On This Day: Frank Bruno beats Oliver McCall to win the WBC heavyweight title in 1995 - Boxing News Boxing News September 2, 2014 Matt Christie On This Day: Frank Bruno beats Oliver McCall to win the WBC heavyweight title in 1995 The fight was far from spectacular but for British fans, the night Bruno beat McCall was unforgettable, writes Matt Christie On This Day: Frank Bruno beats Oliver McCall to win the WBC heavyweight title in 1995 The fight was far from spectacular but for British fans, the night Bruno beat McCall was unforgettable, writes Matt Christie Read more articles by Don’t miss any action. Sign up for the free BN newsletter(s) here 1. EIGHT years before Frank Bruno challenged Oliver McCall for the WBC heavyweight title on September 2 1995, the pair sparred at the Royal Oak Gym in Canning Town. Bruno was rebuilding following a 1986 loss to Tim Witherspoon while the American was largely unknown. “We sparred for about 12 rounds,” Bruno remembered. “He caught me in the eye with his thumb.

It was competitive, nice, but I don’t think he liked belly shots. I know he doesn’t, but he’s got a good jab and a lot of people underestimate that. No one got the better of it, but he was complaining when I hit him to the body, or on the border, and he kept saying ‘keep them up’.” 2. AS well as the defeat to Witherspoon, Bruno had also failed in world title bids against Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. It was Lewis who McCall shocked to win his belt the year before. Since then, McCall had notched one successful defence – a tight points win over the ancient Larry Holmes. 3. MANY felt this was Bruno’s best chance to lift the world crown he desired so much. Including head trainer George Francis, who had worked with Bruno since 1986. “Frank has improved immensely. He watches what he does every night and if he makes a mistake he puts it right the next day… He’s had time to mature. When we started he was very stiff and muscular. He’s still muscular, but he’s more flexible, he bends his knees and is a much better fighter.

But I wish I had him when he was 16 or 17, because some habits are hard to break.” 4. NIGEL BENN, preparing for a fight against Daniel Perez on the Wembley undercard, invited Bruno to join him at his Tenerife training base. But the heavyweight declined, explaining: “I can’t run 15 miles a day in high altitude and go and spar the way I do. Benn can’t spar the way I spar. All men are made differently. I couldn’t do it then go to the gym in the afternoon and spar eight rounds. I’m not Superman. Benn can’t train harder than me. I could bet my life on it. I love him. He’s come back from the brink.” 5. BRUNO, alongside promoter Frank Warren, attracted 30,000 fans – many of whom booed Edwin Starr’s rendition of the American anthem – to Wembley Stadium on a chilly evening. Benn despatched Perez in the seventh round and accompanied Bruno on the long walk to the ring, through the fireworks and screaming fans. It was there that McCall made him wait for 15 minutes.

The champion emerged with that pained, almost tearful, expression designed to perplex his opponents. There had been rumours that the Amercan had not taken his training seriously, that the fame of being king had interfered with his lifestyle, but he was in fine shape. 6. PREDICTABLY, the hard-punching Briton started fast. He had no trouble connecting with McCall but the first few blasts were met with a smile, until a sweeping right hand wiped the false joy from his face, and the steadiness from his legs, at the end of the session. 7. McCALL had some success, bruising Bruno’s eye as early as the second round, and started to work his way into the contest before the halfway mark of the 12-rounder. By the seventh and eighth rounds it looked like McCall was on the brink of taking definitive control. But the challenger regained momentum in the ninth, his left-right working hard to keep McCall at bay. By the close of the 11th round, though, Bruno – ahead on points – was holding on tight to survive and the crowd prepared for a nervy final three minutes. 8.

THE final round was one-sided, as McCall, fighting with urgency absent for most of what came before, fired in menacing shots at his muscle-bound opponent. Some expected Bruno to collapse, like he had done before, but showing all his experience, he held on to the last bell. He was rightly awarded the unanimous decision, two scores of 117-111 and one of 115-113 to send the crowd into euphoric celebration. 9. BRUNO was, of course, absolutely delighted. “If I never walk again, get run over or get shot, it’s down in history that I’m heavyweight champion. I don’t want to get cocky, but believe me this belt is a nice thing. I want to show people that with hard work and perseverance you can get what you want out of life… From the first round to the last I knew he wanted to knock me out. That last round was very tough. He came at me like a madman. All I could do was try to survive and I did survive. I look like ET but I’m a winner, a champion.” 10.

THE new champion did not enjoy his newfound status for long and he lost the title in March 1996 to the comebacking, rampaging, Mike Tyson. He announced his retirement shortly afterwards. McCall admitted he was struggling with drink and drug dependency, but in 2014, almost 20 years after his loss to Bruno, he remains a useful, albeit no longer world class, professional fighter at the age of 49. BBC SPORT | Boxing | Profile: Frank Bruno Profile: Frank Bruno 1961: Born London, Nov 16, youngest of six children. 1980: Wins ABA heavyweight championship aged 18 1982: Wins first professional fight, beating Lupe Guerra 1993: Suffers third world title defeat (WBC) by Lennox Lewis 1995: Wins WBC world title from Oliver McCall 1996: Retires on medical advice after loss to Mike Tyson Frank Bruno is one of the rare breed of sportspeople who manage to rise above the boundaries of their discipline to win a place in the nation's affection.

Loved by grannies and children as well as boxing fans, Bruno looked destined to be remembered as a serial loser of world title challenges after being beaten by Tim Witherspoon in 1986, Mike Tyson in 1989 and Lennox Lewis in 1993. But no-one minded as the affable fighter kept on trying. And his knock-about repartee with BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter, usually signing off with his trademark "Ya know what I mean," and a belly laugh, became legendary. But Bruno did confirm his place as a British boxing great in 1995 when he beat Oliver McCall at Wembley to become the WBC heavyweight champion. Bruno savours that victory as his greatest moment - and even bought the ring in which it was achieved. But his stay at the top was short-lived and he was beaten by Mike Tyson the following year (Tyson has since said Bruno had the hardest punch of anyone he ever fought). Bruno never fought again after doctors advised him he could lose his sight. Far from being embarrassed by his larger than life, gentle giant demeanour, Bruno set about hamming it up into his new livelihood.

