I'm interested in hearing any recollections about this fight. I haven't seen it since the original airing here in the UK in April '93 and I want to see if I've remembered it well or not. Boxrec's helped me out with the stats but not the fight itself. Williams was coming off a TKO8 loss to Tommy Morrison just 3 months previous in what amounted to an unofficial WBO eliminator, but was again in good shape at 220lbs. Bruno had pummelled Pierre Coetzer TKO8 6 months earlier and was (for the time frame) an unusually light and slim-looking 222. Bruno seemed slow but accurate, thudding out his jab and occasionally working the body. For his part Carl seemed game, but didn't land or throw all that much. Getting out-jabbed, not being able to establish his jab seemed to demoralize him, and Bruno was able to dictate the pace. After pushing for a quick knockout early on, which didn't work out and I think might even have gotten him a cut eye in return, Bruno settled down into jabbing and one-twos and the rounds trundled on in this same pattern. It all seemed set to go to a wide if fairly uninspiring points decision for Bruno, when near the end of the last round he suddenly caught Carl with a big right hand and he went down straight-backed to the canvas. Williams got up, and I seem to remember thinking it was a bit premature, Carl certainly complained to the ref about the stoppage. But there was only going to be one winner anyway. The papers here had lots of fun with Carl's "The Truth" nickname the following day. Bruno Shows The Truth, Carl Learns The Truth etc. Bruno went on to challenge Lennox Lewis for the WBC title 6 months later, while Carl would next get himself DQ'd in 7 against Alexander Zolkin and that was his last fight of any note. Does anyone else either own a copy or remember this fight?
222 did sound very low for Bruno. Boxrec has it like that, but I can't remember if it was mentioned in the fight itself. Something in the 230s does sound more like in the right ball park.
Bruno did look very light on that night. He looked like he'd been training for speed, but had lost a lot of muscle and as a result was slower. He was much better at the weight he fought Lewis at, which is the fight he seemed at his fastest in (taking into account the fact that he was setting his punches up properly) while coming in at 249 (his weight for the McCall fight) etc. affected his speed even more. I seem to remember it being a very uneventful contest. Williams barely landed any punches of note, and Bruno totally out-jabbed his opponent as usual. Williams, as a classic example of the "jab, run and hold" 1980s boxer, was completely lost for ideas once he was being out-jabbed. I don't think the stoppage was so much premature, as it was indulgent: the ref was bored of the fight and wanted to go home. Bruno talks about the fight in his autobiography: "... I was a stone and a half lighter than I had been against Coetzer (the Kurgan's note for American and European types- this is 22 lbs, which works out at Bruno weighing 222 lbs since in the same chapter he notes that he was 17 st 6 against Coetzer) and I'd worked much harder on my conditioning. I was sharper but still not my best. I got cut above the eye in the third and it interfered with my boxing. A tame affair finally came to the end in the tenth when I caught Williams with a right to the side of the head and he keeled over. Two months later Lewis beat Tucker. Everything was falling into place." Hopefully that clears up most of your questions about the fight, DamonD. I will also plug Bruno's autobiography: the man is a very good storyteller and has an aptitude for the funny aside/anecdote, which are often of a self-deprecating nature eg. Frank Warren saying of Chuck Gardner- "Chuck Gardner? He couldn't even beat my gardner." This was in the 1980s, so that would even be before Warren started employing boxers as gardners and maids as rewards for WBU titles.
You know the funny thing - I already have Frank's autobiography! I should've just dug that out and rechecked it, heh... Thanks for the second opinon on this fight. Looks like I did remember it fairly well. That's me all over, forget the important things (car keys, bank cards), remember the details of Frank Bruno vs Carl Williams 1993...
The fight with Williams was very intresting. From what I remember Bruno really did struggle after his normal fast start. And at one stage I did think Bomber would survive. But he did actually gain a second wind, and it was impressive to see him stop The Truth late.
You don't read it in full every night? Tsk tsk, DamonD, my opinion of you has fallen. :bart I have to say, of all the Bruno fights to distinctly remember, this has to be the oddest.
Yes the fight was largely uneventful, Williams was game & competitive though Bruno was in control for the most part, finally knocking Williams down in the 10th, looked as though he could have continued but the referee saved him from further punishment. Bruno looked better in his next fight with Lennox Lewis but was caught & stopped on his feet in the 7th.
I thought something seemed “off” with Bruno. He was in control throughout but was unusually cautious and I thought he made harder work of it than I’d expected. That said, it was probably a good approach given his problems with pacing…maybe that was in his mind with the weight loss too? Conversely, I was really impressed with the Coetzer win….I think that was the type of fight and opponent that he would’ve benefited greatly from earlier in his career.
The problem with Williams is he had a pretty bad chin and at heavyweight that's a big problem. Williams had excellent movement and a jab but hit him right and he's done.
