Frank Bruno vs Wladmir Klitschko

[Tony Harrison]

Two big punchers with somewhat less than granite jaws.

Would anybody back Big Frank to score an upset?

I think a prime Bruno could score a KO.

[Vantage_West]

i would back frank.

as stiff as he was he gave you no room to look good.
where as wlad can be knokced down by a jab. frank usually stiffed up when he was hit.

i think bruno could ko him and maybe out boxing. he was a big man nevcer mind the wieght and wlad as big as he is can get caught flush.

[jc]

Wlad beats him.

[brown bomber]

Bruno would be undisputed heavyweight champion if he were in his prime today- shocking!

[Max Molyneux]

Bruno by Ko.

Wlad's a weaker Bruno.

Bruno's chin was better too.

[brown bomber]

Bruno by Ko.

Wlad's a weaker Bruno.

Bruno's chin was better too. True it was more his inablilty to get out of the way that was the problem.

[TBooze]

Bruno had a good chin, he had problems with what to do when he got hit.

Wlad has a soft chin, but is more classy than Bruno and with much better stamnia.

Bruno would make his normal good start and be leading at the halfway point, but in the end Wlad would get on top of Bruno and comeback to stop him late IMO.

[Beeston Brawler]

Bruno had a very good chin, but once someone tagged him, was totally clueless, it was basically lights out.

If he had had the brains of someone like Ricky Hatton, who finds a way to hold on the inside until the ref breaks them up, giving priceless seconds to recover.

To be honest, Bruno should have lost only twice, to Witherspoon, and Tyson in the second fight. He was beating Smith handily before getting stopped in the last round, rocked Tyson in the first, but admired what he'd done instead of finishing him, and was beating Lewis before caving in!

Bruno would be have a good chance of beating Wlad by KO, but Wlad's smarter ring craft may have Frank in trouble, and we all knew what happened once he was tagged........

The ref waved the contest off.

[Max Molyneux]

Wlad wouldn't be able to man hug big Frank.

But Wlad wouldn't get past Frank's jab to try that anyway.

Anyone who man hugs Chris Byrd will not beat Bruno.

[UKITAZ]

WLAD would crush Bruno

[brown_bomber]

wlad ko 1

[LiamE]

Sorry to sit on the fence but to me its a pick em fight.

If they fought 10 times I reckon it would be 5 each.

[Olu G. Rotimi]

I could see it go either way. Bruno early Vladimir late. Have never rated Vladimir chin though Bruno could get clocked as well.

[dwilson]

Bruno would ko Wlad who is treading on eggshells untill he faces anyone decent. Bruno would clean up the division.

[kurt2006]

Bruno would ko Wlad who is treading on eggshells untill he faces anyone decent. Bruno would clean up the division.

They said that when he faced fat Sam Peter.

Easy points win for Wlad.

[Olu G. Rotimi]

They said that when he faced fat Sam Peter.

Easy points win for Wlad.

Styles make fights. Sam Peters will kayo Bruno however it is very conceivable that Bruno would KO Wlad and yes Wlad took a point decision over a less experienced Peters. The true test will be when they have a rematch to unify title as Peter is much improved as shown by the McCline and Toney fights.

[kurt2006]

Styles make fights. Sam Peters will kayo Bruno however it is very conceivable that Bruno would KO Wlad and yes Wlad took a point decision over a less experienced Peters. The true test will be when they have a rematch to unify title as Peter is much improved as shown by the McCline and Toney fights.

:nut Bruno would beat fat bastard Sam without breaking into a sweat. Jab jab jab jab all night. Fat fucker Sam would be crying by round 12.

Peter has improved ? I doubt it. He is still a fat lazy bastard.

[Beeston Brawler]

The state of the HW division is perfectly summed up by the fact that a bum like Sam Peter is in the top ten, let alone top three or four.

Lazy fat fucker is Peter, Jamell McCline should have finished him off.

[zulander]

its a pick em fight very little to choose cant see it going the distance as both are huge punchers both have good jabs. Frank was a quick starter tho so he could catch wlad early but its a 50/50 fight

[kenmore]

There are a lot of similarities between Vlad and Bruno, stylistically and physically. But Vlad did everything better than Bruno, and he was bigger and stronger, too.

I think Vlad would get the better of Bruno at long range and eventually he'd knock Bruno out with his jolting right hands. The ending could come fast or it could come as late as the middle rounds.

