Isn't interesting that these two never matched up? I'm pretty confident about the outcome, but still think it would be a real hectic fight. I predict a quick knockdown in round 1 by Mason followed by a Bruno onslaught. Bruno's attacks quickly die down within a round or two, and Mason punishes him before stopping him in the 7th. No way it would make it longer.
Interestingly enough these two men emerged from the same stable run by trainer Terry Lawless, and in fact sparred together on a number of occasions. Another less known member of the team was fellow countryman and heavyweight prospect Horace Notice... But his story is a different one.. as for the outcome of the fight, there are some British fight fans who surmised that Mason might have won this match. I can see it going either way given the level of power punches being exchanged. But if forced to choose I’d have to give the edge to Big Frank. The closest thing to a world class fighter Mason ever faced was a 14 fight Lennox Lewis who stopped him... Frank fought several men on the world level and even troubled a more seasoned version of the Lion.... his wins over Coetzee, Mcall, Coetzer and an aged Bugner make his resume look like Muhammad Ali’s next to Mason’s list of Hugo Currys and James Pritchards
Do u know if Mason was ever floored. It seems like something you usually know how many times a fellow was floored.
Mason was the real deal, as destructive against world-class talents Ratliff, Tillis and Biggs as Tyson was. Duff kept Bruno well away from him for a reason. I like Mason in this one.
Bruno the better fighter and bigger puncher, Mason the more durable imo. Bruno wins by tko in 8 with Mason s eye badly closed. But Frank has to take some good shots.
Bruno was much better boxer and much harder puncher of the two. I would definitely favor him to win this fight
Garrys career was ended so prematurely in 1991 and all Brunos best wins came in the 1990s so slightly unfair comparing resumes....the lewis fight was a debacle ..duff callously decided to cash in after the retina and garys initial retirement unbeaten... Head to head lets say in early 1990 I take Mason to stop Bruno around 8 or 9. Imo Masons win over Biggs was better than any win on Brunos resume up to that point....which is a bloated 38 year old Bugner who decided to put on 20 lbs before the fight and a worn out 12 year pro Coetzee
I disagree. Biggs was washed up and VERY rusty in that fight. He came into the fight against Mason having only 2 fights in the last 27 months both of which were stoppage losses, and one of them (loss to Tyson) was extremely brutal. He was basically shot fighter at that point. Bruno's win over Gerry Coetzee was much better win in my opinion.
Gerrie was retired when he fought Frank. Mickey Duff paid him $250,000, over £100,000 to basically sell his name. While in London Coetzee barely trained. He needed the money to finance the farm he had bought when he retired. Duff was excellent at picking opponents at the right time, particularly for Bruno.
This would have been a cracking fight with a real back story. As Magoo said, the two Fighters were stable mates, along with British Heavyweight Champion Horace Notice. Initially, Mason and Bruno were good friends with Gary very much growing in Bruno's shadow but as time went on Mason got fed up with playing second fiddle. His thinking, understandably, was "How many chances are they going to give him before I get mine ?". Mason began to feel very bitter towards Bruno and would love to have fought him. I was one of many who felt that Gary had more natural ability than Bruno. He had a more fluid style with better feet and head movement. Frank was very much a product of his own dedication rather than any God given talent. I always reckoned that Mason would only be at risk in the first two rounds when Frank was at his freshest, he had a habit of falling into a pattern as fights went on, becoming predictable and vulnerable to counters. If Gary could have tucked up and weathered the early storm, I think he could have worn Bruno down in an attritional fight and taken a stoppage around the eighth.
