Bruno different path.

With his power, and above average boxing ability, Bruno could have beaten any of them. Maybe a different way to look at your question is, if he hadn't had the losses to Smith and Witherspoon, if he had beaten Lewis on points and if he had followed up after staggering Tyson and stopped him, where would we rank him?

 

I think the fact he was a natural athlete and not a natural fighter is what stopped him jumping on Tyson after he stunned him. Split seconds matter at that level!!

 

He was supposed to fight Trevor Berbick, and I think that Bruno definitely would've beaten him.

 

I don't think Tyson was really hurt by Bruno. And that was about 5 seconds span of time in Bruno's fights against Tyson when he didn't get battered badly. Instead possibly of Bruno being knocked out by Jumbo Cummings was much bigger - he was literally out on his feet after Jumbo's punch.

As for him going different path (i.e. facing some lesser puncher or less durable guy than Smith) he would face Larry Holmes soon and would get battered and stopped by Holmes who was just much better all-around boxer with higher ring IQ, even better jab, better skills and incomparably better stamina.

I think Bruno did most he could do. I would never call him an underachiever. I actually think that Bruno fulfilled his potential much more than most title holders or top contendere of 80s and 90s - Tate, Page, Weaver, Dokes, Douglas, Witherspoon, Tubbs, Thomas, Carl Williams, Tucker, Morrison, Ruddock, Sanders, Tua, Ibeabuchi, Bowe and Tyson for sure. Unlike them all I think he couldn't have had a better career than he had.

 

Hi Buddy.
I always find it intriguing when 2 posters have varying opinions on the fighter in question, you have Bruno having above average boxing ability, I demonstrably do not, what's more for me, he was a boxer who looked the same in his first fight, as he di in his last, so almost no obvious improvement, his arsenal ( if it could be called such ) consisted of a stiff left jab, followed by a right cross, granted a heavy jab, and lots of power in the right, but nonetheless only two real fundamentals, no body punching, very few hooks left or right , very poor footwork in the main, no fainting or body rolls, couldn't fight off the ropes, had virtually no grasp how to avoid in coming punches when hurt, he appeared almost robotic at times, for the record I like Bruno, and have spoken to him on many occasions, and he is shy, and very nervous in the flesh, but as for his boxing acumen, not for me, that said buddy, you have every right to your opinion, of which I respect, on your short time here you have shown a keen knowledgeable insight into boxing, and your posts are polite and well mannered.
stay safe Philosopher, chat soon buddy.

 

I was very impressed with Frank Bruno's performance against Lennox before he got stopped.

He was a good fighter but had his flaws. He would have lost IMO to Holyfield and Bowe. But could see a case of him possibly beating the likes of Morrison and Moorer.

 

Bruno was a solid, world-class heavyweight boxer. I think he makes the top 10 in any era.

 

Michael Spinks vs Frank Bruno in 1986 would have been interesting

 

Thanks for your kind comments. Perhaps my phrasing is clumsy here. I agree with you, he had solid fundamentals but he did them very well, and used them very well. He had a very good gauge of distance and could use his jab and straight right to keep people off him. He did not, as you say, have a good, adaptable boxing brain, but he could follow a plan with monotonous regularity (robotic?). So, yes, I'd say whilst the skills he had were no better than most, and significantly less than others, the way he used them was above average. I think we forget what an average fighter looks like and I don't think even his fiercest critic could call Bruno bang average? His dedication to the sport was also remarkable, never out of shape, never lazy or lackadaisical in the ring and yes, prodigous power...but you can have huge power and not utilise efficiently, and Bruno did utilise his power, again showing above average skills to do so.

Hope that clarifies my point brother man, peace and love always, gbn x

 

He's mechanical. Like Joshua in that aspect.

That will always leave openings for opponents.

 

I genuinely believe that Bruno would have beaten AJ. Joshua would likely have had that tentativeness after the first solid jab. I think AJ is perhaps more fluid and has a better variety of punches, but a big, powerful man who hits consistently hard is a boogeyman opponent for him.

 

Hi Buddy.
Your post clarified with aplomb, and we now as one with Bruno's attributes and accomplishments, and am quite taken with the little x.
stay safe buddy, chat soon.

 

could have won the Lewis fight if he didn't get careless.