I cannot picture Bruno blocking Vlad's fast, powerful right and I cannot see him surviving that punch either.

Vlad would be vulnerable to Bruno's power no doubt, but I envision Vlad boxing just sufficiently well to avoid taking Bruno's powershots.

[Polymath]

I see this as an even match-up.

Give the nod to Bruno due to having more heart an a better (or not as bad) chin.

[Sardu]

Bruno gave the fans a lot of exciting fights. He was a class act always and a very likable guy. Wlad has shown vulnerabilities in his fights before. However, I'm not sure if Bruno has the tools to exploit them. Sanders had very quick hands to go with power. Brewster had a great chin and strength. Bruno certainly had the power to knock Wlad out but would he ever be in a position to do so? He would have to get past that great jab of the Ukrainian to be able to do damage. I seriously doubt he would be able to accomplish this.

Klitschko by 8th round stoppage. Bruno shows great heart as always.

[Polymath]

Bruno certainly had the power to knock Wlad out but would he ever be in a position to do so? He would have to get past that great jab of the Ukrainian to be able to do damage. I seriously doubt he would be able to accomplish this.


Remember Bruno has an 82" reach, longer than Klitschko's. Bruno (for a few rounds anyway) outjabbed and outboxed Lennox Lewis (who also has a longer reach than Wlad, and was all round a far better fighter, agreed?) - anyway, if he could do it against Lewis, why not Klitschko? Bruno's stamina problems wouldn't be of the same consequence, since Wlad gasses even worse than he does.

[Olu G. Rotimi]

:nut Bruno would beat fat bastard Sam without breaking into a sweat. Jab jab jab jab all night. Fat fucker Sam would be crying by round 12.

Peter has improved ? I doubt it. He is still a fat lazy bastard.

Peter can take a punch and has very fast hands for a big and can punch. I remember another so called fat bastard as you put Terrible Tim Witherspoon knocking out your Big Frank Bruno.

[Olu G. Rotimi]

The state of the HW division is perfectly summed up by the fact that a bum like Sam Peter is in the top ten, let alone top three or four.

Lazy fat fucker is Peter, Jamell McCline should have finished him off.


The fact McCline could not finish him off and that Peter got up and won should tell you something. Anyone can get hurt in the ring rather it is how you react that says a lot about you as man and as a fighter. On this basis we know what would happen between Bruno and Sam Peter. Peter would KO Bruno. That is not to say Bruno might not KO Vladimir.

[Sardu]

Remember Bruno has an 82" reach, longer than Klitschko's. Bruno (for a few rounds anyway) outjabbed and outboxed Lennox Lewis (who also has a longer reach than Wlad, and was all round a far better fighter, agreed?) - anyway, if he could do it against Lewis, why not Klitschko? Bruno's stamina problems wouldn't be of the same consequence, since Wlad gasses even worse than he does.

Great points! I remember that 1993 fight between Lennox and Bruno. I thought Lewis was going to win easily by kayo mainly on the strength of him obliterating the feared Razor Ruddock in late 1992. Bruno had so much dormant talent that he did not always use to maximum amounts. He had tools as you stated - a long reach and great physique and strength. His stamina was usually poor as evidenced by the Bonecrusher Smith (1984) loss and the Tim Witherspoon loss (1986). He definitely had Tyson hurt early in the first fight and even Lewis may have been in slight trouble before he roared back to stop Bruno. Bruno was an enigma. A guy with an absolutely perfect build and ability who did believe in himself 100%. I was rooting for him against both Tyson and Lewis. Great in interviews too.

[Claypole]

I remember another so called fat bastard as you put Terrible Tim Witherspoon knocking out your Big Frank Bruno.Sam Peter is not in Tim Witherspoon's league when it comes to quality. Frank was a decent heavyweight competing at a time when the standard was higher than now. Sam Peter would have been one of Frank's better opponents, but would have still got KTFO.

[TBooze]

I think a few people need to take their rose tinted glasses of 80s Heavyweights off. We had Holmes and we had Tyson; we had a miracle maker from 175lbs in Spinks, but after that it was very poor.

You can bang on about Whitherspoon, but all he was, was the King of the lost Generation. He showed glimpses every now and again of what could of been; but it NEVER was. Whitherspoon wasted his talent by not training and drug taking; ditto Tubbs; ditto Page; ditto Dokes; ditto Tucker and ditto Thomas.

