Frank Bruno, Former WBC Heavyweight Champion, Comments on Comeback

Former WBC Heavyweight champion Frank Bruno insists he needs to return to boxing in order to avoid ending up in a psychiatric institution.

The 54-year-old, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003, revealed Monday that he is planning a return to the ring almost 20 years on from his last professional fight, per ITV's This Morning show.

He revealed that he has been working hard in the gym and that he has little choice but to return to competitive action, per This Morning (via Matthew Weaver in the Guardian):

"

I’ve got to get back into boxing, to get this out of my system, because I don’t want to end up in Broadmoor (psychiatric) hospital. I’ve been in the gym all the time, that’s why I want to come back into boxing.

Is that a good idea? I haven’t got no choice. I train every day.

I can’t sit down and let these so-called promoters say [current British heavyweight champion] Anthony Joshua can knock me out in two rounds when I’m not even dead.

"

Bruno also admitted that some of the medication he had been prescribed for his condition made him "suicidal."

However, Bruno later tweeted that any comeback attempt is likely to be shut down:

The British fighter won his WBC title in 1995 with a unanimous-decision victory over America's Oliver McCall at Wembley Stadium.

However, in his very next fight, he was stopped by Mike Tyson in the third round in what turned out to be his last professional fight.