Mike Tyson vs Frank Bruno: The sensational forgotten round which almost made ‘dreams come true’

The fight was pushed back when Mike Tyson broke his hand in a street fight and again when he was left unconscious after he crashed his car.

Frank Bruno waited patiently for the chance of a lifetime and his biggest payday. He had been waiting for over a year and watched helplessly as the first three dates came and went. Even Donald Trump was somehow involved in the fights that were meant to take place at Wembley Stadium in 1988. It’s easy to forget how big Tyson vs Bruno was at the time.

An early date in 1989 was announced, postponed, and then the Las Vegas Hilton was finally booked for 25 February. The Hilton had been the home to Liberace and Elvis Presley, and Tyson was the new king of the strip. The Hilton, by the way, is not on the strip.

Bruno would finally get his second chance at the world heavyweight title; the world would then get to see up close and personal what Tyson had left after a terrible year on the so-called safe side of the ropes.

In Tyson’s wild life there had been a fight at midnight on a street corner, a suicide attempt, a costly divorce, a sacked trainer and rumours of meltdowns; Tyson was in trouble and the kid was still only 22 at the time. He had fought eight consecutive world title fights in just over two years. He was a sensation.

This was also, make no mistake, Bruno’s chance because of Tyson’s problems. And Big Frank was getting a record $4m. No other British boxer in history had made anything like that sum.

Just under 10,000 people were in the Hilton, and over 2,000 were travelling Bruno fans. They kept up a chorus of love for Bruno, but everyone knew it was a massive risk and that Bruno was a big, big underdog. “I believe dreams come true,” Bruno had said.

Mike Tyson (left) in action