Dynamite Dan can become a national treasure just like Broo-no
HUBBARD’S CUPBOARD
By Alan Hubbard
It is good to know that dear old Frank Bruno is on the mend from the nasty bout of pneumonia which hospitalised him last week
The 57-year-old former world heavyweight champion was last seen in public at ringside to witness Chris Eubank Jnr’s victory over James DeGale last month. Had he been fit enough doubtless he would be at his fistic alma mater, the Royal Albert Hall tonight, to witness boxing’s much-awaited return to its stately home and to further assess the progress, of the young man following in his Size Twelve boxing boots, Daniel ‘Dynamite’ Dubois.
Bruno fought 17 times at the Royal Albert Hall, shaping his career there and it was there that the enduring chant of ‘Broo-no Broo-no first reverberated around a boxing arena.
He has always liked Dubois, suggesting he will be even bigger than Anthony Joshua. But can he even be bigger than Bruno himself in terms of becoming a national treasure?
“Daniel is keen, thirsty, eager to learn and a nice, level-headed guy, Bruno has said.”He is a very, very good prospect and only needs to stay on his game, focused and hungry.”
Tonight Dubois takes on the redoubtable Romanian Razyan Cojanu, co-topping an action-packed Frank Warren bill alongside fellow big-hitter Anthony Yarde defending his WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight title against Travis Reeves.
It the unbeaten Dubois’s tenth pro contest. Bruno was also undefeated, having 11 fights in his opening year, when he had his own bout No 10 at the same venue, blasting out the Costa Rican Gilbert Acuna in under a round.
By coincidence Bruno’s debut fight at the Kensington emporium was almost exactly 39 years ago, also ending in a round when he upended American Lupe Guerra on March 17, 1982. Like Dubois, he was only 21
Dubois will be looking to be similarly explosive tonight and should he continue to shoot up the heavyweight charts as smoothly and impressively as Big Frank did, and eventually capture a world title, then
who knows, maybe it will be ‘Doo-bwa, Doo-Bwa’ that echoes around Britain’s boxing halls in the not-too-distant future.
Daniel Dubois v Razvan Cojanu and Anthony Yarde defending his WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight title against Travis Reeves tops a huge night of boxing at the Royal Albert Hall that also includes the British middleweight title clash between Liam Williams and Joe Mullender, while British welterweight champion Johnny Garton makes a first defence of his belt against the Welshman Chris Jenkins. Unbeaten featherweight Lucien Reid takes on his toughest test to date against Birmingham’s Indi Sangha. Unbeaten prospects Hamza Sheeraz, Denzel Bentley, Jake Pettitt, James Branch jr and Harvey Horn also feature on the show. Tickets are priced from £40 and are available to buy via www.RoyalAlbertHall.com
TICKETS START FROM £40
GRAND TIER: £100
LOGGIA: £100
SECOND TIER: £75
