The guy was quite a unit. Insane built, incredible strong physically and tough. You did not want to get hit flush by that man I can tell you that much.
Frank Bruno's chin was not made of glass. He actually could take punch. He took many shots from Smith and he was one of the hardest punchers of 80's (probably the hardest after Shavers and Cooney). The problem of Bruno was that after he gets hit, he freezes and doesn't know what to do. It happened here, it happened with Witherspoon, Tyson and Lewis.
I tell you I had an amazing conversation with a guy who told me that the real problem with Bruno was how the transition from amateur to professional was handled, his natural fighting style was coached out of him by Jimmy tibbs and he ended up relying on his jab too much, when he should have confidence in his approach to blitz the top men in the division..
@CrateofStolenDirt interesting handle you got there . Wouldn't arise from crates of stolen gold barring ore would it ? Quite a common crime in regional Australia.
Yes, but i don't call that a good chin per se. I get what you're saying, he's no Bruce Seldon, but the idea of a good chin is not only being able to take the shot, but to still have your wits about you and ability to continue fighting vs. standing there in a daze. But it was hard to get him off his feet, for sure.
Fun starts at 25:24. "Bruno is using man for some competitive experience ... and he is getting a workout without getting careless" followed by a real pounding and a knockout of Bruno himself and a final parting word "that is the end of the bruno story". So much for a complete turnaround - from a commentary perspective.
LOL. The Brit announcers are so fickle it's hilarious. I swear, anytime there is a major upset, they will says, "and xxx's career is now in tatters!" and their tone is one of absolute doom and gloom. Like dude said here, it sounds like the dude who called the Hindenburg crash.
I mean, it was his first ever loss, by startling KO in the 10th round, and they're immediately saying his entire story is totally over. LOL! Bruno was a sad sack once he got hit though. He would just space out and take more shots, he is one of the weirdest fighters ever IMO.
@@joeblough261 😂True. I think it was the Oliver McCall fight, when a fluke right landed, Lewis went down and they declared "Lewis's career is now in tatters".
I'd rather hear understated British commentary than the relentless chatter and hyperbole of most American announcers. This fight really didn't need much commentary. Everyone can see what it was: two big men taking their best shots at each other. Boxing was great in the '80s.
I agree with you. This commentator leaves the center stage to the two warriors in the ring. Teams like Lampley and Merchant take the focus away from the fight.
"Understated", hardly! Unless you view the ebb and flow of boxing through the distorted prism of those such as Harry Carpenter. I would characterize this demonstration of "British commentary" as being hopelessly absurdy biased, towards a wooden typically upright British fighter, with a fragile chin and very limited defensive skills.
Anyone else notice how so many UK announcers love yelling that someone's career is in tatters, or their career is over, at the end of a loss? One loss, or even several, doesn't necessarily finish a fighter.
+halleck3 that's exactly what I was thinking. The commentator had earlier pointed out that Bonecrusher lost his first fight. Was his career over then? lol
HA! That's so true. Never really thought about it before, but now that I think back to all the fights I've watched, they just go nuts with the drama of loss just, it's not just a setback, it's complete tatters. LOL!
Agree. It is noticeable how dangerous Smith was throughout this fight, but Carpenter never saw any of it. Smith had Bruno in trouble on a number of occasions. Carpenter didn't see it.
Smith was a very good fighter who could have gone far. He lacked focus and good management. Here he shows how much stronger and more ferocious than Bruno he was. He did not give a shit about Bruno as Bruno posed no threat to him.
Bonecrusher was a bully with no heart. Once he figured he could take Bruno's punches, he became more aggressive. A few body shots early in his fight with Tyson and he decided to dance the rest of the fight...until the final round. He deserves his place in obscurity.
bruno was a threat to anyone, he had a very powerful punch that even stopped mike tyson in his tracks for a moment and a moment is all you need, once tyson realised brunos power he realised the danger and then took bruno very seriously not giving him an inch to breath and going to town on him, it wasnt that bruno was weaker it was simply bonecrusher was the better fighter.
After getting hit in the head by a good shot, I remember him dropping his hands and standing upright motionless like in a stupor. It was unusual. Not good in a fight.
Your right when Bruno came up against a class heavyweight when he got hit he would go to pieces if you hit Bruno in the right place he was gone some people say Bruno was too slow and too musclebound I've got to admit he had a good physique
I always had a soft spot for him too. He always seemed a nice fellow with no real desire to do any more than collect his pay check at the end of the fight.
