Former professional boxer Frank Bruno is one of the most celebrated British sportsmen of his era. A former European and WBC heavyweight champion, he has been celebrated for his extraordinary string of knockouts and his formidable punching power. Garry Richardson is a leading sports presenter, known for his work on Sportsweek on BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio 4’s Today programme. The pair have known each other for many years, and now share stories on the speaking circuit.
Bruno achieved 40 wins from 45 fights over his incredible career in the ring, and at one time had a streak of 21 wins by knockout. In 1985 he won the European heavyweight title with a win over Anders Eklund, and in 1995 he won the WBC heavyweight title when he beat Oliver McCall at Wembley. Since leaving boxing, he has been a familiar face in the media, appearing on dozens of shows including A Question of Sport, This Morning and Good Morning Britain, and was featured in the BBC Three documentary Rachel Bruno: My Dad and Me. In recent years, he has been widely praised for speaking and writing openly about his experience with bipolar disorder.
Richardson’s early experience of sport was on the pitch as a youth player with Southampton and Reading football clubs, but he instead pursued a career in broadcasting. He has since become one of the biggest names in sports journalism, presenting Radio 5 Live’s Sunday sports programme Sportsweek for 20 years. Richardson has interviewed hundreds of top names including Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela, won a prestigious Sony Gold Award, and hosted the sports-based comedy series Look Away Now on Radio 4. He regularly presents for BBC television, has covered seven Olympic Games and has presented many times from Wimbledon.