Former WBC heavyweight champion Frank Bruno has said he is “happy” to be alive after years of mental health problems after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Bruno, 61, is one of the most respected British fighters of his generation, but 20 years ago his life took a turn for the worse after he was sectioned and admitted to Goodmayes Hospital, where he spent several weeks.
Since then he has occasionally been re-hospitalized for treatment, including most recently in 2021 when he hit a ‘rock bottom’ during the coronavirus lockdown.
Steadily Bruno has rebuilt his life and in an interview with GB News described his health problems and how, despite his well-documented struggles, he manages to take the “rough with the smooth.”
‘I’m happy because I’m alive. I’m still ducking and diving. Life isn’t always easy, but you have to take the rough with the smooth,” he said. ‘I’m still training. You have to take care of yourself. One day you feel more miserable than the next, but I’ve never liked medicine and prefer sports.
Frank Bruno has said he is “lucky” to be alive after two decades of mental health problems
The former British heavyweight has struggled with well-documented mental health issues for much of the past two decades
Bruno is perhaps most famous for his two fights with Mike Tyson – in 1989 and 1996
“The tablets slow me down and make me feel like a zombie. It makes you fat and you start dribbling and you don’t recognize yourself anymore.’
Bruno’s life in the aftermath of the 2003 ordeal hasn’t always been easy, as evidenced by his 2021 ‘rock bottom’, but he’s strived to look at life as positively as possible.
“You can’t expect everything in life to be fake,” he said. “You have to go through the rough to appreciate the smooth, and I did.”
After retiring after his second loss to Mike Tyson in 1996, Bruno’s life began to take a turn for the worse. He was in the sport since 1982.
He admitted that he struggled in the aftermath, citing the transition from fighting for “millions of people” to no longer having that constant in your life.
“It can be a bit of a nightmare because once you’ve been involved in the game and boxed in front of millions of people, it can be a bit difficult to deal with. You need to find something to occupy yourself with.’
When he broke up 20 years ago, the British press was accused of being insensitive in their coverage of the incident. However, Bruno himself harbors no particular animosity towards the media, claiming that they have made him ‘a lot of money’.
“I don’t hate the press,” he insisted. They are there to help you get where you want to go. So you can’t really beat it. They helped me earn a lot of money.’
The former WBC heavyweight champion said he has been forced to fly the flag for Tyson Fury after his similar experiences
In scenes eerily reminiscent of Bruno’s 20 years ago, another highly regarded British heavyweight in Tyson Fury went through his own addiction and mental health issues before returning from rags to riches to the top of the sport. Bruno claimed he feels compelled to “fly the flag for him.”
‘He’s very, very good. He’s got himself together. Tyson was in a bad place and he pulled himself together,” he said. “I have to raise the flag for him because he’s had some serious mental health issues and he’s made it through. I pray to God that he stays well.’
Bruno is perhaps best known in the public conscience for his two fights against Mike Tyson, in 1989 and 1996 – losing both of them.
‘True Brit’ was asked if he came close to beating Tyson in their first fight, and humbly admitted that he ended up taking a ‘thrashing’.
“I thought I had it,” he laughed. “But as soon as he recovered, he punished me and spanked me. It was a good fight, he was much better than people give him credit for and he was also a dangerous fighter. He was a beast at best.’
Bruno’s best night in the ring was at Wembley in 1995. he claimed the WBC heavyweight belt
Bruno has since set up his own foundation that aims to help people struggling with similar issues
Bruno finally won the world title by beating Oliver McCall at Wembley in 1995, although he relinquished it to Tyson just six months later.
After starting his own charity, the Frank Bruno Foundation, he has become something of a spokesperson for mental health issues and a crisis that many consider an epidemic among the public.
Bruno took the government to task for their perceived lack of support for people experiencing the same as himself, saying that he and others had been left on the ‘side of the road’.
“These politicians are doing nothing,” he said. “The last time I went to the House of Commons I was among many people, sports stars, business people, teachers and others. They said they were going to help with mental health. But they left me and others on the side of the road.’