Frank did well with what he had, impressive physique, good jab and decent power, but very stiff, and wen't rigid when got hit with a decent punch, didn't have a clue what to do when tagged
Oh,ya. I forgot to mention that Smith may not have been a great boxer but he could punch and he is one of the few successful boxers with a bachelors degree.
So clear Frank was told to get some rounds in. Lawless was a great trainer for smaller fighters, but not with bigger fighters. Frank needed US training.
“Smith survives another round Bruno lets him carry on to get a bit of punching practice whoops Smith has beat the crap out of him he was no good after all no time for losers that’s the end of Bruno”
@BLAQ JOKER no the damage to his eye was. Styles make fights - Bruno beats Oliver Mcall , Lenox Lewis loses to Mcall yet beats Bruno ..... styles all about styles
It was the final round, the Bruno hype train was in full swing and he was up on points just two minutes from a shot at Holmes. No way the ref was stopping it while Bruno was still on his feet.
“The Bruno story is virtually over....” - cmon Harry....he fought for the world title 4 times after this fight winning once too. One loss doesn’t end a career especially at that young age. Henry Cooper lost a solid 14 times in his career but still fought for the world title.
Shortly before 9:49 Bruno was just pawing with the jab, I saw a study and what was shown was that you snap the jab as if you think the opponent is hot and you pull the hand back after it lands quickly so you don`t get burned.
I reckon he would have KO'd most of todays heavyweight jokes and exhibition fighters though... Any man with the guts to get in with Iron Mike twice has my respect; only razor ruddock done that apart from Frank!
@@BobConanOwen Don't talk nonsense, he practically shit himself walking into the ring the second time he fought Tyson. Holyfield fought Tyson twice. Bruno didn't ko anyone of note during his career and got knocked out every time he stepped up in class.
@@mandalorion well he faced the best of his era yes? Of course we’d love to know what you have achieved in your life that compares to that …nothing is it? What are you a nobody??
Bruno had won every round on the score cards up to that point. Even Smith himself in the intro to the Holmes fight on HBO, his next fight, said Bruno had won the rounds. Frank could have played it safe the last few rounds, to have kept his lead. Smith had power.
Bruno is loved in Britain, not because he was a great boxer but because of his heart, he kept going, he kept believing he would hold a title he never lost sight of that, he got his moment against Oliver McCall, he said he didnt have the moves of Ali or the aggression of Iron Mike but he knew his time would come if he kept at it, thats the heart of a true champion, thats why we love him, end of the day, its not about winning or losing, its about participating and taking your chances, he represents everything thats great about our island nation. a big heart and immense courage!!
@@stevedyer302 Not disagreeing with you mate, he was never in a dull fight. So as a brit I ask you, who in the long run is England's heavyweight hero, Bruno or Lennox??
@@Rendezman562 yeh, good point, Lennox was a world class boxer, he is in the top 5 heavyweights of all time and very much respected as a professional that climbed to the highest level but Frank just has that loveable trait in his character that epitomises our character as a nation, doesnt matter how many times you knock us down, our belief in ourselves in unbreakable!! thats what he bought to the game, thats why hes so loved!! hes a terrible driver though, i followed him in his Aston Martin through london once, he nearly killed himself numerous times over a few miles lol
The Bodybuilder vs The Boxer lmfao....Gotta wonder what Bruno was always thinking during training, "Gee my arms just stop working after about half way through the fight because of all the weights I lift....I guess I should lift more weights!"
Smith was by no means 'a boxer'. He had almost no skill. He was a very, very hard puncher though. Look at how Smith's physique almost dwarfs Bruno's. Such a huge man!
Yeah he is a really big fellow. Marvis Frazier fought both Smith and Holmes and he actually looked smaller against Holmes than Smith even though Smith was 6' 4" and 227 Lbs. For some reason he was listed as 6' 2" in the Frazier fight but he was at least as tall if not taller than Holmes. @@gerardusch
wow, what a comeback for great journeyman boxer Smith . I think if bone crusher had started earlier and had a top notch trainer he would have become world champion in several different boxing federations . He did become world champ for a shor time when he knocked down tim witherspoon with the three knock down rule.
Yes he was the same size and strength as Foreman. Perhaps not the best boxer but with his physique and the right manager he could have carved out his niche in the boxing world more than he actually achieved which was still not a bad innings.
Strangely this showed how Bruno's mistraining under Tibbs damaged him..but also his positives..The skill of using the ropes to absorb pressure and tuck his chin in behind high gloves (the old ali trick) and also the minuses..the lack of survival skills to repress an opponent and is lack of lateral movement...still should never have lost what would have been an easy points win plus tougher matches (Weaver) that would This fight showed how the potential of Bruno's early career was being undermined by his handlers..