Bruno could not beat any top world ranked Heavyweight in the 80s that took him into the second round; thus I find it highly unlikely he would have it in him to beat prime Wlad.

[Sundance]

At his current level, Klitschko KO 1.

Would be like shooting ducks at a fair for Wlad. Bruno always was a fraud and got found out everytime. Wlad's record speaks for itself.

[Claypole]

Wlad's record speaks for itself.Especially the stoppage losses.

[Sundance]

Bruno was good at KO'ing washed up old men, blown up cruisers, bums, and shot fighters, I'll give you that. Anytime he came up against a decent puncher...robot dance.

[JonOli]

Wlad would slowly break down bruno.

[Eubank]

Bruno would flatten him after 5-6 rounds. Far too good and Wlad does not have the work rate to cause Bruno stamina problems.

[columbo man]

i can see this fight going one of two ways.

bruno wins by ko early

or wlad wins by late stoppage .

bruno always seemed to have a stamina problem but was a really hard puncher!!!!

[scurlaruntings]

There are a lot of similarities between Vlad and Bruno, stylistically and physically. But Vlad did everything better than Bruno, and he was bigger and stronger, too.

I think Vlad would get the better of Bruno at long range and eventually he'd knock Bruno out with his jolting right hands. The ending could come fast or it could come as late as the middle rounds.

I cannot picture Bruno blocking Vlad's fast, powerful right and I cannot see him surviving that punch either.

Vlad would be vulnerable to Bruno's power no doubt, but I envision Vlad boxing just sufficiently well to avoid taking Bruno's powershots.What did he do better? Please expand. Lets look at Bruno`s losses. Witherspoon Tyson x2 LL and Bonecrusher Smith. 2 HOF heavyweights and 2 EXCELLENT contenders. Meanwhile Vlad had 3 losses all to journeymen in devastating fashion. Bruno when hurt was like a dear caught in a cars headlights. He just froze and took his licks. He wasnt an intelligient fighter but boy he COULD take a punch. When Vlad was cracked by South African Corrie Sanders he suffered one of the most humiliating losses by any top heavy of all times. Top heavyweights dont get beaten like that.

Bruno was an immense talent and went through his early opponents like Godzilla when through Japan. BUT he wasnt a smart fighter. When hurt he couldnt take a knee didnt know how to get on his bike or even to cover up. He just stood there and got punched into a bag. My money would still be on Bruno purely because of the era he fought in. The 90`s was the second great era of heavyweight boxers. The current crop are worst than when Mike Tyson landed on the scene in the early 80`s and that includes Vlad. Anyone remember Axel Schultz? Thats whom Vlad would have been if he was around in the Bruno LL Tyson Holyfield era. Just another able contender.

[ApatheticLeader]

What did he do better? Please expand. Lets look at Bruno`s losses. Witherspoon Tyson x2 LL and Bonecrusher Smith. 2 HOF heavyweights and 2 EXCELLENT contenders. Meanwhile Vlad had 3 losses all to journeymen in devastating fashion. Bruno when hurt was like a dear caught in a cars headlights. He just froze and took his licks. He wasnt an intelligient fighter but boy he COULD take a punch. When Vlad was cracked by South African Corrie Sanders he suffered one of the most humiliating losses by any top heavy of all times. Top heavyweights dont get beaten like that.

Bruno was an immense talent and went through his early opponents like Godzilla when through Japan. BUT he wasnt a smart fighter. When hurt he couldnt take a knee didnt know how to get on his bike or even to cover up. He just stood there and got punched into a bag. My money would still be on Bruno purely because of the era he fought in. The 90`s was the second great era of heavyweight boxers. The current crop are worst than when Mike Tyson landed on the scene in the early 80`s and that includes Vlad. Anyone remember Axel Schultz? Thats whom Vlad would have been if he was around in the Bruno LL Tyson Holyfield era. Just another able contender.

Are you saying Michael Spinks wasn't a top heavyweight?

And Bruno was slow, one-dimensional, and very unintelligent. He had great difficulty slipping a punch and couldn't fight at all off the back foot. Oh yes, and he forever suffered from terrible stamina.

Bruno has one chance, and that's to bullrush Wlad and KO him early. If he failed (and the probability is that he would), Wlad would keep him at long range using his jab, and use his superior leverage in clinches to tire Bruno to a standstill.

