Franklin Roy Horatio Bruno (born 16 November 1961) is an English former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1996. He held the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title from 1995 to 1996. At the regional level, he held the European heavyweight title from 1985 to 1986. As an amateur, he won the ABA heavyweight title in 1980.
During his professional career, Bruno scored 40 wins and 5 losses, scoring 38 by knockouts, giving him a 95% knockout-to-win ratio; his overall knockout percentage was 84.44%. Bruno was ranked among BoxRec's 10 best heavyweights in the world twelve times, reaching his career-high ranking of world no. 3 at the conclusion of 1984.
Following retirement, Bruno became a television personality and entertainer. He was voted Sports Personality of the Year in 1989 and 1990 and he was awarded Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1990 New Years Honours List.
Bruno was born on 16 November 1961, in Hammersmith, London, England, and was the youngest of six children. He took up boxing aged 9 after joining the Wandsworth Boys Club. He attended at Oak Hall Community School in Heathfield, East Sussex, and joined the Sir Philip Game Amateur Boxing Club. He won 20 out of his 21 fights as an amateur, the only defeat by Irish International, Joe Christie. Bruno represented Young England at boxing, and achieved becoming the youngest ever ABA Heavyweight champion when he won the title in 1980 at the age of 18.
Bruno's first fight a professional boxer was a win against Lupe Guerra in March 1982 at the Royal Albert Hall, London, which he won by knock-out. He went on to achieve 21 consecutive wins by knockout. This streak caught the attention of international boxing magazines, such as The Ring, KO Magazine, Boxing Illustrated and Ring En Español. During this period Bruno stopped former world title contender Scott LeDoux in May 1983, the fringe contender Floyd Cummings in Oct 1983, Belgian champion Rudy Gauwe, British contenders Tony Moore, and Eddie Nielson, as well as cruiserweight contender Bill Sharkey, and some strong journeymen such as Walter Santemore and Ken Lakusta. However, in May 1984, that streak ended when Bruno was defeated by knockout in the tenth and final round of the bout, despite Bruno leading clearly on all three judges' cards, when losing to the up-and-coming future world heavyweight champion, American James "Bonecrusher" Smith.
To get a shot at the title, Bruno beat fringe fighter Jeff Jordan on 6 November 1984. Bruno was taken the distance for the first time in November 1984, by the useful world rated Phil Brown, He went on to fight former European champion and world title contender Lucien Rodriguez in March 1985, defeating him in one round. and Bruno became the EBU European Heavyweight Champion with a KO over Sweden's Anders Eklund, on 1 October 1985.
First World heavyweight title challenge
Bruno got back into title contention with a quick one-round KO win over former WBA champion Gerrie Coetzee of South Africa, and, in July 1986, he challenged Tim Witherspoon for the WBA heavyweight title. After once again leading on the cards for most of the fight, he ran out of steam and was defeated by knockout in round eleven.
Bruno once again got himself back into title contention with wins over former contender James Tillis and journeymen Reggie Gross and Chuck Gardner. In October 1987, Bruno faced the veteran Joe Bugner in an all-British match-up. Bugner, although long past his peak, was coming off good wins over Greg Page, James Tillis and David Bey. Bruno won by TKO in the 8th round, the referee stopping the bout.
Second World heavyweight title challenge
In February 1989, Bruno challenged Mike Tyson for the undisputed world heavyweight title. In the opening seconds, the fighters came together with huge punches, and Bruno was on the ropes. However, he recovered and continued, then rocked Tyson with a left hook, in the final moments of the first round. However, Tyson recovered and eventually overpowered Bruno, who was taking heavy punishment on the ropes when the referee stopped the contest in round five.
After the Tyson fight, Bruno did not fight for two years, needing surgery on a detached retina. The surgery having been successful, Bruno made his comeback and kept winning fights, helping him to retain his spot as one of the world's leading heavyweights. He defeated journeymen such as Jose Ribalta, Pierre Coetzer, Dutchman Jan Emmen and then contender Carl Williams.
Third World heavyweight title challenge
In 1993, he had a third world title chance against Lennox Lewis, who was making the second defence of the belt (his first of three championship reigns). The Lennox Lewis vs. Frank Bruno fight was the first time that two British boxers had fought for the world heavyweight title. Bruno failed to secure his title chance after being shaken by Lewis in the seventh round, and despite Bruno leading the contest on points at that time, the fight was stopped by the referee in favour of Lewis.
Bruno again regrouped, in his next fight dispatching Jesse Ferguson in one round, and fringe contenders Rodolfo Marin and Mike Evans early on, in his next two bouts.
On 2 September 1995, Bruno finally became world champion by outpointing WBC Champion Oliver McCall over twelve rounds. After an even start, Bruno built up a strong lead in the middle rounds before appearing to run somewhat out of steam in the last couple. However, unlike Bonecrusher Smith and Tim Witherspoon earlier in Bruno's career, McCall was unable to find a way through Bruno's defences to force the late stoppage he needed. Bruno won unanimously on points, only the second time he had taken an opponent to the judges.
Bruno's reign as champion was brief: the contract he signed to get McCall meant he had to face Mike Tyson in his first defence. Tyson beat Bruno on a stoppage in round three, Bruno performed unusually poorly in what turned out to be his last bout as a professional due to the recurrence of an eye injury, originally caused during his first fight with Tyson, which had already necessitated experimental surgery to allow him to fight again after that defeat.
After the second Tyson fight, Bruno was advised not to fight again to avoid running the risk of causing any more damage to his eye, which could result in permanent blindness. He retired soon afterwards.