Brit Showdown. Henry Cooper vs Frank Bruno

I think Bruno would put a big hurting on Cooper. Cooper is to easy to hit for to deal with a guy like Bruno I see him eating the jab and power punches for a few rounds and either getting his lights put out or getting busted up so badly the fight has to be stopped.

 

Know what you're saying Bruno was a big strong guy but personally I thinkthat, as well as all the body building type weights he was doing, I'm a little suspicious of Bruno's weight and muscle gain by the time of the 2nd Tyson fight and the McCall fight etc (even a little bit for the Lewis bout too), he looked almost cartoonish like the muscle mass was overtaking his own body to the point where if he had piled on anymore he would've looked ridiculous - I don't think this is natural - 20-25lbs is a bit ridiculous when it's all muscle??

When Holyfield did it people were a bit suspicious and when other heavyweights have come in that much heavier you can tell that they're just fatter and more out of shape than they were in their best days?

I'm thinking Tyson when he fought Nielsen, and Lennox towards the latter stages of his career fighting well into the 240s just looked a bit slobbish compared to the 227lbs he was in his Ruddock days?

Muhammad Ali fighting at 224 for the thrilla just looked a little out of shape compared to his 210 prime.

But Bruno was possibly even more chiselled and rippling with the extra 25lbs?? And at a greater age when most guys are losing muscle mass? How so? As soon as he retired he absolutely shrunk and is looking kinda skinny now? And physically anyway I thought Bugner looked far bigger than Bruno and Cooper didn't have any real problem with Bugner so I don't see why it's then such a massive problem if he fights Bruno?? Surely if Bruno is gunna steam roll him and kill him in 3 rounds then surely Bruno should've been able to make short work of Bugner - but no it was Bugner who was actually bullying Frank for the first few rounds? And a younger in shape Bugner couldn't do that with Cooper?

I see nothing just from those fights that tells me that Bruno flattens Cooper and that it's not even a fair fight?? And then couple in the much higher calibre of people Henry Cooper beat in comparison? This is a much more interesting fight than people think - I think?

 

Actually Frank and Henry were photographed together quite a lot and in these photos I've never seen one pic where one looks any taller than the other. I have met Henry and Frank and they seemed about the same height at dinner events.

Without bodybuilding I don't think there is much difference between the two. Cooper fought under a natural weight and Frank built up.

 

I'd favor Bruno but think Cooper could last a few rounds and maybe even have a moment or two that kept Bruno's corner on edge.

Bruno had some durability, stamina and confidence issues.

 

I always thought that Bruno would walk over Cooper, but this post has made me think it would be very close.
Looking at them both stood together there isnt much size difference either
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAlrzkqpUA4/hqdefault.jpg

 

This is actually a good point. Cooper would have to be considerably better altogether if it was best night versus best night of each fighter.
And Henry wasn't considerably better.

However, there is a period that represents about 80% of Frank's career where he was not quite ready for whatever reason to take on a experienced contender who wanted to win. Think about it, a lot of Brunos career he was building up to a test, making a comeback, quite rusty or plain green. A lot of lay offs and comebacks. where as for ten years Henry was a proven 15 round fighter who you could Put in with anybody.

Bruno at his best has a lot of advantages for Cooper to contend with but apart from a few good night's in Brunos career I would keep an open mind on Henry's chances. He fought more live fighters.

 

This is what I'm talking about. The difference was bodybuilding.

...and cuts of course.:good

 

Some good points here, and yeah Cooper would have to (and IMO was) better enough all round in all the other important areas outside of the 30plus lbs weight deficit to overcome weight advantage with Bruno - but yeah I think Cooper was better enough to do it.

i think all things considered they are possibly of a very similar level Bruno and Cooper? But with Bruno there are just more areas of doubt that I have, that I don't have with Cooper?

Chiefly for the most part Bruno just knocked over stiffs and bums really - there was not much in between - it was either bums or world level but when it was world level his limitations became glaringly obvious - correct me if I'm wrong but I don't even think there was any British title stuff in between? Which would've been the kind of level Bruno would've met someone like Henry.

