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Heavyweight contender who fought Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier dies aged 75
Joe Bugner, who famously faced Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in back-to-back fights, has passed away aged 75.
Bugner died in a care home in Australia following a lengthy battle with dementia.
The heavyweight contender was born in Hungary, but fled the country in the late 1950s with his family and took up residence in the UK, before moving to Australia in 1986, where he would end his boxing career.
Bugner was a stalwart of British heavyweight boxing for over three decades, turning professional at only 17, but showed immense talent, grit and determination for such a young man.
He lost his professional debut but went on to produce an unbeaten run of 18 fights in less than two years, which saw him capture the imagination of the British fans.
Bugner’s first title challenge came in 1971 against the legendary Henry Cooper, who had only a few years before famously knocked down Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay, and was the British, Commonwealth and European champion.
He defeated Cooper in an intensely competitive battle and, at just 21, claimed his first titles.
In 1973, after being ranked as a top 10 heavyweight in the world, the willing Bugner entered the ring with Ali, losing a unanimous decision, but impressed Ali and his trainer Angelo Dundee so much they both declared him a future world champion.
In his very next fight, Bugner took on one of the most dangerous fighters of his generation, Joe Frazier, and put on the performance of his career to take Frazier all the way to a slim points defeat after climbing off the canvas in the 10th round.
The consensus is that only Ali and George Foreman were able to put on better performances against Frazier.
In 1975, Bugner earned his first world title shot in a rematch against Ali in Kuala Lumpur. He was defeated again and cited struggling in the tropical heat. This would be Bugner’s only world title challenge, but he would go on to fight on and off for another 20 years before retiring.
He faced the likes of Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, Frank Bruno and even Joe Frazier’s son Marvis – a testament to his longevity.
Despite never fulfilling Ali’s prophecy and climbing the top step of the heavyweight division, Bugner will be remembered for being willing to take on anyone in one of boxing's greatest eras.
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