A regular chat show guest, after-dinner speaker and pantomime star, (Bruno's This is Your Life tribute was watched by 16m viewers) - he forged a new career in entertainment. Bruno gets a hero's reception after become champion in 1995 However, it appeared after seven years outside the ropes, as some of the work dried up, Bruno grew tired of playing the clown. Signs of his frustration and attempts to get back in the public spotlight became more obvious. First came the news in 2001 Bruno wanted to run for election to parliament as a Conservative MP. "Don't be a plank, vote for Frank," was to be his slogan. The story fizzled into nothing and it was put down as another cheeky joke from Frank. At the time Bruno was also engaged in a messy divorce from his wife Laura, his childhood sweetheart and mother to his three children, seen by many as a solid foundation in his life. The pair had hit problems in 1997, the year after Bruno retired, as a series of arguments led to Laura winning a court order banning him from assaulting her.

In 2002, Bruno was rocked by the news that his former trainer George Francis had been found hanged in an apparent suicide. Then in 2003, Bruno suddenly announced he wanted to get back into the ring, aged 41, to have a crack at Olympic champion Audley Harrison. The worst point in my career was retiring and hanging up my gloves - I still train every day, and I think it is something I will do for the rest of my life Frank Bruno in 2002 No-one doubted that as Britain's best-loved, laughing former champion, Bruno would be a crowd-puller. He applied for the reinstatement of his British Boxing Board of Control license, despite the detached retina that ended his career, and observers wondered if he really could emulate George Foreman's famous comeback, at the age of 45. But doubts grew as his behaviour and public statements became increasingly bizarre. He revealed he sometimes slept in the boxing ring in his garden. And in an interview with BBC Five Live, Bruno talked about the "mugs and creeps" who were trying to portray him in the same light as Tyson. Promoter Frank Warren says the signs were there for several months.

Defeat to Tyson was Bruno's last professional fight "He started to surround himself with people he could have done without, they were "yes men" who were not telling him he had a problem and he had to face up to it. "It was something he needed to address so now hopefully he can get the help he needs." It seemed Bruno could not stand to be outside the sport to which he had aspired to dominate from an early age. Growing up with five brothers and sisters in a terraced London house, Bruno learnt to box while at Oak Hall School in Sussex, an establishment for 'problem' children. As an amateur he won 20 out of 21 contests boxing for the Sir Philip Game Amateur Boxing Club. In his final season he represented Young England and at age 18 became the youngest ever ABA heavyweight champion. As a professional he won 40 out of 45 contests - and made history when he defeated McCall to become the first British heavyweight in 98 years to win the title in the ring. It was his finest moment - and one he could never recapture. "Sleep with your gloves on, get up early, train hard, and you can't go wrong," was Bruno's motto.

Sadly, it appears to have failed him. Frank Bruno Former 1995 Wbc Heavyweight World Champion Signed And Inscribed Promotional Photo || Boxing Memorabilia || Champs UK MUHAMMAD ALI Frank Bruno Former 1995 WBC Heavyweight World Champion SIGNED and INSCRIBED Promotional Photo Frank Bruno former 1995 WBC heavyweight World champion SIGNED and INSCRIBED "To Bob Best Wishes" promotional 5 3/4" x 4" photo. Condition mint Please view shipping amounts or please contact us for any other enquiries. Shipping Amount: £ Franklin Roy Bruno (born 16 November 1961) Former WBC Heavyweight champion in 1995. Altogether, he won 40 of his 45 contests. Like Henry Cooper before him, Bruno has remained a popular celebrity with the British public since his ring career ended, and still appears regularly in pantomime. Boxing Career Bruno became a professional boxer in 1980, quickly racking up a streak of twenty-one consecutive wins by knockout.

This streak caught the attention of many international boxing magazines, such as Ring Magazine, KO Magazine, Boxing Illustrated, The Ring En Espanol and many others. In March 1984, however, future World Heavyweight champion, American James 'Bonecrusher' Smith, then a boxing journeyman, halted that streak when he defeated Bruno by knockout in the tenth and final round of their bout, with Bruno leading on all three judges' cards. This would not be the last time Bruno went on to lose a contest he had been clearly winning and would have emerged victorious from had he survived until the final bell. Bruno got back into title contention with wins over the likes of former WBA champion Gerrie Coetzee (by knockout in round one), and, in July 1986, he challenged Tim Witherspoon for the WBA World Heavyweight championship. 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. A comment often made was that Bruno, a fine physical specimen, had a bodybuilder's musculature rather than a boxer's, and carrying the extra weight of so much muscle sapped his energy and stamina over a long contest.

The contrast between Bruno and the seemingly lard-laden Witherspoon was particularly marked, but the difference was that Witherspoon worked when he had to, and did enough over the course of the fight, whereas Bruno lacked the nous and the killer-instinct to press on when he had the initiative. In 1989, Bruno challenged Mike Tyson for the unified World Heavyweight title. After being shaken in the opening minute, Bruno finished the first round by rocking Tyson with a left hook. However, Tyson recovered and beat Bruno when the referee stopped the contest in round five with the British boxer taking heavy punishment on the ropes. Bruno kept winning fights, helping him to retain his spot as one of the World's leading Heavyweights. In 1993 he had a third World title chance against young 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-born boxers had fought for the World heavyweight title. Lewis beat Bruno on a stoppage in round seven, Bruno again failing to take his title chance after leading the contest on points up until what proved the final round.