[thespecialone]

Bruno ko wlad

[Haye]

Wlad and Bruno are very similair.

Both huge, great jabs, good skills, great power in the right hand. And both have stamina issues and poor chins, its a pick em really, though I would take Bruno.

[Eubank]

Wlad and Bruno are very similair.

Both huge, great jabs, good skills, great power in the right hand. And both have stamina issues and poor chins, its a pick em really, though I would take Bruno.

I think they were very different actually. Bruno had tremendous raw power, his only offensive weakness was a not being able to sense when an opponent was hurt and capitalise on it. This coupled with the stamina issues are what stopped him becoming an all time heavyweight great.

Wlad is a totally diffent style. He is defensively very strong but lacks the aggression to cause Bruno troubles and stamina would not even come into it. Bruno would have taken him apart as he would be allowed to dictate the pace and once Wlads defence is breached he is in trouble.

[janitor]

This is honestly a pick em fight.

I would favour Wlad but Bruno would be the most dangerous challenge he had ever faced and would negate many of his strengths.

If Bruno came along today he could prety much help himself to a belt.

[Sundance]

This is honestly a pick em fight.

I would favour Wlad but Bruno would be the most dangerous challenge he had ever faced and would negate many of his strengths.

If Bruno came along today he could prety much help himself to a belt.]


Mate, a pint of what you're on! I've posted at length on Bruno before but fans like you keep blowing up his record and ability to levels it never achieved. Wlad 2008 would destroy any version of Bruno. And I wouldn't trust Bruno to beat Sam Peter, Bruno's glass jaw would come into play, and I suspect a Chagaev fight would be a late stoppage win for the Uzbek man. Bruno never had the stamina for a long fight, and his chin was easy to find and brittle. Look at his record and try and find one real contender Bruno ever beat, answer is he didn't. Wlad's recent contests have been against dangerous opponents: Byrd Brock & Thompson. And he's stopped all of them. Bruno never stopped guys like these, oh sorry, Carl Williams, and a fat Joe Bugner, be serious!:hi:

[janitor]

[quote=Sundance]
Mate, a pint of what you're on!


That would be Wychwood Firecrest.

I've posted at length on Bruno before but fans like you keep blowing up his record and ability to levels it never achieved. Wlad 2008 would destroy any version of Bruno.

Lennox Lewis did not exactly have an easy time with Bruno and he knew how to fight on the inside. Watching this fight I could see Wlad having some serious dificulties.

And I wouldn't trust Bruno to beat Sam Peter, Bruno's glass jaw would come into play, and I suspect a Chagaev fight would be a late stoppage win for the Uzbek man.

Bruno might come unglued against these guys late but that it the only way they could win. Peter would be getting totaly stuffed from the opening bell.

Bruno never had the stamina for a long fight, and his chin was easy to find and brittle.

I think you are selling both a bit short here. His problem was not sop much his chin as his stamina. Even so he did beat Oliver McCall by decision showing that he copuld win a fight over the duration.


Look at his record and try and find one real contender Bruno ever beat, answer is he didn't. Wlad's recent contests have been against dangerous opponents: Byrd Brock & Thompson. And he's stopped all of them. Bruno never stopped guys like these, oh sorry, Carl Williams, and a fat Joe Bugner, be serious!:hi:


I think you are selling his best wins short here. Oliver McCall was the WBC champion and Coetze was widley expected to beat Bruno.

[TBooze]

If Bruno came along today he could prety much help himself to a belt.

LOL, no he would not....

It would not matter what era he fought in (and this era is probably no worse overall than the 80s), Bruno's demons would always haunt him; mentally he lacked the tools to beat the best, be that the 80s, 90s or 00s; he physically was was arguably the finest specimen to be a contender in the history of the sport.

[janitor]

[quote=TBooze]LOL, no he would not....

It would not matter what era he fought in (and this era is probably no worse overall than the 80s),


Oliver McCall who Bruno won the WBC title from could still give some of the top 10 a stiff argument today at the age of 40.

Bruno's demons would always haunt him; mentally he lacked the tools to beat the best, be that the 80s, 90s or 00s;

I think that at least part of the problem was that he was fighting guys like Tyson and Lewis instead of guys like Klitschko and Peter. The day he fought Lewis he could well have beaten Wlad who dose not have as many tools to fall back on as Lennox.

