Joe Bugner, the former British, Australian, European and Commonwealth heavyweight champion who lost twice to Muhammad Ali, has died at the age of 75. Bugner, who was born in Hungary before making his name in Great Britain, had an illustrious and long career which stretched from 1967 to 1999, during which time he fought some of the biggest names in heavyweight history.
Bugner and his family fled to the UK in the late 1950s after the Soviet Union invaded Hungary and they settled in St Ives. Young Bugner excelled at sports while at school and developed a knack for fighting while training at Bedford Boys Club with coach Paul King.
Though he would go on to become one of the UK's greatest heavyweights, Bugner's professional debut didn't go to plan when he was knocked out in three rounds by Paul Brown. He would bounce back and, after avenging the loss to Brown, go on to end the careers of both Brian London and Henry Cooper. However, the victory over Cooper, a close 15-round decision for the British, European and Commonwealth titles, would be bittersweet such was the public's affection for their beloved Cooper.
Bugner would win some fans over in 1973, however, when he pushed Joe Frazier hard over 12 rounds in the former champion's first bout since losing his title to George Foreman. In the bout before losing to Frazier, Bugner went 12 rounds with another ex-champion, Muhammad Ali, in Las Vegas. In 1975, Ali and Bugner would meet again, this time with the world championship on the line, only for a lacklustre affair to play out, with Ali taking the 15-round verdict comfortably in Kuala Lumpar. Bugner would later blame the extreme temperature and humidity for his performance. A loss to Ron Lyle two years later, via split decision, spelled the end for the first stage of Bugner's career.
He would return in 1980 though a two-round shellacking dished out by the mighty hands of Earnie Shavers in 1982 seemed to have put an end to any hopes he had of fighting for the title again. Points losses to fringe contenders Marvis Frazier and Steffan Tangstad seemed to consign Bugner to gatekeeper status before he defeated James Tillis, David Bey and Greg Page in consecutive contests to see his world ranking soar.
By now based in Australia, Bugner was invited back to Britain by fledgling promoter Barry Hearn in 1987 to take on Frank Bruno - Britain's most adored heavyweight since Cooper - in a huge outdoor event at White Hart Lane, which was then soccer club Tottenham Hotspur's home. But Bugner, though wily, was steadily bludgeoned by Bruno's significant might and was stopped in the eighth round.
An unlikely comeback ensued in 1995 when he outhustled Vince Cervi over 12 in Australia to lift that nation's heavyweight title. A sixth-round reverse to Scott Welch didn't deter Bugner and he went on to post six wins - an aging Bonecrusher Smith was among the victims - before he called it day in 1996. His record reads 69-13-1 (41 KOs).
Bugner had been struggled with health issues in recent years and died at a care home in Brisbane, Australia.