On 24 September 1994, Oliver McCall beat Lewis with a shock second round knockout victory at Wembley Arena, and, after outpointing Larry Holmes, he came to England to defend the WBC title against Bruno. On 2 September 1995, Bruno finally became World champion by outpointing McCall over twelve rounds. McCall was an emotional mess, and cried on his way into the ring. Bruno did not last long as champion: his first defence was a rematch with Tyson. Tyson beat Bruno on a stoppage in round three, in what turned out to be Bruno's last bout as a professional. Bruno's publicist throughout most of his career was sports historian Norman Giller, who wrote three books in harness with Frank: Know What I mean, Eye of the Tiger and From Zero to Hero His manager for all but his last five fights was Terry Lawless, who signed him as a professional shortly after he had become ABA heavyweight champion at the age of eighteen. Outside Boxing Bruno grew up with five siblings in a terraced house in south London, where his parents had settled after moving to England from the Caribbean.

In 1990, he married his partner Laura at a small church in Hornchurch, an area of Greater London near the border with Essex. They had three children. However, their relationship deteriorated, and they divorced in 2001. Bruno has remained a popular figure with the British public. His image was enhanced by his relationship with the BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter, his appearances on the early Comic Relief programmes in the 1980s and his frequent appearances thereafter on television and on stage (in pantomime). In December 2005, Bruno announced that he was to become a father for the fourth time since finding new romance with old friend Yvonne Clydesdale. The pair, who first met five years ago at a health resort, began dating months after bumping into each other at a wine bar near his home. Yvonne gave birth to baby Freya on 10 May 2006. In 1995, the year of his World championship, he released a cover version of "Eye of the Tiger", the theme song of the movie Rocky III. It reached #28 in the UK charts.

In January 2001, Bruno announced that he wanted to stand as the Conservative candidate in the traditionally safe Tory seat of Brentwood and Ongar against the independent Member of Parliament, Martin Bell. His proposed slogan was "Don't be a plank, vote for Frank!" However, this idea was quickly dismissed by Conservative Central Office. On 15th August 2009 he appeard on the weakest link beating Duke Mckenzie in the final for £12,800 On 22 September 2003, Bruno was taken from his home near Brentwood in Essex by medical staff assisted by police officers, under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983. He was taken to Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford, where he underwent psychological and psychiatric tests. He had been suffering from depression for several months beforehand. He was later diagnosed as having bipolar disorder. The psychologist Professor Cary Cooper expressed the opinion that the end of Bruno's boxing career, the breakdown of his marriage, and the suicide of his former trainer George Francis in 2002 all contributed to his condition.

On 9 October 2005 he admitted that his cocaine use, which began in 2000, contributed to his mental health problems. Media coverage of Bruno's problems raised controversy, the principal accusations were gross intrusion and insensitivity. Particular criticism was aimed at The Sun, whose headline in the first editions the next day read "Bonkers Bruno Locked Up". Second editions retracted the headline and attempted to portray a more sympathetic attitude towards Bruno and mental health in general. As an attempt at atonement, the paper established a charity fund for the victims of mental illness, although some mental health charities condemned The Sun's latter action that day as being grossly cynical in the light of the former. On 24 February 2008 Frank Bruno offered his support to former footballer Paul Gascoigne, who on 21 February had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act Bruno also spoke on his own personal experiences in the mental heath system at a conference run by Hari Sewell, on the 22nd June 2009.

On 10 October 2006, Bruno and his partner Yvonne Clydesdale were jointly awarded £50,000 damages for libel against The People newspaper and publishers MGN in respect of false claims made about the pair's relationship. By 2005 Bruno was able to appear on BBC Radio as a guest expert at a boxing match, as well as appearing on television again. Bruno now regularly makes personal appearances and he also sells autographed items of memorabilia. Frank now lives with one of his sons in the village of Little Billington, on the outskirts of the town of Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire. Movie Appearances Bruno has a cameo appearance in Cass, the subject of which is a friend of Frank Bruno's who was a football hooligan. He is standing next to the pub doors in the last few minutes of the movie. His only prior movie appearance would have been as the bus driver in Spice World, but he walked out due to a dispute with the producers. Tyson Fury beat Wladimir Klitschko to become Britain's eighth world heavyweight boxing champion, but who are the other seven?

| Daily Mail Online Next Tyson Fury beat Wladimir Klitschko to become Britain's eighth world heavyweight boxing champion, but who are the other seven? Tyson Fury joins the likes of Lennox Lewis, and Frank Bruno on list of British world heavyweight champions Fury picked up a unanimous decision win over long-time ruler of the heavyweight division Wladimir Klitschko Lennox Lewis has three spells as heavyweight king while Bob Fitzsimmons was the first three-weight champion Michael Bentt and Frank Bruno both lost their heavyweight crowns in their first ever title defences Oliver McCall News, Profile, Stats, Facts & Video Martinsville, VA USA Profile Oliver "The Atomic Bull" McCall is an American heavyweight boxer best known for winning the WBC Heavyweight Championship in 1994 after scoring an upset knock out victory over Lennox Lewis, followed by his infamous in-ring meltdown in the rematch three years later.

In a long rollercoaster career that has been blighted by drug addiction and almost constant legal troubles, McCall has served as the chief sparring partner for a peak Mike Tyson, then later came into his own as a professional, defeating Lennox Lewis, Larry Holmes, Lionel Butler, Bruce Seldon, Jesse Ferguson, Francesco Damiani, Oleg Maskaev, Henry Akinwande, Przemyslaw Saleta, Sinan Samil Sam, and Fres Oquendo. McCall had a strong amateur career prior to turning pro, twice a winner of the Chicago Golden Gloves. Professional career Known as "The Atomic Bull", McCall turned pro in 1985 and slowly worked his way up the heavyweight ranks. He beat Jesse Ferguson and future heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon and lost a very close decision to Tony Tucker before landing the shot against Lewis in 1994. McCall KOs Lewis After a close first round McCall came out aggressive in the second and landed a big right hand as Lewis was coming forward, Lewis dropped to the canvas and got up before the count of ten, but he was unsteady on his feet, forcing the referee to wave a stop to the fight.