I wouldn't say his chin was glass,yeah he got Knocked Out off Smith,Witherspoon,Tyson x2 and ,Lewis but only Smith and Tyson ever dropped him,His real weakness was that he didn't know how to hold when hurt.Lennox Lewis had a far worse chin but he learnt how to fight without taking chances.Bruno had a mighty punch,he KO'd every opponent bar McCall that he beat.He was too brave for his own good at times,Floyd Jumbo Cummings had drawn with the Great Smokin' Joe Frazier and Cummings had him KO'd on his feet but the bell saved him.He went on to KO Cummings and eventually became World Heavyweight Champion WBC.He had some noteable wins KO1 Coetzeir,Eklund,McCall,Tillis,Cummings,Gross,Bugner ,Carl 'The Truth' Williams and he always gave 100%If only he'd been taught how to hold,waste time,clinch,anything he could so he had time to recover he would have had a far more successful career,mind you he DID become Heavyweight Champion when the likes of Bowe,Mercer,Morrison,Holyfield,Moorer,Lewis,Douglas,McCall,Biggs,Thomas,Berbick,Spinks,Ruddock,Dokes,Witherspoon,Tubbs,Tate,Page,Bentt,Hide,Akinwande,Oyebola,Welsch,Foreman and even Holmes were active(Tyson was in prison) .Frank Bruno HW Champion of the World.You dont become the Champ if youre no good.
+Neil Hodge Can't agree about Lewis's chin being worse. He had two KOs when he got careless. Watch his last fight against Vitali Klitschko if you want to see how good his chin really was. That fight was brutal.
+Neil Hodge Yeah I don't agree Lewis had a worse chin (people who think Bruno or Lewis could not take lead should watch they fights with Witherspoon and Mercer respectively, the Spoon fight was as brutal and tough a fight in a the heavyweight HBO series and the Mercer fight, Lewis's hardest), I think maybe they were level in that respect...
Bruno definately didnt have a glass jaw as some folks here are saying. A glass jaw is where a boxer loses control of his motor functions from a relatively light blow. Bruno got hit by big punches and took most of them well. His only losses where to Smith, Witherspoon, Tyson and Lewis. While he was unlikely to ever beat Tyson, he was ahead against both Smith and Lewis - Witherspoon has also been quoted as saying Bruno was his toughest fight. Frank's big weakness was mental more then technical. He burned up nervous energy like no other fighter and when he got tired his defences got sloppy - and he became too easy to hit.
Horrible referree, Bruno was out on his feet and should've been stopped sooner. Could've done some serious damage if didn't already because let's face it "Bone Crusher" was named that for a reason.
Frank Bruno, lovely guy. He was in Pantomime at the Theatre where I work. Not many people know quite how kind he is. I won't go into details as Frank was very private about it. But the Children's Hospital frequently got huge deliveries of toys and gifts, appearances too. A great guy!!
I can picture what his coach was saying....WTF Frank, hold hold, cover up. Poor Bruno had it in the bag but he just stood there like a pole and Smith teed off. I hope Daniel Dubois doesn't follow Brunos path. Both hard hitting and a little bit slow moving.
What I notice is Tyson is 17 on his way to the Olympics and he beats both these guys, Berbick, Holmes, and Spinks. To me his basically champ from 84-89. Obviously not with wins at the time but future accomplishments.
@@oni280893 AJ has also come back from being knocked down to take out his opponent....Bruno never did that. Once Bruno was hurt, the fight was basically over. The only exception was when he was out on his feet against Jumbo Cummings, but he was fortunate that the bell rang to save him and Cummings couldn't take advantage in the next rounds.
Bruno just seems to jab endlessly but with seldom any end product. I'm no boxing expert but I thought jabs were supposed to set up one's opponent for more substantial punches? What's the point of all that jabbing if there's no follow up?
Harry Carpenter was not the best British Boxing commentator, it was Reg Gutteridge and Jim Watt ( the former WBC Lightweight Champion ) we’re very good boxing commentators to represent British Boxing.
Only punch by Smith the biased announcer really mentioned in the whole fight was when Bruno was getting knocked out. I had the fight pretty even up till then.
Do you remember the fight when Bruno was giving the after fight interview while still in the ring . It was a different commentator , I think Harry Carpenter was on holiday or sick . He said something like , " well Harry , hang on you're not Harry , where's Harry " . I nearly pissed myself laughing at the time .