Whenever Bruno fought anyone dangerous then things tended to go worse for Bruno - I don't know whether it was a mental thing but he tended to look as though he was fighting ina bit of an anxious state?

He survived a late scare against Jumbo Cummings where he he was this close to being sent into dreamland?

He was KO'd in the very last round of a fight he was actually dominating (one of Bruno's best fights IMO considering the level of the opponent and how much he dominated that one) against James Bonecrusher Smith?

Gerrie Coetzee he nearly decapitated which was impressive for him but his stamina problems and freezing when hit let him down again against Tim Witherspoon and he was KO'd again.

Old Bugner gave him a pretty good fight considering and Bruno only stopped him late - and it was more Bugners age and shoddy condition really in that one.

Tyson - well Bruno had his famous moment in that first round ("and Bruno's hurt Tyson!!? Ged in there Frank!!!" but then got mugged and battered to defeat in 5 very one sided rounds really.

Pierre Coetzer hung tough for 8 rounds as did an ancient Carl The Truth for 10 rounds.

Lennox Lewis stopped Frank in the 7th - Fran did put in one of his more determined efforts in this one but still he totally went to peices when Lewis checked his chin.

Oliver McCall took him the 12 rounds and I don't even know if he won that really?? He was absolutely clinging on for dear life for the last couple of rounds - never seen a fighter so tired in my life to be fair - and McCall was only really a glorified sparring circuit guy who got lucky so to struggle so badly? He looked absolutely GONE those last few rounds?

Reality hit again when he went back in with Tyson - that was simply embarrassing and awful and woeful - he was absolutely terrified and put up no fight whatsoever and embarrassed the title he held really getting points taken off for all that continual holding, which went to show just how little Bruno could really fight for me - that was a really sad night for him in my opinion and only really backed up all the doubts that had lingered I'm afraid?

When he was caught he just froze and became a stationary target who couldn't defend himself when people tried to fight him inside all he could do really was wrap his arms around them and cling on no inside skills whatsoever - he didn't have real confidence in himself or his own chin - he didn't really have a real fighters mentality - and no killer instinct really - almost too nice at times - I think that was it the instinct for fighting just wasn't there - he could be programmed but he couldn't fight on his own wits?

He was too muscular to bunched up too tight to heavy for his frame at times and it didn't really do anything for him - he was often too slow to react to things happening in the ring and with all that weight to chug around his stamina was obviously never gunna be the best and he would oftenbe blowing when having to go beyond 5 rounds or so - and you were just waiting for a shot to suddenly send his eyes glassy and make his legs freeze up - none of these doubts exist with Cooper - only the cuts thing really whichis something that happened in pretty much every fight Cooper had anyway?

 

That was what everyone used to say every fight of Bruno's I ever watched - someone would always be like'"God he's just too muscley!?!"' or "he needs to lose a bit of that muscle, he'd be so much better?! He's to tight and restricted!?" He's just too damn slow!?". Every fight of his even the Brit fans who loved him really knew that he didn't have it at the top level and his chin and or stamina would let him down against anyone who knew how to fight?

And I'd worry as part of me thinks in reality Henry Cooper really could fight and didn't just really on a mountain of muscle and bulk weight? And he proved it against higher calibre fighters than the stiffs and bums Frank was knocking over like bowling pins?

 

Can't see 'Enry having much chance at all here.

If Zora Folley can put him away in 2 rounds then the Bruno who fought Lewis definately can and no way Cooper matches Bruno's efforts against Smith and Witherspoon.

Crux of the matter is Cooper would find it a lot harder to get Bruno out of there than vice versa.

Bruno in 6 for me.

 

Bugner was a choker throughout most of his prime.I wouldn't think it very logical to figure Cooper could beat Bruno because Joe was reticent against him, but not against Bruno when he was an old man with nothing to lose and a different mentality.

Henry Cooper is not Joe Bugner.You look at Bruno and Cooper's strengths and weaknesses over the course of a career to see who wins, not decide who's performance you preferred against Joe Bugner and make that the crux of your argument.