was, simply never gave a nation the hope that Frank did.

 

He was born in Hungary grew up in Britain and was a discus thrower before he became a boxer. I don't think the British public took to him after he controversially beat Henry Cooper and from then he didn't get the same kind of support from the fans that Cooper did. Frank Bruno had the charisma , personality and was a working class favourite amongst fans Bugner never quite captured the heart of the British fans. Muhammad Ali spoke very highly of Bugner who initially was a sparring partner of his and gave Ali two competitive fights as well as a tough fight for Joe Frazier. If Bruno and Bugner fought each other prime for prime we would likely have a very different outcome than what occurred in their 1987 encounter.

 

I think the main reason the British public didn’t take to Bugner was despite being a 6’4” Adonis most of the time he was passive and stank the place out.

 

Even when Joe Bugner ourpointed a journeyman named Ulrich Regis who died after being outpointed at Shoreditch Town Hall he'd still been booed for his passivity .
Bugner was perplexing, he had the size and could take a punch and as was seen against Joe Frazier he could bang when he wanted to.

 

maybe it was because he was a Hungarian who came to britain that the brits never took to him?

Yeah, anyway I hear it was a great move for both for his career an personal life that he moved to australia and became Aussie Joe. It gave both a new lease of life as the sportsmad Aussies embraced him personally an professionally in a way the brits never did which is kinda strange as the Aussies normally hates brit sportsman. I think that there was even talk that Aussie Joe on the comeback trail was even gonna be given a shot at Holmes at some point

 

If Putin gets his way there maybe further mass changes for ‘European’ Heavyweights.

But as suggested for the moment, since the opening of the iron curtain, and Olympic investment in the UK, Bruno has slipped to the fringes of the top ten.

 

Fury?

 

Yes Fury why would Fury not be rated over Bruno ?

 

Probably not as high anymore. Lots of good heavyweights have come out of the Europe scene over that past couple decades