The Boxing History Blog

 Frank Bruno Frank Bruno was not just recognisable to the boxing fan, he was becoming a huge British celebrity in his own right. Obviously, fighting on the BBC made him accessible to millions, but his infectious personality with his booming voice and laugh made him a hugely popular figure, appearing on all the usual talk and game shows. Plus, the Christmas before his biggest win against Gerrie Cortzee, he played Juliet to British comedian Lenny Henry’s Romeo at the Shaftesbury Theatre for Comic Relief - a charity founded by Lenny Henry and Richard Curtis in response to the Ethiopian famine in 1983 to 1985. The first round demolition of Coetzee ensured Bruno was the top contender to WBA heavyweight champion ‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon. Great Britain had not had a world heavyweight champion since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897, with the nation’s hopes securely mounted on Bruno’s broad shoulders.  More pressure was put on the challenger when it was announced his world title chance would ...

Michael Watson The following months after his defeat to Mike McCallum, Michael Watson sued his manager Mickey Duff and began to manage his own affairs. Three weeks before the 18th of November 1990 clash between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, Watson approached Barry Hearn and the promoter hastily got him on the undercard against Errol Christie.    Coventry’s Christie had an illustrious amateur career and was touted as being one of the finest professional boxers the United Kingdom had ever produced, with many believing he would go on to win multiple world championships. He turned professional on live terrestrial television in November 1982, and his road to glory got underway.   However, his career took a downward spiral after clashing with Mark Kaylor in a British middleweight title eliminator on 5th November 1985. The build-up was marred by the two fighters brawling at a photo shoot to publicise the contest. The fight itself was predicted to be a short, explosive affair, and...