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1) Proximity to Glory; 2) Number of Shots at Glory; 3) National Expectation; 4) Strength Relative to Other Britons in the Sport; and 5) Ability to Bounce Back from Adversity.
45) Audley Harrison 4-2-2-2-1 = 44%
The first Briton to win an Olympic boxing gold for 32 years, Harrison’s professional career has not matched the heights of that achievement or his own self-publicity. A string of joke bouts followed and his career appeared stalled when he tried to tempt Frank Bruno out of retirement. Beaten for the European title this year by Michael Sprott, Harrison keeps on talking himself up but is unable to get himself a big bout. Says that 2008 will be his year…
43) Bomber Graham 4-3-2-2-2 = 52%
Herol “Bomber” Graham was the junior world welterweight boxing champion in 1976 and went 38 professional fights without defeat before losing his European middleweight title in 1987. Had three world title bouts at middleweight and super-middleweight but could not go the distance, losing a tight bout on points to Mike McCullum, almost stopping Julian Jackson before Graham was knocked out and, in 1998, being stopped in the tenth round against Charles Brewer.
20) Henry Cooper 4-3-3-4-2 = 64%
“Our ‘Enry” twice won the Sports Personality of the Year award but never won the world heavyweight title. He fought Muhammad Ali twice, knocking him down in the fourth round in 1963. When they met for the world title in 1966, Ali cut Cooper’s face badly. His final fight was a controversial 15-round defeat to Joe Bugner
9) Frank Bruno 5-3-4-4-3 = 76%
Forty wins in 45 bouts and a heavyweight title does not make one a loser, but Bruno cultivated the lovable image. The future pantomime star had 21 consecutive wins by knockouts at the start of his professional career but the run ended when he was knocked out by ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith while leading on points. Lost to Tim Witherspoon for the world title while ahead, rocked Mike Tyson, beat Oliver McCall to become world champion but then lost it in his first defence to Tyson. Has suffered from mental problems since but has many fans hoping for a recovery.
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