Keynote SpeakersFrank Bruno MBE is a Former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Entertaining Guest Speaker and Mental Health Speaker.
Born in London, Bruno started boxing at Wandsworth Boys Club at the age of nine.
Between 1977 and 1980, Frank boxed for the Sir Phillip Game Amateur Boxing Club.
During his amateur career, he boxed 21 times, losing only once.
In Frank’s final amateur season, he represented Young England, becoming the youngest ever ABA heavyweight champion at 18.
Bruno started boxing professionally in 1982. His ring record is 45 contests with 40 victories, 38 of them knockouts.
His only defeats have been by James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith, Tim Witherspoon, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.
Frank won the WBC Heavyweight Title in 1995 by beating Oliver McCall.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Bruno was a popular guest on prime-time TV shows. Since retiring, Frank has continued to feature on many shows including ‘A Question of Sport, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and Piers Morgan’s Life Stories.
In 2004, the British Board of Boxing, Lonsdale and the EABF held a tribute lunch honouring Frank for his achievements both in and out of the boxing ring. Guests included Harry Carpenter, Reg Gutteridge, Audley Harrison and Michael Watson.
The British Olympic Committee invited Frank to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay in London.
In 2003, Frank was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Frank has used the media attention to help with the stigma attached to mental health.
In his 2017 book ‘Let me be Frank‘ Bruno talks about his battle with mental illness, his time inside a mental facility, the impact his illness has had on his family and his career – and his long road back to stability.
Bruno has been to the top and the bottom, and he remains a national treasure.
Frank Bruno is available for entertaining Q&A-led speeches.
