LAST December, cruiserweight boxer Steve Ward climbed back in the ring at the age of 59. He lasted three rounds against a fierce 35-year-old, nicknamed the ‘One Man Riot’.

“I got put down,” Ward declared after the final bell, “but I kept getting up.” With this fight, Ward scrapped his way back into the Guinness Book of Records, as the oldest, active professional boxer in the world.

Bronx fighter Saoul Mamby was even older when he announced his comeback, aged 60.

After California bureaucrats declared him too old to compete, Mamby jetted out to a Caribbean island. He went 10 rounds against an opponent 29 years his junior. You can’t knock either man for wanting to keep on doing what they do best.

But what to make of Frank Bruno’s comeback announcement, made last week?

Bruno said he wanted to go back to boxing in a TV interview with Philip Schofield. Let’s be honest. Five minutes in any room with Schofield is enough to make anyone want to start throwing punches, myself included.

Bruno had been booked on the TV show to talk about mental health and depression. It took a passing suggestion that he wanted to make a competitive return to stir up any genuine interest in either issue.

After Bruno’s appearance, transcripts were printed. Words were mangled out of context. You’d be forgiven for thinking that some people’s primary objective was to make the former heavyweight champion of the world sounds as idiotic as possible.

But I watched a rerun, and it’s been a while since I’ve heard anyone talk so much sense, so bluntly.

When Bruno states “David Cameron doesn’t give a monkey’s” on national TV, you can sense Philip Schofield squirm on his sofa. But how many users of the services Bruno is describing would agree with this statement?

Bruno continues to raise concerns about “filling people up” with prescription drugs, until they act like zombies.

Asked his thoughts on aftercare he comments that some people in the healthcare industry have big cars and houses: “But they don’t really care about the patients, they just care about themselves.”

Again, how many people might share this view?

Next Bruno wants to discuss mental health care with the prime minister. He’s previously called on the government to invest more money in services for people in Britain, instead of sending millions of pounds overseas. These don’t sound like fanatical ravings to me.

Perhaps a return to competitive boxing isn’t the best move for a heavyweight at the age of 54 but a man can but dream, and Schofield’s patronising reaction was uncalled for.

Let’s not forget that back in the 80s, when Bruno used his right hand to rock Mike Tyson off his feet, Schofield had his stuffed up Gordon the Gopher.