Joe Bugner, an excellent heavyweight during the division's golden age, has died in Brisbane, Australia at the age of seventy-five. During his career, which lasted until 1996, Joe fought Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Jimmy Ellis, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, Greg Page and James ”Bonecrusher” Smith, Joe was born in Hungary and fled with his family to Britain, following the 1956 Soviet Invasion. His mother Margaret, who'd courageously been part of the resistance movement during the war, fighting the Nazis, brought Joe, his brothers Tibby and Bill and their sisters Margaret and Elizabeth over to Great Britan. They settled in St Ives, Cambridgeshire and Joe became national discus champion. But he`d set his heart on boxing and trained at Bedford Boys Club. Joe turned pro in 1967 at the tender age of seventeen but it didn`t go smoothly. In his pro debut he was TKO`d in three rounds by Paul Brown. But he dusted himself off, avenged the loss and persevered. The big fight came when aged just twenty one in 1971, Joe fought thirty seven year old Henry Cooper for the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight title. After fifteen gruelling, give and take rounds, referee Harry Gibbs, who was the sole arbiter, gave Joe the decision by quarter of a point. It`d been a case of a fighter with the physique of a Greek God, daring to defeat a national treasure and an icon. At the time, it was one of the most controversial boxing matches in British History and its ghost lingered with Joe for the rest of his career.
One of Joe`s greatest fights was against Joe Frazier in 1973, shortly after Joe had lost the title to Big George Foreman. Bugner fought superbly and tenaciously that night but lost a close decision. The highlight of Joe`s career was when he twice fought Muhammad Ali. The first time in 1973 he went twelve rounds with The Greatest In Las Vegas. Then he fought Ali for the title two years later in the sweltering heat of Kula Lumpur, losing a fifteen round decision in sauna like conditions, which sent Ali to hospital suffering from acute dehydration.
Joe compiled a fabulous record of 69-13-1, 41 KOs. He stood six feet four inches tall and at his peak, weighed in at a sculptured two hundred and twenty five pounds. He was a superb boxer, who also possessed a KO punch.
Former WBC welterweight champion John Stracey, who often fought on the same bill as Joe and was a dear friend recalls great times with Joe. Stracey said: ”On that night of Joe`s bout against Henry Cooper, my fight was the one before his. I was second on the bill.” Stracey showered, dressed and went back to watch Bugner-Cooper from the second round onwards. Stracey said, ”I myself thought Henry won by three rounds. When the fight was over, Henry walked over to Harry Gibbs to put his hand up, But Harry moved away from him, goes to Joe who was standing in his corner with his back to him, he touched him on the back Joe turned around and Harry put his hand up. Joe then got a lot of stick for it.”
Stracey said that Joe`s two fights against Ali were brilliant performances, recalling: ”When Ali first fought Joe, Ali had been a pro for almost fourteen years and yet Joe had only been fighting as a pro for about six years. Joe did so well to competitively go the distance in both fights. I was there and watched the fight when Joe fought Ali in Las Vegas. He didn`t win but he did quite well. The bill was called: The British Are Coming. I fought Danny McAloon, John Conteh fought Terry Daniels and Joe fought Ali.”
And as a man, Stracey says Joe was genuinely marvelous and a gentleman saying: ”Joe was a wonderful, lovely man. No arguments, he wasn`t flash, he wasn`t big headed and very quiet. Joe was a sweetheart. He was one of those guys. He was certainly a great heavyweight for Great Britain. In eighty three fights, he only had thirteen losses. He fought more than five hundred rounds and that takes a lot with forty one KO victories. That`s a helluva lot!”
Boxingtalk sends its deepest sympathies the friends and family of Joe Bugner.
