• September 2 down the years

Bruno rules the world

After a number of close shaves, Frank Bruno finally got his hands on the world title © Getty Images

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1995
Frank Bruno won a world title at last. At 33, this was his fourth and final chance. Big Frank's brittle defence had been exposed by Tim Witherspoon back in 1986, and it had no chance against Mike Tyson in 1989 or Lennox Lewis four years later (October 1). So there were a lot of nervous fans at Wembley Stadium tonight: Oliver McCall had won the WBC heavyweight belt by flattening Lewis in the second round. But that was something of a one-off, and McCall wasn't really a one-punch fighter. In his first defence, he'd been taken the distance by Larry Holmes, who was 45 by then. And here at Wembley, McCall didn't look a world champion until it was too late. There was simply no fight in him. So Bruno was allowed to stick out his left jab and pick up early points. When McCall came in close, Frank held on with all his might, under the blind eye of the referee. McCall was simply never allowed to fight. Bruno's suspect stamina reared its head in the last two rounds, leaving him cut and bruised - but he was far enough ahead by then. Cheers for good old Frank, who took one more payday. McCall fought Lewis again for the vacant title in 1997 but suffered a tearful meltdown and lost in five rounds.

While Bruno was winning for once, the Springboks were winning as usual. Down in Johannesburg, Wales sent out a very inexperienced team which included three 21-year-old new caps. Playing with fire and oomph, they scored a try in the very first minute and were only 18-8 down at half-time. South Africa didn't find any real cohesion until late on, when fatigue contributed to Wales conceding three tries in seven minutes. Right at the end, replacement hooker Garin Jenkins was sent off - but a red card should have been shown at the other end of the match. Immediately after the shock opening try, lock forward Kobus Wiese punched his opposite number Derwyn Jones so hard he had to be stretchered off with concussion. Wales lost 40-11 but they weren't the ones who were disgraced.

2001
Michael Schumacher won the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix, ten years after making his Formula One debut at the same circuit. This was his 52nd race win in F1, breaking the record he shared with Alain Prost. Juan Pablo Montoya started on pole but an early engine failure left Schumacher free to set the fastest lap on the way to finishing comfortably clear of David Coulthard. Schumacher had already retained the world title in the previous race.

On the same day in 1956, Stirling Moss became the first British driver to win the Italian Grand Prix. The famous event had been staged for the first time in 1921. Today's race at Monza was the last of the World Championship season. Moss was only sixth on the starting grid but came through to beat the shared drive of Peter Collins and Juan Manuel Fangio, who retained the world title. Moss won the race again the following year and in 1959.

2010
The International Cricket Council suspended Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, the three players implicated in the Lord's spot-fixing scandal, under the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Code. All were found guilty of corruption by an ICC tribunal, which handed out a ten-year ban to Butt, seven years for Asif, and five for Amir.

2005
In rugby league, giant winger Lesley Vainikolo set a Super League record by scoring six tries for Bradford Bulls against Hull. The previous year, he'd equalled the old record with five against Wigan Warriors and broken another one with 36 in the regular season. Today, fellow New Zealand international Shontayne Hape scored one of Bradford's other four tries in a 49-6 win. He later played rugby union for England. So did Vainikolo, after scoring five tries on his debut for Gloucester.

1972
Britain's David Hemery made his attempt to retain his Olympic title. After winning the 400 metres hurdles so convincingly in 1968, he went back to the high hurdles and dabbled with the decathlon before returning to the 'man-eater'. In the final today, he ran the first half even faster than in Mexico, at which point John Akii-Bua thought 'There goes the gold medal'. But instead of conceding defeat, the Ugandan fought harder. Coming off the last bend in lane one, he overtook Hemery and won by seven yards. His time of 47.82 seconds was the first under 48 seconds. It broke the world record set by Hemery in 1968 and lasted until the next Olympics, where it was beaten by Ed Moses. Hemery lost second place to America's Ralph Mann on the line but completed his set of Olympic medals with silver in the relay. Akii-Bua's British coach Malcolm Arnold also coached Dai Greene when he won the same event at the European Championships 38 years later.

Lesley Vainikolo knows where the try line is © Getty Images

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On the same track, Dave Wottle's distinctive golf cap was in last place for part of the 800 metres. When he began his finishing spirit, he was so far off the pace that he hoped for no better than a minor medal. But as everyone faded around him, he squeezed in front of European champion Evgeny Arzhanov, who fell over the line in second place.

Meanwhile East Germany's Wolfgang Nordwig became the first non-American to win the Olympic pole vault since 1906. He was lucky that the new Cata-Poles were banned by the IAAF for no good reason. Nordwig had never got on with them, whereas defending champion Bob Seagren had set a big world record of 5.63 metres in July. Forced to use an old pole, he managed only 5.40 here in Munich, behind Nordwig's 5.50.

Less tarnished gold for East Germany at these Games as the great Roland Matthes completed the double double. One of the most successful swimmers of all time, he was so smooth and languidly powerful that he took eight to ten fewer strokes than his opponents in every 50-metre length of the pool. Winner of the 100 and 200 metres backstroke at the 1968 Olympics, he retained both titles four years later. In the 200 final today, Matthes equalled his own world record of 2 minutes 02. 82, finishing well clear of America's Mike Stamm, who also finished second to him in the 100.

1939
The untouchable Nicolino Locche was born in Argentina. He was WBA light-welterweight champion from late 1968 to early 1972. But it's not titles that matter here. Balding, hairy, with no great moves or big punch, this was the greatest defensive boxer of all time, a unique genius. There were times when he stood in the middle of the ring, hands behind his back, and avoided punches thrown by top fighters without moving his feet. More like a circus performer than a professional boxer, he has to be seen to be believed. So don't take our word for it: check out the videos.

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