Frank Bruno vs Evander Holyfield

I honestly think that if Frank Bruno had been thrown to the wolves early, rather than facing tomato cans in his first 21 fights, his career very likely would have ended up looking like Ross Purity's. Getting KO'd by a 13 fight James Smith when he was 21-0 and a sculpted physical specimen confirms this for me.

 

Exactly.:good

Trouble was the in betweens wanted nothing to do with him. The closest Bruno got to an "in between" guy was bonecrusher, coetzee, truth Williams, Ribalta and Ferguson. Bonecrusher won 20seconds of their fight and knocked him out. But against the others he did very well. Ferguson let himself down, coetzee got caught early. Alex Stewart would have been good. Page, Berbick would not come.

 

This was one of the biggest come from behind wins of all time. Apart from Tate-weaver I can't think of a better example of a loser turning it around. Bruno showed inexperience here after boxing bonecrushers ears off but Smith was a genuine danger man. Just ask Mike Weaver and Tim Witherspoon.

 

I'm not sure what's going on with you, but this is so irrational. I'm starting to suspect hegrant has hacked your account. He is after all the master of letting his bias for certain fighters twist his logic into profound and puzzling angles. You are at least not a jerk, though.

If I follow you are claiming that Tubbs doing better than Bruno against common opponents and picking up better wins in the same time frame must be blamed on him being so bad he dragged them down to his horrible level, but against Bruno, they were so inspired by his oily muscles, they stepped up their game.

If Tubbs had bulging biceps like Bruno, Bonecrusher would have tried much harder and surely got the easy knockout. :rofl That's crazy talk. Spoon was even more fit for Tubbs than he was Bruno.

 

Or ask Tony Tubbs who actually beat Smith.

 

Exactly, you can't be dogging Tubbs so badly while praising Bruno and Coetzee at the same time. Tubbs did better than both these guys in (gasp)...actually beating the versions of Page and Bonecrusher they were knocked out by, and boxing pretty evenly with a more fit Spoon than the one who mauled Bruno.

That's a paradox if there ever was one. Choklab's logic to justify this is just mind boggling for a normally level headed guy. I'm throwing in the towel on thi sone.

 

Yeah you can't win an argument where insistent pride rules over concern for facts.

 

I suppose that's one way of saying it.

 

Smith was just as inexperienced as Bruno.
I'd probably favour Smith against Bruno two years later too, and certainly in a 12 or 15 round fight.

 

Let's not forget Floyd 'Jumbo' Cummings.
Talk about saved by the bell !

 

Yep. Floyd Cummings was 34 years old, in the last fight of his career and had only recorded one win in his last seven outings.. Bruno was so dazed at the end of the first round, Terry Lawless had to grab his arm and steer him back into his corner..

 

That's right he did beat Smith. Tubbs wasnt stupid enough to get caught in the last seconds I accept that. Bruno switched off for one second with the fight won. Nine and a half rounds in the bag. It was all Smith did in the whole fight.

 

No, Tubbs was a crafty guy with a lot of skill. He could lull a fighter into a slower pace, not get too involved then steal a round. Cunning. He did not have the power to live with the kind of man who put the heat on him for a full round. I don't think he could outbox Bruno and I don't think he could hurt Bruno.

Page was a better fighter than Tubbs he just went to sleep. Witherspoon failed a drug test because he'd been smoking weed in camp. I think Tubbs was quite fortunate to register good results in these fights. He did not make foolish mistakes like getting caught when he had a fight won like Bruno did but I imagine Bruno beats Tubbs.

 

It wasn't a case of Bruno 'switching off', it was more like Smith 'switched on'. As your last sentence makes clear.

 

And the saga continues.............