Second best British Heavyweight

Baer might have been inconsistant but he would still be too much for most of the top heavyweights that Britain has produced. Simply put he wasn't that bad and they wern't that good.

Henry Cooper would fight his heart out but would get smashed as he generaly did at world level.

Frank Bruno would again put up a brave fight and might do well in the first half untill stamina issues and a Baer right hand caught up with him.

The only one of the group that I could really see taking Baer is Joe Bugner.

As for Braddock I think that at the stage of his career where he was beating guys like John Henry Lewis and Art Lasky he is probably too much for most of the heavyweights that our island is produced.

Of course Tommy Farr lost to Joe Louis but hom many other British heavyweights would have been aforded the luxury of finishing the fight on their feet?

 

On that basis Don Cockle would have to be rated verry highly since he was ranked #2 by ring magazine going into the Marciano fight.

 

bruno vs baer is probably a pickem fight cause who knows what baer would turn up and bruno would i think be to strong for braddock .but cant see frank lasting more than a couple of rounds against louis.

but there is one who has not been mentioned yet a special one a glorious talent



AUDLEY

 

I think Max Baer, almost certainly on an "off night", could well be on the end of a nice left jab all night v. the best of Cooper or Bruno.

Braddock did have a good little run of wins late in his career, but it's hard to gauge with having seen those fights or even those fighters. Even so, yes, I agree, most of Britain's top heavyweights fell well short of world-class. Braddock was one of the worst champions ever, IMO, so maybe a few of our ordinary heavyweights would be even money against him on their best night.

 

Damn you just nailed it. Thread closed.

 

I agree with you, and it's very hard to know who would have been best in prime vs. prime fights between Farr, Bruno, or Bugner.

Incidentally, a fighter I might put in this group is Henry Akinwande. A lot of people will scorn me for picking Henry, but the truth is that he would have been very hard for most British heavyweights to deal with.

 

I would not put Bruno in the same bracket as Farr and Bugner.

I think he was a clear a teir bellow them.

 

Bruno size gives him the confidence to beat a Farr or Bugner.

But is he Britain's best outside of the claims of Lewis and Fitzsimmons?

Probably not, Farr is my #2, Bugner edges out Bruno also for the Frazier performance, something Bruno could never do (Go 12 rounds with an all time top 20 Heavyweight).

 

Definitely an enigma is Bugner. All the ability in the world but that temperament of his. How did he manage to lose to Jack Bodell?
All respect to Jack.

 

Yes, so often Bugner truly was 'Just glad to be there' and not getting hurt.

When he opened up and gave it a go, he showed that he could of been in that tier fighters in the 70s, just below Ali, Foreman, Frazier and Holmes.

 

Lewis
Fitz
Farr

 

The British Ruiz Henry Akinwande

In all seriousness its Frank Bruno or are we counting Fitzsimmons or is he just a Yank now

 

He is a English-Aussie, New Zelander and Celtic Yank.:good

 

If Fitzsimmons is being discounted I'd go for Tommy Farr.
Tommy Farr fought Joe Louis for his heavyweight title at Yankee stadium, Tommy went forward for 15 rounds, the two judges gave the bout to Louis 9-6 and 8-5-2, and the referee scored it 13-1-1 :???:to Louis.

Tommys next fight against Jim Braddock was very dubious, Braddock won a SD, 1 judge scored it for Braddock, 1 judge scored it for Farr, with the ref scoring it for the home boxer {American refs aye}