Larry Holmes McCall successfully defended the title in a bout against 45 year old ex-champ Larry Holmes in Las Vegas winning 115-112 115-114 and 114-113 on the score cards, before returning to London to face Frank Bruno in 1995. Losing the Title McCall travelled to London to defend his title against Frank Bruno in 1995. Bruno started off well, working behind the jab and landing some big right hands. By round 9 Bruno had built up a big lead on the score cards and looked comfortably in charge. McCall landed several big punches over the final 3 rounds but his efforts were not enough as McCall lost the fight - and the title - to Frank Bruno. McCall returned to the ring 6 months after losing his title. He beat future WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev in less than 3 minutes, and then a month later beat James Stanton in 6 rounds. Bizarre Rematch with Lewis Lewis and McCall squared off again on February 7, 1997, in Las Vegas.

In a bizarre fight, McCall refused to fight in the fourth and fifth rounds, beginning to cry profusely and eventually forcing the referee to stop the fight and award Lewis the victory. Longtime Contender In 2001 at the age of 36 he resurrected his career with a tenth round knockout of Henry Akinwande, at the time one of the most avoided contenders in the world. McCall was ranked number 4 in the world off this performance, but was arrested shortly afterwards and imprisoned for over a year, losing his ranking. Despite his legal troubles, Oliver's career has since continued. He began his next run at a title with a first round TKO of Kenny Craven in June 2006. McCall also defeated Darroll Wilson in a fourth-round TKO in Louisville, Kentucky. More McCall Upsets On 16 June 2007, McCall defeated Sinan Samil Sam for the WBC International Heavyweight Championship by unanimous decision in Ankara, Turkey. This guaranteed him a shot at the WBC Heavyweight Championship (currently held by Vitali Klitschko).

However, McCall took a fight with slick Cuban fighter Juan Carlos Gomez, a fight which McCall originally lost before the ruling was changed to a No Conest after Gomez tested positive for an illegal substance after the bout. In 2010, McCall took a split decision over Fres Oqendo (then 32-6) who was favorited against him. Lennox Lewis, Heavyweight Boxing Champion | Lennox Lewis, Heavyweight Boxing Champion Leave a comment Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE (born September 2, 1965) is a retired boxer and the most recent undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship. As an amateur he won gold representing Canada at the 1988 Olympic Games after defeating future heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe in the final. Lewis turned professional in 1989, winning his first 21 fights. In 1992 he knocked out Donovan Ruddock to take over the number one position in the World Boxing Council (WBC) rankings and eventually be declared WBC heavyweight champion in 1993.

Lewis lost the title to Oliver McCall in 1994 but defeated McCall in a rematch to win the vacant WBC title in 1997. Lewis went on to defend the title four times, becoming the Lineal Champion after beating Shannon Briggs by KO in 1998. He became undisputed champion after defeating Evander Holyfield in November 1999. After defeating Mike Tyson by KO in 2002 and stopping Vitali Klitschko in 2003, Lennox Lewis retired from boxing in 2004. Throughout his professional career, Lewis suffered two losses, both of which he avenged in rematches, both by knockout. Lewis won the heavyweight championship three times and was the fourth man to reclaim the lineal championship. Lewis is 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) tall and has an 84-inch (213 cm) reach, much longer than average for his height. During his boxing prime, he weighed about 250 pounds (113 kg).

Lewis often referred to himself as “the pugilist specialist.” Early lifeLewis was born on September 2, 1965, in West Ham, London, England to Jamaican-born parents.[2] At birth he weighed 10 pounds 10 ounces (4.8 kg), and was given the name Lennox by the doctor, who said he looked like a Lennox.[3] Lewis moved to Kitchener, Ontario, Canada in 1977 at the age of 12. He attended Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute for high school, where he excelled in Canadian football, soccer and basketball.[4] Amateur careerLewis eventually decided that his favourite sport was boxing. He became a dominant amateur boxer and won the world amateur junior title in 1983.[5] At the age of 18, Lewis represented Canada as a super heavyweight at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He advanced to the quarter-finals, where he lost a decision to American Tyrell Biggs, the eventual gold medalist. Lewis chose not to turn professional after the Olympics, and instead fought four more years as an amateur, hoping for a second chance to win a gold medal.

After winning several more amateur titles during those years, he travelled to Seoul, South Korea for the 1988 Summer Olympics and achieved his goal. In the gold medal match, Lewis defeated future world champion Riddick Bowe by a second round technical knockout (TKO). Professional boxing careerHaving achieved that goal, Lewis declared himself a professional boxer and moved back to his native England. He claimed he’d always considered himself British,[6][7][8] but many British fans regard him as “a Canadian at heart and a Briton for convenience”, as he had trained only in Canada and the United States and already lived half his life in North America.[9] He signed with the boxing promoter Frank Maloney and the early part of his pro career was filled with knockouts of journeymen. After he signed with American promoter Main Event[citation needed] he captured the European heavyweight title late in 1990 against Frenchman Jean Maurice Chanet. In his next fight in March 1991, Lewis won the British title against the undefeated world ranked Gary Mason, then won the Commonwealth title in April 1992 against Derek Williams. By this time, Lewis was a consensus top-five heavyweight in the world.

