Brit Showdown. Henry Cooper vs Frank Bruno

Bruno by ko, Cooper was kod by Ingo, Floyd and Zora, he might shake up Frank a couple of times but ultimately he is getting stopped imo.

 

Bruno by quick KO, too big too strong.

 

Dont quite see how Henry gets near Frank or does him any damage.
Henry was a shrewd operator though and isn't gonna just stand there as Frank walks towards him on tram lines.
Could go to points with Franks slow but solid jab winning the day.

 

Frank too big too strong. But cooper is pretty quick on his feet may last 5-7rounds.

 

Bruno would lay out Cooper in three rounds.

 

I respect Henry Cooper. He fought in a lot of pro fights, beat some decent opponents, and acquired a lot of battle scars. But I think Frank has too many physical tools and is just a higher caliber of fighter.

 

I remember when an ancient Joe Bugner fought a young Bruno just coming into his peak and was shocked at how Bugner charged out and bulldozed Bruno onto the ropes and clubbed away with as much strength as he could muster - and Bugner looked the physically stronger of the two and terms of brute strength and he had Bruno grabbing and sheltering in the first 30 seconds - Bruno was in retreat mode in that first round and Bugner was outjabbing Bruno while he was still fresh in that fight?

Bruno got his attention a couple of times towards the end of the round but it was Bugner who was taking the fight to Bruno and trying to overpower him?

He was the one trying to bully Bruno in the first and it continued into the 2nd, Bugner was trying to hammer his way forward and he was roughing Bruno up in the clinches as well!? Going in with his head and forearms and anything else and got a warning!?

The only downsides for Bugner was his old age and lack of real conditioning, he was never gunna be able to keep up the kinda pace he started at. Even so, he didn't panic when Bruno did start to establish his jab - if anything Bruno looked the more panicky of the two when the heavy shots started being dished out!?

Bugner started the 3rd with a rush as well though actually jerking Bruno's head back with some jabs, but even when he had to take breathers he was being fairly crafty and would quickly grab Bruno and manhandle him back into a corner and give him some clubs around the sides and back of the head.

The 4th started the same with Bugner again bundling Bruno back onto the ropes and clubbing his way in and roughing Bruno up with his brute strength before Bruno got out to centre ring again - really it was Bruno's youth and boxing that allowed him to have the edge n this fight - and it was Bugner who had his best moments when he used his physical size and strength?

Bugner again ploughed forward at the bell to start the 5th trying to bash Bruno with as many shots as he could get in but these charges were starting to become less although he did start going for it again right at the end of the round and I think rattled Bruno slightly with a big right hand and also a good left - he did start looking his age in the 6th but again when he really went for it he clubbed Frank back onto the ropes by sheer force and at one point rocked Franks head back and then gave him a forearm across the throat for good measure!?

Really for the most part Bruno didn't actually really hurt Bugner properly until the actual finish in the 8th and really that was no definitive knockout - more a grinding him down thing to where the ref stopped it but really Bugner didn't do that bad for an old fella?

The glaring difference when I then watch a 21 year old Bugner (16 and a half years previously) fight a Cooper who was as ancient then as Bugner was himself for Bruno, was the much better condition obviously, the much better balance! And the hugely faster speed they fought at and they were so much BUSIER?! I don't know whether Bruno would be able to fight at that kinda pace - and this was a young, fitter, better balanced, stronger, prime Bugner and really Cooper was ancient and Bugner couldn't manhandle Cooper back like he could a bigger younger Bruno??

Cooper by comparison to me looks like he would've been far too quick for Bruno - I think the young Bugner may have been too for that matter? And an ancient Cooper was quicker than a young Bugner!?

Cooper really had so much more variety to his boxing than Bruno aswell? Bruno by comparison seems too robotic, too one paced, too programmed, Cooper was definitely much the more natural box-fighter. And I also don't think Bruno would be able to muster enough grudge toward Henry either and I think he needed that against Bugner.

Cooper could fight much better inside than Frank too and he also didn't get sucked into physical street fights or brawls, he was pretty disciplined a boxer Henryand he didn't seem to give guys the situations to take libertys whereas Bugner for instance was able to bully Bruno a surprising amount throughout their fight? A younger stronger Bugner couldn't do that to Henry Cooper?? So I don't see Bruno being any problem size or strength wise - I think he'd surprise Bruno in that respect.

And Bruno did have big stamina issues and famously went alarmingly to peices when nailed and one thing Cooper never showed in the ring was the kind of anxiety that Bruno often showed in fights. Just all round I think Henry Cooper was so much better a boxer than Bruno and that's from the comparison of an old Cooper!? The younger prime Cooper would just be better still? This is by no means the walk over most seem to think it is - someone who gave a prime Muhammad Ali a right old tussle while he was in there is not gunna be outgunned by the plodding lumbering shouldered Big Frank!

 

Cooper could fight fairly comfortably for 15 rounds at the age of 36 against a young prime Bugner at a pace that Bruno found uncomfortable for 8 against a 38 year old Bugner?

 

Although it was his 11th fight Bruno had trouble with Stuart Lithgo. A lively lighter heavyweight albeit taller than Henry. Bruno went a lot of rounds with Pierre Coetzer too who was easier to hit and more one dimensional than Cooper. Although smaller and lighter, Cooper would be harder to beat than Coetzer. I think the seasoned version of Cooper who troubled Ali deserves more of an open mind.

Frank Bruno was a very good boxer. He deserves to start Favorite against Cooper but Henry liked boxing bigger guys. If the career timing was not just right for Bruno, Cooper could upset an earlier green version of Frank.

I think the best version of Frank was either when he fought Bugner or Williams. Two solid performances but aside from his brave losing efforts not many Bruno opponents came to fight. Bruno was a reliable performer but I feel in a long career perhaps 80% of it he was not facing live guys.

I have to favour Bruno but all live guys of Henry's ability deserve to be taken very seriously indeed. Pace, experience and fast hands could trouble Frank IMO.

 

When Bruno fought Bonecrusher Smith (which IMO was the best fight Bruno fought, though lost against a world ranked big man in his own prime days - he dominated the fight and was a mile ahead when he got stopped in the very last round) he was 222lbs which to be fair is what, only 9 lbs heavier than the Bugner that Cooper fought (and beat IMO) - the very same Bugner who 16 years later at the age of 38 was the physically stronger man in there against the prime Bruno? 7 months after Bugner fought Cooper he was fighting at 221lbs? Yes Bruno was a big strong guy but I think you think Bruno was a little bit bigger than he actually was??