British boxing icon and ex-Mike Tyson rival rushed to hospital after falling ill on flight

Heavyweight boxing icon Frank Bruno was rushed to hospital after suddenly falling ill on a long-haul flight.

The British boxing legend, 63, needed urgent medical assistance upon landing at Doha Airport, Qatar, before undergoing further tests. He remained in hospital for almost two weeks afterwards, where he was diagnosed with a viral infection.

Bruno also had his passport confiscated to prevent him from trying to leave the country while ill, according to The Sun. His manager, Dave Davies, revealed that Bruno is now recovering and keen to resume his work “as soon as possible”.

“Frank was flying out to work in Thailand when he was taken ill on the plane at Doha," he said. "Medical crew attended Frank on the plane and at hospital. He’s now recovering and hopes to be back at work as soon as possible.”

Bruno had hoped to speak at four separate events in Thailand, having caught a connecting flight from Heathrow, London, to Doha. Prior to taking off, he updated his Facebook followers with a picture and captioned it: "Morning so the Frank Bruno World tour continues. Up early for a plane, I don’t sleep well on planes but trying to catch up on some zzzzzzzzzzzs.”

Yet he became ill almost immediately after taking off while accompanied by his PA, Paul Hunter. A source told The Sun: "Frank was fine when he boarded the plane — but quickly went downhill during the flight. He was in a really bad way, and they were unsure what the problem was.

“It was extremely worrying as it was mid-flight, so he was stuck on the plane. Paul and Frank thought it might be food poisoning, but it turned out to be worse than that.

“Frank was in a bad way and was sweating profusely and had fever-like symptoms. Paul was worried but was doing his best to keep him calm. He was treated on the flight at Doha, in the airport and then at the hospital.

“Doctors were really worried and carried out all sorts of tests, including for meningitis. They then diagnosed him with a viral infection, which at least meant they could start treating him.”

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Bruno's iconic 1995 victory over Oliver McCall at Wembley, where he became world champion. His scheduled appearance at Hotel Football in Manchester on Sunday was called off but it is hoped that Bruno will still be able to carry out his upcoming commitments.

Heavyweight icon Bruno retired from boxing in 1996, with a defeat to Mike Tyson being his last dance in the ring. The British fighter fought Tyson twice for the world titles, losing both times by knockout.

Despite their rivalry in the late 80s and 90s, Tyson and Bruno have a huge amount of respect for each other. In 2020, Bruno flew to the States to reunite with Tyson for a documentary.

When asked if they are now friends, Bruno said: "How can you be friends with someone who's trying to knock you out and kill ya? "Yeah, I've been over there. He's very nice and very down to earth and very calm.

"He didn't have the entourage around him, so he seemed much better than having all yes-men around him. He just had his PA and he just kept it on a level. It was the best I've ever seen him."

The 63-year-old finished his career with 40 victories - 38 of which came by knockout - and just five defeats which includes losses in high-profile fights against Lennox Lewis and Tim Wetherspoon.

He has since faced difficulties with bipolar disorder and now campaigns for mental health awareness.