@@johnniethepom2905 I think it was after he fought Bugner, which was televised on ITV. After he said "Where's Harry?" Jim Rosenthal who was interviewing him said "Well, Reg Gutteridge (the ITV boxing commentator) did a great job..."
"...the balding Bonecrusher..." Ah, nothing like English commentary! As for "punch the fucker in the face, Frank," it's uncertain whether that gem of technical advice came from the crowd or the corner! And I recently watched a fight hosted in Scotland, where someone yelled "geyim tha malky, Mon, tha malky..." Hehehe, I love this miserable little wet rock in the North Sea, I surely do!"
This is the first time in a major fight we see Brunos lack of natural ability to defend himself in order to be able to withstand a onslaught displayed here against Smith. He followed this same pattern of behaviour when hurt against witherspoon, lewis and tyson which ultimately led to him being TKOed
I think if Smith started boxing earlier in his life he would have been a champion. He went the distance with Tyson. And gave a prime Larry Holmes a hell of a fight until it was stopped in the 12th on a cut on Smith's face.
+George W Obama He was a champion. He KO'd Tim Witherspoon in the 1st round to win the title. But I get where you're coming from. If he started earlier in life, he would have had a better skill set.
@AKS,,,,,,,,,,,,, Youre an IDIOT, lmao..... He didn't floor TYSON , he caught TYSON in the last rd of the fight because TYSON got lazy in there for winning every rd so easy, so he got caught and rocked a little, but wasn't "FLOORED" !!!, and even after getting rocked, it was TYSON who threw punches right back at BONECRUSHER, and still backed BONECRUSHER onto the ropes. So BONECRUSHER wasn't beating no damn TYSON, LMAO..... Tyson's headmovement, speed and quickness will always make BONECRUSHER look like an amateur, LMAO
If only Bruno had learnt to go to the floor as soon as he was stunned and take a count to recover.Instead of this he tried to stay on his feet and catty on.
James smith is a sigma male idk how or why and I lack the words to explain it, it’s just imprinted in my mind for unknown reasons that is what a sigma looks and boxes like. More than a journeyman but not a superstar. (Yes I know he held a belt before) but u know what I mean.
I remember my brother in law with whom I was watching the fight explain that American sportsmen never give up and keep fighting right to the very end. This is what happened here with Smith never saying die until the final moment.
BRUNO WAS A GOOD TECHNICAL FIGHTER THE PROBLEM WITH BRUNO WAS THAT HE REVEALED A CHIN THAT WAS PURE LONDON BRIDGE. EVERY TIME YOU HIT HIM IN THE CHIN HE KEEPS FALLING DOWN FALLING DOWN.
What the he'll do trainers do to earn their money? I'd have been saying at the end of round nine. 'Right Frank, he has to knock out out, you're probably 9 rounds up on the cards. If you get the very slightest feeling of light headedness from a shot. Go down on one knee quickly and take a full 9 seconds to recuperate. Do that several times if necessary, but don't dare comd back to ghis vorner if you just stand there and try to survive whilst being bludgeoned to defeat. Obviously I wouldn't have said that literally in the 1 minute :) but I'd have instilled all that into his head in training and reminded him of exactly that, at that crucial time. How different his career may have been with that simple tactic.
Jose 'el nino' Ribalta commented on his facebook page that James Bonecrusher Smith was the hardest puncher he ever faced, hitting harder than Tyson, Ruddock, Klitchko or Bruno.
Poor ol Frank gifted body builder..and the only person of colour who lacked rythem would.ve been a great frankenstein in horror movies....i used to to gym in Canning Town when Terry first signed him.Terry knew he.d earn him millions where as Stracey Magri Hope would only bring in 1000.s n 1000.s....that i guess was Brunos downful he needed to go USA n be taken in by Maybe Eddie Futch or Dundee or better still Fred Astaire n Ginger Rodgers get him dancing.. he floated like a steamboat n stung like a moth.👍
What was so frustrating about Bruno was that he had so much potential when he turned pro-power, handspeed, and all the punches - but - HE NEVER IMPROVED. You have to wonder why his trainers couldnt change his style, just a bit even. Stay off the weights, move his head and use more lateral movement. As his career progressed Bruno seemed to lack confidence. True, he only lost to 4 former champs - 2 of which would be in most peoples all time top ten, so thats no shame. Every British hvyweight unfortunately carries a huge burden of expectation. Its a wonder they can even get in the ring. Bruno 's main problem was psychological. Somebody shud have told him to stop wasting energy with stupid rabbit punching - and taught him how to clinch and pace himself. just saying.