During this period Lewis defeated former WBA heavyweight champion Mike Weaver, 1984 Olympic Gold medalist Tyrell Biggs, former world cruiserweight title holders Glenn McCrory and Osvaldo Ocasio, and journeymen Levi Billups and Mike Dixon. WBC championOn 31 October 1992, Lewis knocked out Canadian Donovan “Razor” Ruddock in two rounds for the number one contender’s position in the WBC world rankings. At the time it was Lewis’ most impressive win, and established him as one of the world’s best heavyweights. Sportscaster Larry Merchant declared following the win “We have a great new heavyweight.” The win over Ruddock made Lewis the number one contender for Riddick Bowe’s heavyweight championship. Bowe refused to face Lewis, and held a press conference to dump the title in a trash can and relinquish it. On 14 December 1992, the WBC declared Lewis its champion, making him the first world heavyweight titleholder from Britain in the 20th century.

Lewis successfully defended the belt three times, defeating Tony Tucker, who was decked (in the third and ninth rounds) for the first time in his career, and he followed this up with knockout victories over Phil Jackson and Frank Bruno. The Lennox Lewis vs. Frank Bruno fight was the first time that two British-born boxers had fought for the world heavyweight title.[10] Loss to McCallLennox Lewis lost his WBC title to Oliver McCall on 24 September 1994 in a huge upset at the Wembley Arena in London. In the second round, McCall connected with a powerful left/right combination, putting Lewis down on his back. Lewis was up at the count of six, but stumbled forward into the referee. The referee felt Lewis was dazed and ended the fight, giving McCall the win by technical knockout. Lewis and others argued that the stoppage was premature and that a champion should be given the benefit of the doubt.[11] Regaining the WBC titleIn his first comeback fight Lewis was given a chance to fight for the mandatory challenger position within the WBC and won it by knocking out American contender Lionel Butler.

However, at the behest of promoter Don King[citation needed] the WBC chose to bypass him and give Mike Tyson the first shot at the title that had recently been won by fellow Briton Frank Bruno against Oliver McCall. Bruno had previously lost to both Lewis and Tyson. While Lewis had the No. 1 contender’s slot in the WBC rankings he knocked out Australian Justin Fortune, then defeated former WBO Champion Tommy Morrison in October 1995, and Olympic gold medallist and former WBO champion Ray Mercer by a close majority decision in May 1996. Lewis successfully sued to try to force Tyson to make a mandatory defense of the WBC title against him or force Tyson to give up the title, winning a four million dollar settlement from promoter Don King. Rather than fight Lewis, Tyson relinquished the WBC belt to fight Evander Holyfield, and the title was declared vacant. This set up a rematch between Lewis and McCall, who squared off on February 7, 1997 in Las Vegas for the WBC title.

In one of the strangest fights in boxing history, McCall refused to box in the fourth and fifth rounds, then began crying in the ring, forcing the referee to stop the fight and award Lewis the victory and the title. As newly re-crowned WBC champion, Lewis successfully defended the title during 1997 against fellow Briton and former WBO world champion Henry Akinwande, who was disqualified after five rounds for excessive clinching. Lewis then met Poland’s Andrew Golota, whom he knocked out in the first round. During 1998, Lewis again retained the WBC world title when he knocked out lineal champion Shannon Briggs in five rounds (Briggs had recently outpointed George Foreman in a controversial fight, to win the lineal title) and beat formerly-undefeated European champion Željko Mavrović from Croatia in a 12-round unanimous decision. Lewis stated in 2006 that his fight with Mavrovic was the most awkward win of his career.[12] Lewis Vs.

HolyfieldOn March 13, 1999, Lewis faced WBA and IBF title holder Evander Holyfield in New York City in what was supposed to be a heavyweight unification bout. Lewis fought a brilliant tactical fight, keeping Holyfield off balance with a long jab and peppering him with combinations almost at will. Although most observers believed Lewis had clearly won the fight, the bout was declared a draw, to much controversy. The raw statistics of the fight suggested the bout belonged to Lewis, who landed 348 punches compared to Holyfield’s 130. Lewis also out-jabbed Holyfield 137 to 52.[13] Judge Eugenia Williams, who scored the fight in Holyfield’s favour, said she saw Lewis land fewer punches than Holyfield.[14] Lewis Vs. Holyfield IIThe sanctioning bodies ordered a rematch.[15] Eight months later in Las Vegas (November 13, 1999), the two men fought again in a more open and entertaining contest than the original fight, with the two boxers having some heavy exchanges from rounds 6 to 9.

The punch stats however still clearly favoured Lewis who landed 195 punches to Evander Holyfield’s 137 punches, although interestingly Lewis landed 119 power shots and 76 jabs, showing a definite shift in his tactics from the first fight when he focused more on the jab. This time around the 3 Judges did score the fight unanimously (115–113, 116–112 & 117–111) all in favour of Lewis who became undisputed heavyweight champion of the World. In 1999, Lewis was given one of the most prestigious sports awards in Britain, being voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Reign as Undisputed ChampionAfter Lewis defeated Holyfield the WBA ordered Lewis to defend the title against John Ruiz of Puerto Rico, then an obscure Don King fighter who had been made the WBA’s #1-ranked contender. The WBA gave permission for Lewis to fight his WBC mandatory Michael Grant first if he would fight Ruiz next, which Lewis agreed to.

Opposed to this, Ruiz’s promoter challenged this decision in court on the basis of a clause in the Lewis-Holyfield rematch contract that said Lewis’s first bout as undisputed champion would be against the WBA’s number one contender. Lewis was therefore to be stripped of his WBA belt if he fought Grant first. Lewis proceeded to fight the 6 ft 8 inch American Michael Grant who he considered the best contender available. He successfully defended his WBC, IBO & IBF titles against Grant with a second round knockout victory in Madison Square Garden in April 2000. Later that same year Lewis knocked out South African Francois Botha in two rounds in London, before winning a 12-round decision against New Zealander and IBF mandatory opponent, David Tua in Las Vegas. Lewis Vs. RahmanOn April 21, 2001, Lewis was knocked out by 15-to-1 underdog Hasim Rahman in a bout in South Africa. The loss, coupled with Lewis’s earlier TKO loss to McCall, led many ringside observers[who?] to question Lewis’s heart and chin.