[Beeston Brawler]

Bruno's lack of stamina would not be much of an issue against Wlad, because his workrate is non-existent at times.

If Bruno could outjab Lennox Lewis he wouldn't have had any trouble with Wlad :deal

If Wlad got the right hand going he would have a sniff, but would in turn leave himself open to being slapped into row Z by Bruno.

[Sundance]

Bruno's lack of stamina would not be much of an issue against Wlad, because his workrate is non-existent at times.

If Bruno could outjab Lennox Lewis he wouldn't have had any trouble with Wlad :deal

If Wlad got the right hand going he would have a sniff, but would in turn leave himself open to being slapped into row Z by Bruno.

Bruno was clobbered by Lewis, watch the fight on You tube and you'll see Bruno dismantled and out of gas. Similarly vs McCall, Bruno was totally gone by the end, and hanging on for dear life. Who did Bruno ever beat? A fat Joe Bugner and Carl Williams, who'd been KO 1 by Tyson and Tommy Morrison of all people. Bruno's record is a shoddy one in truth. Wlad is a real champion not a toy one like Bruno. Take Tyson out of the 80's and that era is no better than this; in fact, probably worse.

[JonOli]

The hitting and holding by Lewis right at the end of that fight is near gut wrenching. Pretty brutal stuff.

[JonOli]

M0Gf3ywLCWs

[TBooze]

Oliver McCall who Bruno won the WBC title from could still give some of the top 10 a stiff argument today at the age of 40.

McCall had a chin and a punch little else. Mentally he was sometimes in a worse state than Bruno. At 43 he has not had a decent result for seven years, when he got lucky late against Akinwande.

The last and indeed only time McCall has put a dominant performance, over a number of rounds against a contender was 15 years back against Damiani.


I think that at least part of the problem was that he was fighting guys like Tyson and Lewis instead of guys like Klitschko and Peter. The day he fought Lewis he could well have beaten Wlad who dose not have as many tools to fall back on as Lennox.

Did you see the Smith, Cummings and Whitherspoon fights? Hell Eklund gave him plenty to think about....

[columbo man]

Bruno was clobbered by Lewis, watch the fight on You tube and you'll see Bruno dismantled and out of gas. Similarly vs McCall, Bruno was totally gone by the end, and hanging on for dear life. Who did Bruno ever beat? A fat Joe Bugner and Carl Williams, who'd been KO 1 by Tyson and Tommy Morrison of all people. Bruno's record is a shoddy one in truth. Wlad is a real champion not a toy one like Bruno. Take Tyson out of the 80's and that era is no better than this; in fact, probably worse.


yes i remember the mcCall fight well, bruno was out on his feet for the last couple of rounds, in hindsight i think if mcCall had put a bit more effort in he would have stopped bruno.
mcCall never really got going in that fight.

[warrior85]

big frank by big ko

[headhunter]

Bruno is probably in better shape now then must of todays Heavyweights.

[ApatheticLeader]

Bruno is probably in better shape now then must of todays Heavyweights.
No, he probably has a better physique - there's a difference.

[Muchmoore]

Bruno is probably in better shape now then must of todays Heavyweights.

Bruno's conditioning and stamina was his downfall, I can't think of any top 15 fighter out there with worse stamina :nut :rofl

[mr_swagger]

This is a very interesting fight. Bruno almost always dominated fights early, landed BIG BIG punches, had a very stiff jab and could out muscle most heavyweights. He never lost a fight without putting on the kind of beautiful loser performance that is so endearing to the British.

Common sense says that Vlad would win but the question for me is whether or not Vlad could take Bruno's bombs. I think it is inconceivable that anyone could KO Bruno without knowing they had been in a serious fight. Bruno (possibly Bonecrusher Smith excepted) only lost against big name fighters who could take a punch. I don't know who would win this fight but I'm fairly certain that if Vlad's chin is as weak as some people on this site would have you believe, Bruno would have KO'd him.

Someone on this forum said Vlad KO1 and that is just silly. Bruno was never an elite fighter and the way he crumbled when hit (this was usually when his questionable stamina became an issue) obviously leaves him open to ridicule. Nevertheless, if Vlad were to beat Bruno he would undoubtedly need to weather Bruno's fire and take everything Bruno had. To me that is the intangible here.