British Beef #3 - Lennox Lewis v Frank Bruno

Two giants of the British ring clashed for a world title in Wales 18 years ago... and there was bad, bad blood.

He felt British, he flew the British flag and usually, Frank Maloney was by his side, in his trademark Union Jack suits. To America, where Lewis would later wreak havoc as unified heavyweight champion of the world, he was as British as fish and chips and a cup of tea. To Bruno, who was never as dim as his public persona would have you believe, he was an opportunist who had become British because it meant a better chance of success, more money and more boxing opportunity. He was an imposter on a scene in which he had long been the number one. And he was not coming to win hearts and minds with a charm offensive. As laid-back as Lewis appeared, he knew how to wind up an opponent; Mike Tyson and Hasim Rahman would be proof of that later in life but as a young heavyweight champion trying to stamp his identity on a country's sporting psyche. He was proud of his Jamaican roots, ring-walked to Bob Marley and supported the Labour Party. Bruno on the other hand, was a committed Thatcherite, everyone in Britain knew him and even though when it had mattered against Tim Witherspoon and Mike Tyson he was a loser, he was a lovable one. Lewis though thought differently. He saw Bruno as a sell-out who had betrayed his West Indian heritage to become part of the fabric, anything but the proud black man he was. His sentiments were summed up with one simple insult: "An Uncle Tom". Just as Muhammad Ali had used it to upset Joe Frazier all those years ago, Lewis had apparently pulled this out at the beginning of their press work and Bruno was, understandably, livid. Fiercely proud of his roots - his mother had, like Lewis emigrated from Jamaica to the UK - he took exception to being labelled a stooge, the white businessman's play thing. Just as it had been from Ali, it was clumsy from Lewis, but in a 90s Britain less pre-occupied with the issue of race it might have been glossed over in many parts. Not in Bruno's camp. A legal writ was issued and although it was never served, the dye was cast for this to become a bitter build-up.

Caught

"I'd never thought of Lennox as British," Frank would write in his autobiography years later. "He may have come back now and again but he grew up in Canada. He sounds like a Canadian. To me he is Canadian. He won an Olympic gold medal and good luck to him. The Olympics are about doing it for your country - and millions of Canadians must have been very proud of him." Back then, Bruno adopted the moniker True Brit. It was sewn into his gown for the fight and most of his press work was done proudly sporting red, white and blue. Both fighters, vowing for the hearts and minds of British fight fans, had landed low blows, both of which hurt. They were not the only ones caught up in it either, Bruno's wife Laura and Frank Maloney fell out and exchanged words before, probably during, and certainly after the fight - which took place at Cardiff Arms Park, Wales. In October. In the open air. The risk of rain was even written into the contract and, with the WBC's blessing, in the event of a downpour after four rounds it was agreed it would go to the scorecards! It rained during the undercard and the canvas had to be replaced, while Bruno walked to the ring with plastic bags over his boots. The Welsh crowd gave him the sort of hero's welcome he had become used to and as if Lewis didn't know what he was up against, he did by the time he made his walk