Prior to the bout, Lewis had a role in the film Ocean’s Eleven in which he “boxed” against Wladimir Klitschko, and many feel that the distraction and disrupted training schedule contributed significantly to his loss.[citation needed] Lewis Vs. Rahman IILewis immediately sought a rematch with the new champion; however, Rahman, now being promoted by Don King, tried to secure another opponent for his inaugural title defence. Lewis took Rahman to court to honour the rematch clause in their contract. Rahman was ordered to honour the clause and give Lewis a rematch in his first title defence. While promoting the rematch with Rahman on ESPN’s Up Close, the fighters got into a brawl[16] similar to the one between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in front of Howard Cosell on Wide World of Sports. Many felt the brawl was staged to promote the fight, so the reality of the episode is still a matter of debate. Lewis regained the title on November 17 by outclassing and then knocking out Hasim Rahman in the fourth round of their rematch. Lewis vs. TysonMain article: Lennox Lewis vs.

Mike Tyson The Lewis-Tyson fight was one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights in years.On June 8, 2002, Lewis defended his title against Mike Tyson. A fight many had hoped would be a classic turned out to be one-sided as Lennox used his jab and superior reach to score a dominant knockout victory over “Iron Mike.” By the end of the seventh round Tyson was tired and sluggish, his face swollen and his eyes cut. He was knocked out in the eighth by a right hook from Lewis. After the fight was over, George Foreman declared “He [Lewis] is, no doubt, the best heavyweight of all time. What he’s done clearly puts him on top of the heap.”[17] Lewis was an HBO fighter and George Foreman often promoted HBO and their fighters during broadcasts.

This fight was the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history, generating $106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the U.S., until it was surpassed by De La Hoya-Mayweather in 2007.[18] Ticket sales were slow because they were priced as high as $2,400, but a crowd of 15,327 turned up to see the biggest sporting event ever in the city of Memphis, Tennessee. Tyson also had to pay Lewis $335,000 out of his purse for biting him at the news conference to announce the fight, which was originally scheduled for April 6, 2002 in Las Vegas. Las Vegas, however, rejected the fight because of Tyson’s licensing problems and several other states refused Tyson a license before Memphis finally bid $12 million to land it. Lewis vs.

KlitschkoIn May 2003, Lewis sued boxing promoter Don King for $385 million, claiming that King used threats to have Tyson pull out of a rematch scheduled with Lewis then scheduled a fight with Kirk Johnson, but when Johnson suffered an injury in training, Lewis fought Vitali Klitschko, the WBC’s #1 contender and former WBO titlist at short notice. Lewis had planned to fight him in December, but since Klitschko had been on the undercard of the Johnson fight anyway, they agreed to square off on June 21. Lewis entered the ring at a career high 256½ pounds.[19] Lewis was dominated in the early rounds and was wobbled in round two by solid Klitschko punches. Lewis opened a cut above Klitschko’s eye with a right cross in the third round and gave a better showing in the fourth round, and gaining the upper hand in fifth and sixth rounds. Before the start of round seven the doctor advised that the fight should be stopped because of a severe cut above Klitschko’s left eye, awarding Lewis victory by TKO.

Klitschko was leading 58–56 on all three judges’ scorecards when the fight was stopped. Interviewed about the fight by HBO, doctor Paul Wallace explained his decision: “When he raised his head up, his upper eyelid covered his field of vision. At that point I had no other option but to stop the fight. If he had to move his head to see me, there was no way he could defend his way against a punch.” Klitschko’s face required sixty stitches.[20][21][22] Because Klitschko had fought so bravely against Lewis, boxing fans soon began calling for a rematch. The WBC agreed, and kept the Ukrainian as its No. 1 contender. Lewis initially was in favour of a rematch: “I want the rematch, I enjoyed that fight. It was just a fight. We went at it. You have to play dollars and cents but I’m opting more for the rematch.”[23] Negotiations for the rematch followed but Lewis changed his mind [24] Instead, Klitschko fought and defeated Kirk Johnson on December 6 in WBC Eliminator, setting up a mandatory rematch with Lewis.

Lewis announced his retirement shortly thereafter and vacated the title. Lewis stated when he had decided not to fight: “So, when it came time for me to see if I should fight Klitschko again, I thought – at my worst, at my worst! I beat Klitschko and look what I did to his face! I was at my worst – just think [what would’ve happened] if I’d trained just a little bit harder. I didn’t need to fight him again.”[25] Hanging up the gloves Lewis at the premiere of Hereafter during the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.Lewis announced his retirement in February 2004 and decided to pursue other interests, including sports management and music promotion. Lewis said he would not return to the ring. At his retirement, Lewis’s record was 41 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw, with 32 wins by knockout. Though it was rumoured in an article published by the Daily Mail on the February 24 that he would return to fight Klitschko once again, Lewis quickly shot down those rumours on his personal website. In 2008 Lewis commented on a possible match up with Riddick Bowe.

“He waits until I am in retirement to call out my name,” said Lewis. “I will come out of retirement to beat up that guy. I’ll beat him up for free.”[26] Along with Gene Tunney and Rocky Marciano he is one of three world heavyweight champions to have retired with no unavenged defeats. Outside of boxingIn 2000, Lewis appeared on Reflection Eternal’s debut album Train of Thought, giving a shout out on the track “Down for the Count.” In 2002, Lewis was reportedly offered £5m by WWE chairman Vince McMahon to take up wrestling with WWE. His camp held discussions over a possible match with former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar in February 2003, at the No Way Out pay-per-view event.[27] He had borne the Union Flag for the British Bulldog before his match against Bret “The Hitman” Hart at SummerSlam in 1992. In 2003, Lewis made a brief cameo appearance in the Jennifer Lopez and LL Cool J video “All I Have”. Lewis played in the World Series of Poker in both 2006 and 2007, and was knocked out without winning any money.

