Mike Tyson just main-evented one of the biggest events the world has ever seen when he faced Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium. The Baddest Man On The Planet earned a sensational payday that will make even the current boxing stars shy. Since his retirement, Tyson has actively engaged in several high-profile businesses and has built a substantial net worth.

However, not every boxing legend is in the same boat as former as former WBC heavyweight champion Frank Bruno announced that he will be shutting down his boxing academy. The 40-5 boxer set up his academy alongside his charitable foundation, but sadly, he had to end it due to logistic issues.

Boxing Academy dream hits wall

Life has been tough for the Hammersmith native since his retirement. He faced mental challenges and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Since then, he has been a spokesperson for mental health awareness and established the Frank Bruno Foundation. The foundation aimed to provide mental health support through fitness and sports.

Therefore, he decided to open his Boxing Academy alongside the foundation. However, things did not work out as the former champion took to ‘Facebook’ and wrote, “with great sadness, the gym would be closing.” According to Bruno, “the boxing academy needed a premises of its own to continue successfully.” 

A suitable building was found, “that had already been run as a boxing gym,” which would have made it easy to transform. However, he, alongside his team, failed to acquire it and it was a heartbreak for the former champion.

Bruno further wrote that he tried his best to help people and give them something positive to look forward to. As the boxer has accepted, “If it was not for boxing, I would have ended up in prison.” 

The news has taken the boxing community unexpectedly. Frank Bruno has been an advocate for the sport for a very long time and everyone was rooting for the success of his foundation for the betterment of the sport.

Fans react to the devastating setback

A fan wrote, “Frank is a great ambassdor for the sport, its sad news,” stating how it will affect the boxing community. Bruno has been part of the sport even after retiring through coaching certain big players and even then he can’t fulfill his dream to help others.

Another fan who was not heartbroken after hearing the news, wrote, “That really sucks to hear.” The 40-5 boxer has been improving people’s lives through exercise and sports. He always believed that being involved in sports can improve your mental health. That is why this news will not only affect budding boxers but also people who are suffering from mental health problems.

Another user wrote, “All the money in boxing…,” to show his utter disgust towards the circumstance. It is really surprising to see that while Mike Tyson is selling out arenas, his fellow legend can’t even secure a small building for his dream.

Another user wrote, “Didn’t he used to train Dubois?” Well, Daniel Dubois used to work with Bruno during the early years of his career. The Hammersmith native took Dubois on the pads and used to offer technical guidance. He set up the base of Dynamite which helps him even now. With Dubois now holding the IBF heavyweight championship, the impact of Bruno in modern boxing is even more remarkable.

A user, definitely not a fan of the previous era of boxing, wrote, “How will the youth of today learn how to clinch 20 times a round, or throw pointless pitty pat punches?” Frank Bruno has actively worked with the youth for many years, and he trained Daniel Dubois, who later clinched the world title. So, saying that Frank Bruno’s coaching is pointless in the modern era is just false.

While the news is saddening, Frank Bruno will find a way to get out of this rut. After all, he has always done it no matter how hard the circumstances are. What are your views on Bruno’s boxing academy being shut down? Let us know your thoughts down below.