David Tua vs. Frank Bruno

Tua. Cooler under pressure, and the better catcher.

 

I think Frank would win this. Bruno only lost to world champions. You could not bet on Frank to beat a champion but anyone else was fair game. Remember Lewis outboxed Tua and Bruno outboxed Lewis. The bonecrusher loss was a teething problem, Witherspoon, Tyson and Lewis were all great fighters. For actual boxing, Bruno could really box anyone. Around the time he fought Tyson bruno was on another level to Tua, (it's just that Tyson was on an even higher level all on his own at that time) and that Bruno version beats Tua hands down. Bert Cooper did not last a day sparring Bruno at that time.

I like Tua and was surprised he never got shots at more belts when you think of Moorer, Ruiz, Briggs, Botha, Hide, old Foreman, Rahman, seldon and McCall who all wound up calling themselves champions of the same era and they were no better really. Tua was always an exciting fighter with genuine power. Why he did not get more title fights I will never know? You cannot rule out his power but I think Bruno would have seriously boxed David's ears off. Frank Bruno was much better than Rahman.

 

Bruno had crushing power, but I still don't think he takes Tua's left hook half as well as Tua will take his punches. Bruno also had poor survival-instincts at times.

Are you banking on Bruno outboxing Tua over the distance, or him knocking Tua out?

Bruno would outbox Tua, surely, it is in wether or not he'll get hurt and finished within the duration that our disagreement lies.

 

There is always a chance Tua could clip Frank at some point but I don't see David getting near. Frank would dominate Tua over the distance.

Frank only got tired and anxious in world title fights when he had the presure of a whole nation on his shoulders. In mega fights, soccer stadiums, Psychologically Frank could not cope with the occasion, it would sap him. Bruno would try too hard and wind up losing fights he was winning like he did against Lewis. He did not have the cold temperment to see all fights as just a fight and deal with it.

Tua would not represent any of this. Call Frank an on top fighter if you like but I just don't see Tua getting out of the blocks. Frank would get on top, stay on top and keep David isolated ring centre spearing him with long punches all night. The problem with pace only arose when things became gruelling. Frank would have to be careful no doubt but he would have David's number. He was no Mike Tyson.

Tua would try and get inside but Frank would either shrug him off or maul him. Inside, outside Bruno has the edge. Frank was a lot of fighter for non champions. I think Tua needs more Imagination, speed and slick skills than he had to overcome Brunos dimensions and ring craft.

Lewis was not exactly grease lightning but he managed to box at a slow pace and handle the out reached Tua with ridiculous ease without getting out of 1st gear.

 

It might be a case of Tua's fight to win or Lose depending on the amount of effort he puts into it..and sustaining that effort, making impressions..turning those impressions into dents...and maintaining his efforts to turn those Dents into fractures...i have serious dounts he could do it...if the pace Tua Adopts is mundane, and he waits an opportunity to unleash...then Frank will settle into his Grove and he could be quite effective for a big man if he was not presented with sudden surprises...With Frank establishing his Jab from the off and Tua not known for his Ring-cutting footwork...Frank should be able to slip off to the sides behind the Jab, lets Remember he did outbox Lennox Lewis for quite awhile, and as Frank is not a Combination Puncher, but more a Single Bazooka Shot Merchant, the Time he spends in the Tua Danger-Zone could be to Limited for Tua to capitalize on..particularly if he has just been Buzzed...Frank would be back behind the Jab in true Terry Lawless Fashion...Its a sort of a semi-tamed Pitbull against trained Guard Rottweiler Match...anbd i tend to prefer the Bigger Dog in this match Bruno on Points

 

Agreed. It would be like watching Alan minter vs Vito antuofermo.

 

Poor Frankie... He would be so far up on the cards when everything goes devastatingly wrong.

 

heh heh heh

 

I gotta go with Tua in this one. Tua of the late 90's was the real deal and I think was a threat to just about any heavyweight. Not only was he extremely powerful but he was very durable and could keep a relentless pace from start to finish. I believe he had lost a step by the time he got in there with Lewis, he had gained a lot of weight over the years leading up to that bout and to me seemed a little burned out. Not to say he would have beat Lewis had he been at his best but I feel he could've been a much bigger threat a couple years back.

Now Bruno on the other hand was the real deal as well, he had the crushing power that Tua had but didn't have the durablity or stamina. I think Tua at some point in the bout would get to Bruno, hurt him, and follow up finishing him off. Tua might get to him early or perhaps later in the bout but I think he would get to Bruno at some point. Bruno may wear out in the later rounds leading to him getting finished off by Tua. I could see Bruno carrying a lot of the fight keeping Tua at distance with his jab but like Tua did to Maskavev, Izon and Rahman I think he'd be persistent and eventually would get to Bruno. A guy who punches like Bruno always has a punchers chance even against a fighter as durable as Tua but I think it is unlikely he'd knock out Tua. Tua stood toe to toe with a number of big punchers in his prime and never even seemed hurt. If Bruno was to beat Tua I think he'd have to do it over the distance and I don't see him being able to last the full 12 or even 10 rounds against Tua.

 

The even more statuesque Oleg maskiev was only a 10-1 novis when he outboxed 26-0 Tua for 10 rounds making him eat jabs all night with half of what Frank Bruno had until Tua caught up with the newbie in round 11. Against the Frank Bruno who outboxed a crafty old Joe Bugner (who boxed the pants off a still decent Greg Page) or knocked WBA #1 rated Gerrie Coezee spark out Tua would have been in serious trouble. Let's not forget Tua was regarded at his best around this time, his next fight was the famed effort against Ibeabuchi, perhaps the last time David was in decent shape... yet Maskiev made a fool of him with just 10 fights experience under his belt one fight earlier.

No. Tua was good up unto a level but at elite level against a better and stronger elite boxer than maskiev was at just 10 fights I would fear for Tua. IMO Bruno would find David far too easy to hit, one handed and unable to cut a ring down.
Barring a total mishap it would be a Bruno cakewalk.

 

tua. Frank didn't have the greatest chin and tua would likely catch him

 

Tua is severly overrated, Frank should be able to outbox him, but will Bruno make it to the finish line? All it will take is one mistake from Frank or one left hook from Tua

Bruno actually performed much better against Lewis than Tua did.

 

His chin was ok when things were going his way. Bruno took hundreds of over hand rights from Witherspoon throughout their fight, leading most of the way before he finaly sucumbed in round 11. It's not like Bruno crumbled from the first one, he was swapping bombs with Tim all night. Witherspoon was a multidimensional defensive wizard compared with Tua who was virtual target practice for everyone he fought. Witherspoon was busted up worse in that fight than any of his career, even if he did win. Tua would be eating hard leather and finding it harder to catch up to Bruno than he did Rahman or maskiev.