Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno’s heavyweight Cardiff classic

By James Hicken

THROUGHOUT the last four decades, there have been a few fights between British and Irish fighters that have created a legacy that transcends fight night and lives long in the memory of the fans as something more than just a fight—becoming immortalised in the pantheon of great fights. 

In light of what may become one of the most iconic Brit vs Brit world title fights of all time between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois at Wembley, it seemed appropriate to look at the history books and re-live other monumental British clashes from the last 40 years.

This list will, in my opinion, include five of the most memorable, dramatic and fiercely contested world title fights between British and Irish fighters in modern history.

Lennox Lewis vs Frank Bruno – A Brilliant ‘Battle of Britain’

At the now demolished Cardiff Arms park in 1993, Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno would face off for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world in front of over 25,000 fans, making history as the first all-British world heavyweight championship fight. The fight was aptly labelled “The Battle of Britain”.

‘The Lion’ had already defended his belt once against Tony Tucker but was now faced with a much more robust challenge from heavyweight veteran and two-time previous title challenger Frank Bruno.

Bruno had fallen short on both of his attempts at immortality, being stopped on both occasions, first by Tim Witherspoon in 1986 and Mike Tyson in 1989.

The build-up to the fight was contemptuous, with both men using identity and race as weapons against the other. Bruno homed in on the fact that Lewis was not a true Brit as he had lived in Canada from the age of 13 and represented Canada at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He even said: “I’m going to hit you upside your head so hard, you won’t even know if you’re Canadian, Jamaican, Los Angeles, or what.”

This resonated with the fans, as Lewis was not universally supported in Britain like Frank Bruno was. Bruno was the ‘People’s Champion’, appearing on television and in the theatre, and his booming laugh was infectious to the fighting public. But Lewis had one simple retort that would haunt Bruno for the rest of his career, calling Bruno an “Uncle Tom” and an “embarrassment”.

The fight proved as tempestuous as the build-up. A storm brewed in the open air of the National Stadium in Cardiff, not just in the clouds but in the ring. Bruno came out the stronger of the two, throwing heavy jabs at the elusive Lewis, who did not engage fully in the early stages. Lewis used his dancing feet and sharp head movement to nullify most of Bruno’s attacks while trying to land sharp single counters of his own. 

That said, the early rounds were mostly in Bruno’s pocket and he took to mechanically stalking the free-flowing Lewis and, in the third round, clipped him with a looping right hand above the ear, which had him on skates for the rest of the round – with the “True Brit” in pursuit.

As the fight entered the second half, Lewis had begun to open his attacks and was landing his jab at will, taking advantage of his more impressive boxing skills. He moved his head off the centre line and countered Bruno’s laboured jabs as the challenger seemed to be feeling the pace.

The bell sounded for the beginning of the seventh round and Bruno came out on the hunt once again, throwing heavy-handed two and three-shot combinations. Another right hand seemed to clip Lewis who reeled back into the ropes, and Bruno tracked him down, letting his hands go with devastating power. 

But after the fight, Lewis revealed he had just lost his feet and was not hurt. He was biding his time, and when he saw his opportunity, he whipped in a lashing left hook that stunned Bruno into near-paralysis in the middle of the ring. It took less than 30 seconds for Lewis to put an end to the fight, landing at will and receiving no return fire—the referee had seen enough and called the fight off in the seventh.

This signalled the start of Lewis’ dominating reign as heavyweight champion, which saw him retire at the pinnacle of the sport as undisputed champion, not undefeated but beating every one of his opponents at least once.

Keep an eye out for the next part coming soon…