It’s sad news, it’s been reported that yet another member of the glorious heavyweight golden era that was the 1970s has died. Joe Bugner, so very much an underrated fighter, has died aged 75; the former world title challenger having lost his battle with dementia. Joe, who was born in Hungary and relocated to the UK as a young man, became an Australian citizen in his retirement years.
And so it was that, in a Brisbane nursing home, unable to recall the great things he did in the ring, Joe passed away. Bugner may not have been able to remember his career as a fine boxer at the end, but we fans sure remember. Bugner, often labelled “too cautious” and “uncommitted” by an unforgiving British press, was in fact a fast-moving, skilled fighter who was blessed with a high IQ.
The Controversial Henry Cooper Upset
It was in 1971 when Bugner arrived on the big stage, when he upset British champ and absolute hero Henry Cooper to become European, British, and Commonwealth champion. But as big as the win was for the 20-year-old Bugner, the manner in which the British fans and press turned on him – believing as ‘Our Henry’ did to his dying day that the decision should have gone to the defending champion – would go on to largely define his entire career. In short, the British fans never took to Bugner, and in his later fights with giants Muhammad Ali (whom Joe took the distance twice), Joe Frazier, and some others, the claim was that Bugner was merely happy to last the distance.
The Frazier Fight: A Career Highlight
However, this cannot truly be said of the non-title battle Bugner had with Frazier in July of 1973, as Bugner gave his all in slugging it out with the former heavyweight king, in a fight that Frazier himself readily admitted “shook me up.” This fight might have been Bugner’s finest hour.
Bugner, who fought well into advanced age, with his numerous comebacks the stuff of legend, went pro in 1967, and he boxed his final fight in 1999. Overall, Joe met six men who at one time held the world heavyweight title, and Bugner met numerous top contenders, including – Chuck Wepner (a win), Cooper, Jurgen Blin (a win that saw Joe regain the European title), Mac Foster (a win), Richard Dunn (a quick first-round KO win), Ron Lyle (a split decision loss), Earnie Shavers (a TKO loss), Marvis Frazier (L10), James Tillis (a win), David Bey (a win) and Frank Bruno (a stoppage loss in a heavily hyped all-British showdown).
A Champion’s Final Battle
Bugner retired after the 1987 loss to Bruno, who was the new British darling of the sport, but he would come back in 1995, with Joe fighting on in sporadic fashion until the summer of 1999, when he finally exited the ring after a win that took place in Australia.
Overall, Joe was 69-13-1(41) and he was stopped just four times; once in his pro debut, and twice when he was way past his best.
Joe survived a heart attack in retirement, while he also battled skin cancer in his later years. Cruelly, though, Joe could not KO dementia, with him having been diagnosed in early 2023.
We send our sincere condolences to Joe’s family and friends at this time. Joe Bugner was a heck of a fighter and a genuinely larger-than-life person.