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The Battle of Britain

Lennox Lewis lands a right hook on Frank Bruno © Getty Images

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David Haye lays his WBA heavyweight belt on the line this Saturday, in a hotly-anticipated all-British showdown in Manchester.

In a fight dubbed The Best of Enemies, Haye takes on his former friend and sparring partner Audley Harrison at the MEN Arena, 17 years after another British heavyweight title fight, when the popular Frank Bruno challenged Lennox Lewis for his WBC crown. Haye is the overwhelming favourite to retain his title, just as the bookmakers backed Lewis at Cardiff Arms Park.

While many remember Bruno for his jovial guffaw and Lewis for his laid-back attitude, the build-up to the fight was every bit as acerbic as Haye and Harrison's war of words.

Lewis was born in Britain to Jamaican parents and he moved to Canada at the age of 12 and won Olympic gold under the Canadian flag at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Once branded 'Jamaican by blood, Canadian at heart, and only British for financial considerations', Bruno struck the first blow when he questioned Lewis' claim to be British.

"I'm a little bit dark, but I was born in Hammersmith," he growled during the pre-fight press conference. But Lewis hit back: "What was I supposed to do? Not follow my mother to Canada? Look, I've fought more British fighters than that guy has." And he in turn mocked Bruno for his stint as a pantomime dame. "He makes a fool of himself, dressing up in girls' clothing on television."

In front of a packed stadium in Cardiff, Bruno entered donning 'The Real Brit' stitched across his shorts to the tune of Land of Hope and Glory. The majority of the 26,000-strong crowd was backing Bruno, who was challenging for a world title for the third time following unsuccessful attempts against Tim Witherspoon and Mike Tyson.

Fighting on the undercard of Lewis-Bruno was a certain Joe Calzaghe, who won his first professional fight against Paul Hanlon before going on to become one of Britain's most successful fighters of all time.

The fight was delayed when the ring physician failed to arrive but eventually, amid fears of heavy rain, the fight went ahead.

Bruno took the fight to Lewis and his fans were off their seats when a huge right in the third round wobbled Lewis, and he was looking good. Lewis was well-known for his inadequate defence and had a tendency to be lazy, and he was made to pay early on by a fired-up Bruno, whose left jab was causing real damage.

At the end of the sixth round, American judges Tony Castellano and Jerry Roth both had the fight level at 57-57, while British judge Adrian Morgan had scored the fight 59-55 in favour of Bruno. Lewis had suffered a cut eye, but by the seventh had forced Bruno into a corner before a sudden left hook left Bruno reeling.

Referee Mickey Vann ended the fight in the seventh round © Getty Images

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"I saw him pulling back to throw a right hand," Lewis said after the fight. "And I hit him with a perfect hook, which everybody said I didn't have."

From then on the outcome was inevitable, with his opponent defenceless, Lewis swarmed all over Bruno until referee Mickey Vann stepped in to end the fight 72 seconds into the seventh round.

"Bruno did his homework and kept me from throwing my right hand early...but he must have forgotten I have a terrific left hook," Lewis said after the fight. "I said to myself 'I'm going to let him see my hook'."

Lewis retained his WBC crown, only to surrender it to Oliver McCall the following year, in his first defeat as a professional. Lewis led calls for Bruno to hang up his gloves after suffering his fourth defeat as a professional.

"I think Frank should retire gracefully," he said. "I don't think the public want to see him taking any more punishment."

For the 30-year-old Haye, and Harrison, 39, defeat would almost certainly signal the end. While Haye still has his sights set on unifying the division, a shock defeat to Harrison would probably force him into an early retirement. But while Haye is the overwhelming favourite in Manchester, for the challenger it is more than just a world title at stake, and Lewis is only too aware how powerful a weapon pride can be.

"For Frank that fight was a matter of huge personal pride and he brought into the ring a desire and passion he had never shown before. And for five rounds he gave me a hell of a lot of trouble," he said. "Maybe Audley can do the same. It's now or never for him. It's also his old school training against Haye's modern ring science. There's a lot at stake for both of them."

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