Lewis appeared on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice in 2008. He came in fourth place (out of 14). Lewis has also done a public service announcement against domestic violence for Do Something.[28] In 2008, Lewis was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.[29] In 2009, in his first year of eligibility, Lewis was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.[30] On May 8, 2010, Lewis was let go by HBO as a commentator for Boxing After Dark. In 2011 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. Personal life Lewis in January 2008Upon retiring from boxing, Lewis moved to Miami Beach with his wife, Violet Chang, a former Miss Jamaica runner-up. The couple have a daughter named Ling (born 2004), a son named Landon (born 2006) and in 2009 the couple welcomed their third child, a daughter.

Lewis told AventuraUSA.com in 2007 that he is contemplating opening an “international boxing academy” and perhaps one day starting a record label, but contrary to rumours, he has yet to embark on either endeavour. Lewis supports the English football team West Ham United, the local team for the place of his birth. Lewis is an avid amateur chess player, and funded an after-school chess program for disadvantaged youths, one of whom earned a university chess scholarship at Tennessee Tech.[31] Share this: Oliver Mccall Former Wbc Heavyweight World Champion Signed And Inscribed I Beat L Lewis Everlast Glove || Boxing Memorabilia || Champs UK "THE GREATEST" MUHAMMAD ALI Oliver McCall Former WBC Heavyweight World Champion SIGNED And INSCRIBED I BEAT L LEWIS Everlast Glove Oliver McCall former WBC heavyweight World champion SIGNED (gold sharpie) and INSCRIBED "Atomic Bull - I BEAT L. LEWIS" Everlast glove. Price: £135 Please view shipping amounts or please contact us for any other enquiries.

Shipping Amount: £ Oliver McCall KOs Lennox Lewis - (1994) Oliver "The Atomic Bull" McCall (born April 21, 1965) best known for winning the WBC heavyweight title in 1994 after scoring an upset knockout victory over Lennox Lewis, in Lewis' home town of London, England (only to lose the belt twelve months later, having made just one successful defence), followed by his infamous in-ring meltdown in the rematch. In a long rollercoaster career that has been blighted by drug addiction and almost constant legal troubles, McCall has served as the chief sparring partner for a peak Mike Tyson, then later come into his own as a professional, defeating Lennox Lewis, Larry Holmes, Lionel Butler, Bruce Seldon, Jesse Ferguson, Francesco Damiani, Oleg Maskaev, Henry Akinwande, Przemyslaw Saleta, Sinan Samil Sam, and Fres Oquendo. Amateur Career McCall had a strong amateur career prior to turning pro, twice a winner of the Chicago Golden Gloves. Professional career Known as "The Atomic Bull", McCall turned pro in 1985 and slowly worked his way up the heavyweight ranks.

He beat Jesse Ferguson and future heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon and lost a very close decision to Tony Tucker before landing the shot against Lewis in 1994. After a close first round McCall came out aggressive in the second and landed his signature counter right hand as Lewis moved forward. Lewis dropped to the canvas and got up before the count of ten, but he was unsteady on his feet, forcing the referee to wave a stop to the fight. McCall's win over Lewis marked Don King's return to power in the heavyweight division, since none of his stable of fighters had been able to win the heavyweight title since Mike Tyson lost it in 1990. He successfully defended the title in a bout against 45 year old ex-champ Larry Holmes in Las Vegas winning 115-112 115-114 and 114-113 on the score cards, before returning to London to face Frank Bruno in 1995. During a press conference before the fight McCall claimed he was going to get revenge for America after Gerald McClellan had been rendered brain damaged after a fight with Nigel Benn a few months earlier.

He had claimed that he was going to hurt Bruno and that the only thing Bruno would be able to do was throw illegal rabbit punches. The fight took place at the old Wembley stadium. Bruno started off well, working behind the jab and landing some big right hands. McCall seemed uninterested in fighting and lagged far behind on the score cards going into the latter rounds. By round 9 Bruno had built up a big lead on the score cards and looked comfortably in charge. McCall finally sparked into life in round 10 perhaps realizing that he was behind on the score cards. McCall landed several big punches over the final 3 rounds and had Bruno in trouble several times but Bruno managed to hold on and win the title by a unanimous decision. McCall returned to the ring 6 months after losing his title when he beat future WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev in less than 3 minutes with a sneaky right hand. A month later McCall beat James Stanton in 6 rounds. Lewis vs McCall II Lewis and McCall squared off again on February 7, 1997, in Las Vegas.

In a bizarre fight, McCall refused to fight in the fourth and fifth rounds, beginning to cry and eventually forcing the referee to stop the fight and award Lewis the victory. The referee for the fight, Mills Lane, stated in an interview after the match, "In the third round, he got in close, and then seemed frustrated, and then he just backed off and put his arms down. . I thought he was playing possum but then I saw his lips started to quiver and I thought, 'My God, is he crying?'" Lane stopped the fight when McCall had refused to defend himself for several rounds. In 2001 at the age of 36 he resurrected his career with a tenth round knockout of Henry Akinwande, at the time one of the most avoided contenders in the World, on a high profile Lennox Lewis undercard in Las Vegas. McCall was ranked number 4 in the World off this performance, but was arrested shortly afterwards and imprisoned for over a year, losing his ranking.

In December 2004 he lost a close points decision to fellow contender DaVarryl Williamson on a high profile Don King undercard from New York, and in 2005 he travelled to Germany for an eliminator to skillful and well regarded Cuban Juan Carlos Gomez, and was outpointed over ten rounds. However this loss was removed from McCall's record as Gomez later failed a drug test. Aiming For Another Shot At The Title Despite his legal troubles, Oliver's career has since continued. He began his next run at a title with a first round TKO of Kenny Craven in June 2006. McCall defeated Darroll Wilson in a fourth-round TKO in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 9, 2006, for the WBC Fecarbox Championship. On December 9, 2006, McCall defeated Yanqui Diaz via seventh-round KO in Hollywood, Florida. On 16 June 2007, McCall defeated Sinan Samil Sam for the WBC International Heavyweight Championship by unanimous decision in Ankara, Turkey. This guaranteed him a shot at the WBC Heavyweight Championship (currently held by Vitali Klitschko).

