BOXING : Bruno Defeats McCall to Capture WBC Title

Despite having a suspect chin and a robotic fighting style, Frank Bruno deserves praise for persistence.

The 33-year-old British fighter sparked a carnival atmosphere in his country Saturday night by winning a world heavyweight title in his fourth attempt with a unanimous decision over Oliver McCall before 23,000 fans in Wembley Stadium.

“Fourteen years. You can’t beat that for perseverance.” Bruno said. “Now I have the championship belt, and no one can take it away.”

It was the first time in history a British-born fighter won the title in England. Bob Fitzsimmons won it in 1897 in the United States and Lennox Lewis was handed the World Boxing Council belt after Riddick Bowe dumped it in a garbage can.

“I’m bruised, I’m battered. I just feel happy, man. I feel on top of the world,” said Bruno, who took three years off to become a television and stage actor in 1989 before returning to the ring.

A loser to Tim Witherspoon in 1986, Mike Tyson in ’89 and Lewis two years ago, Bruno, in his 14th year as a pro, made it an emotional night as he improved his record to 40-4 with 38 knockouts.

Judge Malcolm Bulner of Australia scored the fight 115-113, while Newton Campos of Brazil and Fay Solis of Mexico had it 117-111.

On the same card, Virgil Hill of Fargo, N.D., gained a unanimous decision over Drake Thadzi, a Malawi-born fighter based in Canada, to retain his World Boxing Assn. light-heavyweight title, and Britain’s Nigel Benn knocked out Danny Ray Perez of Albuquerque in the seventh round to retain his WBC super-middleweight title.

McCall, of Chicago, who won the title from Lewis by knocking him out in the second round last year, had one successful defense, a decision over Larry Holmes in April.

McCall, who weighed 234 pounds, had to protect swelling under his left eye for 11 rounds after being jolted by a hard right hand in the first round. Bruno landed several more rights, but McCall never looked in trouble and had Bruno holding on with a fierce barrage in the final round.

Bruno, 247 pounds, landed a hard right hand at 1:58 of the first round that stunned McCall and, at the end of the round, a large lump was building under the champion’s left eye.

Bruno tried to do more damage to that wound but failed to find the target as McCall (25-6) covered up and weathered the early storm.

In the third round, Bruno connected with a right uppercut and the champion, looking stronger with each round, responded with a left that had the British fighter pinned on the ropes.

Bruno had the fans cheering again in the 11th with an uppercut that sent the champion’s head up. But McCall went on all-out attack in the 12th.

“He came at me like a madman. I did what I had to survive; that’s why I look like E.T.,” Bruno said. “The last round wasn’t three minutes; it was like 24 minutes.”