Fears for Bruno as he says: I’ll make boxing comeback at 54
HIS brave battle with mental health problems has become almost as well known as his clashes in the boxing ring.
Now Frank Bruno has triggered fresh concerns after declaring he wants to make a comeback at 54.
The former world heavyweight champion said on television yesterday that he wanted to take up the sport again to help deal with the effects of his medication for bipolar disorder.
He was pictured at a boxing gym last week with a highly-toned physi que t hat l ooked vi r t ually unchanged from his prime. But top promoters expressed concern at his plans given the risks some- one his age would face. And last night Bruno’s bid appeared to be over before it had begun.
He tweeted: ‘ My agent has received notification from the British Boxing Board of Control that should I apply for a licence this would not be granted.’
There are other governing bodies to which he could apply, but most would be expected to follow the BBBC decision.
Bruno was appearing on ITV’s This Morning when he said of his prescription drugs: ‘They made me suicidal – mess up your head, mess up your clock – you can’t sleep. I’m walking around breakdancing I’ve got so much energy. I feel like Superman, I’m going to the gym all the time, working hard. That why I’ve come into boxing – to get this out of my system because I don’t want to end up in Broadmoor Hospital. I’m coming back into boxing.’
Asked by presenter Phillip Schofield if it was a good idea, he replied: ‘I haven’t got no choice. I train every day. It’s my job, it’s my profession… you’re good at your job, I’m good at my job.’
Bruno last fought in 1996 when Mike Tyson beat him, ending his brief reign as WBC champion. He announced he was retiring from the sport shortly afterwards as he risked losing the sight in one eye if he continued.
He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which causes extreme mood swings, in 2003 and believes staying fit is a vital factor in his mental health battle. Former wife Laura, who was married to him for 11 years before they divorced in 2001, declined to discuss his announcement yesterday.
But promoter Frank Warren said: ‘I just hope he can find something in his life that makes him happy.
‘Maybe that should be working with young fighters because Frank has an awful lot to offer. But he should not be fighting, absolutely not.’ Promoter Eddie Hearn added: ‘Frank is a legend of the sport, a national hero, but he should not be returning to the sport.’
‘I’ve got so much energy’
IT gladdened the heart to watch our most-beloved boxer make it through his first full television interview for years, close call though it was at times. But it worried the life out of us to hear Frank Bruno — who was diagnosed with bipolar personality disorder in 2003 — say he is planning to fight again.
Bruno (pictured) appeared on ITV’s This Morning yesterday and there was charm and confusion in equal measure as he treated his audience to that familiar old chuckle.
He also landed a few right-handers on Prime Minister David Cameron, who he blames for the mental health problems of the nation for which he once won the world heavyweight title.
Although it wasn’t always easy to follow Bruno’ s reasoning, he managed to get most of his mixed messages across.
He was not, however, coherent enough to suggest that he should be allowed to return to the prize-ring 20 years after his second knock-out defeat by Mike Tyson.
Mercifully, the British Boxing Board of Control agree and will not sanction his comeback. Not at the grandfatherly age of 54 and with a medical history even longer than his left jab.
The danger i s that some l ess scrupulous commission abroad may actually give him a licence. Big Frank has spent most of a decade in a twilight world of chronic depression, psychological distress, hospital care, rehab and even self-confessed cocaine abuse. Those disturbed years began with the inability, common to many fighters, to cope with the withdrawal symptoms after the high adrenalin life of boxing. Now, while this has been a long and harrowing struggle, he appears close to winning the hardest fight of his life. One tougher by far than his winning of the world title from Oliver McCall that ecstatic night in London and his losing of it to Tyson on a petrified evening in Las Vegas.
Now, if he is to complete this arduous rite of passage, he needs protecting from himself and from those who would capitalise on his would-be folly.
Bruno argues most lucidly that he owes the encouraging extent of his recovery to the continual training which has produced those remarkable pictures of his physique taken recently in Ricky Hatton’s gym.
There will be those who agree with his assertion that the powerful modern medicines fed to psychiatric patients ‘turn us into zombies’ and make ‘the Government the biggest drug dealers in the world’.
David Cameron, assuming he grants Bruno’s request for an audience, needs to remember that his visitor to No 10 is a national treasure. One who, despite his own problems, still works hard to help others.