However, McCall took a fight with slick Cuban fighter Juan Carlos Gomez, a fight which McCall lost. As a result, Gomez took his place as the WBC's next mandatory challenger. The long inactive McCall defeated Australian John Hopoate by 2nd round TKO on the May 22, 2009, for the vacant IBA intercontinental heavyweight belt. McCall dominated the fight and knocked Hopoate down twice. He defended his IBA continental belt against Franklin Lawrence by a ten round unanimous decision on August 21, 2009, at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. On October 23, 2009, he defended his IBA continental title again by a ten round unanimous decision against 6'8" Lance Whitaker. McCall's next opponent was Timur Ibragimov. The two fought at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida. Ibragimov is a fringe contender with an impressive 27-2-1 record, however he hasn't fought anyone on McCall's level before.

The former world champion lost the bout by unanimous decision, with the scores of 117-111 twice and 119-109. It was McCall's first loss since his comeback in 2009. Legal Troubles Although never knocked down as a professional boxer, McCall's career has been mottled by several stints in drug rehabilitation facilities and arrests for disorderly behavior. He has attempted numerous comebacks, though the efforts have repeatedly been frustrated by run-ins with the law. In January 2006 he was arrested by police in Nashville, Tennessee, who say they had to use a Taser on McCall after he tried running away from officers trying to arrest him for trespassing in a public housing development. Police told reporters that McCall had in his possession a glass pipe and a five-dollar bill containing a small amount of cocaine. They say the 40-year-old McCall later spat at an officer and threatened to kill him. He was held on $299,000 bond and charged with criminal trespass, resisting arrest, assaulting police officers, threatening to kill an officer, and being a fugitive from justice on charges in his home state of Virginia.

He was released on May 8, 2006. On the weekend before his scheduled fight with Zuri Lawrence at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in nearby Hollywood, Florida, McCall was arrested for possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia in Fort Lauderdale, preventing him from fighting. He was ultimately sentenced to probation. McCall was able to get another big fight, this time against Fres Oquendo, scheduled for December 7, 2010. McCall won in a split decision over the favored Oquendo. On December 9, 2010, two days after his latest victory, McCall was again arrested in Fort Lauderdale for possession of cannabis and a violation of a municipal ordinance, causing him to violate the terms of his probation stemming from the February cocaine charge. As a result of the probation violation, McCall was facing six years in Florida State Prison. McCall's attorney, Roger P. Foley, was able to have him reinstated on his previous probationary term, modified to include a drug and psychological evaluation followed by any necessary treatment. Oliver McCall and Attorney RP Foley coincidentally have formed a strong friendship and have been found training together in Plantation, Florida.

The same attorney, Roger P. Foley, has become a strength and conditioning coach for McCall. On December 16, 2011, Lawyer Foley was successful in having McCall's probation terminated. McCall has been alcohol and drug free for all of 2011 and his legal issues are finally behind him. Personal McCall was raised on the South Side of Chicago, and is married with four daughters and three sons. One daughter, Jeneva McCall, was a three-time NCAA champion and four-time 1st team All-American in track at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. One son, Mikael McCall, is a sophomore running back for Southern Illinois University Carbondale, after playing his freshman year at the University of Iowa. McCall has one other son, Elijah McCall is currently a professional boxer as well. 100 Great Black Britons - Frank Bruno Frank Bruno (Former World Heavyweight Champion) Frank Bruno is one of Britain's best loved sportsmen. Today, he faces the biggest fight of his life as he deals with being committed to a psychiatric hospital for depression. Bruno was renowned for his punches, but his fame rested as much on his charm outside the ring as his power in it.

Franklyn Roy Bruno was born at Hammersmith Hospital in London. He was the youngest of 6 children from the union of his parents Lynette & Robert Bruno. Michael, Eddie, Faye Joanne, and Angela are his siblings. His parents settled down in Wandsworth in London. His father Robert who was from Dominica passed away in 1975, while his mother Lynette is a district nurse and a Pentecostal lay preacher from Jamaica. Frank attended schools at Swaffield Primary and Oak Hill schools in Sussex where he excelled in football and athletics. He began boxing at 9 at the local Wandsworth Boys Club. During his amateur career, he amassed a 20-1 career, losing to (and eventually beating) Joe Christie while representing the Philip Game Amateur Boxing Club. His amateur career culminated with Frank boxing for Young England and becoming the youngest Amateur British Champion at 18. As a professional fighter he weighed 247lbs and stood 6'3" tall.

He amassed a record of 40-4 losing world title fights to Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Tim Witherspoon, and James "Bonecrusher" Smith; fighting a total of 167 rounds, winning 38 inside the distance, and 17 of those by knockout. Frank's career peaked on 3rd September 1995 when he beat Oliver McCall on points at Wembley Stadium to become the World Boxing Council Heavyweight Champion. He retired from boxing in August 1996. Frank was awarded an MBE in 1990, and is a member of Equity. He's an accomplished actor performing alongside Michael Barrymore (with record box office sales), he played Robin Hood in Bristol & Bradford, alongside British comedians Little & Large, as well as Ringmaster in 'Goldilocks & the 3 Bears' in Birmingham. He's divorced from ex-wife Laura Mooney & kids Rachel, Nicola, & Franklyn. Web Links

Question: Which Briton beat Oliver McCall to become WBC World Heavyweight champion in 1995?
Answer: FRANK BRUNO