Fan-favourite heavyweight Frank Bruno has highlighted the career and talent of one of his fellow former heavyweight world champions, naming them as the best fighter to have ever graced the division.
Bruno was adored by the British public, who rallied behind the Hammersmith-born hero as he set about becoming the United Kingdom’s first heavyweight world champion since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1899.
However, Bruno came up short when challenging Tim Witherspoon and Mike Tyson to the throne and Lennox Lewis instead broke the United Kingdom’s heavyweight title drought, before dealing Bruno a third unsuccessful title challenge when they collided in 1993.
Yet, despite seeming destined to be remembered as a ‘nearly man’ Bruno remarkably claimed world honours in his penultimate contest, trumping Oliver McCall in a famous clash at Wembley Stadium.
Whilst he is remembered fondly for that WBC title win, Bruno named boxing’s only three-time lineal heavyweight champion as the greatest fighter in the history of the division, when reflecting on his memories of the legendary Muhammad Ali in an interview with 5 News.
“He had a lot of determination and a lot of will power and a lot of psychology that he used on boxers. He was a very intelligent guy and one of the most nicest guys that you could ever wish to meet, and one of the most talented and powerful guys, as well.
“Yeah, I think so, [that he was the greatest], all of the way around. He could box, he could fight, he could sus you out.”
“There are some boxers that have power, there are some that have got speed, there are some boxers that have got skill – he had everything.”
Ali hung up the gloves in 1981 but sadly passed in 2016, with his iconic victories over Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman forever etched into the history of the heavyweight division.
