Former heavyweight boxer Joe Bugner has died at the age of 75 in Brisbane, Australia. Born Jozsef Kreul Bugner in Szoreg, Hungary, in 1950, he and his family fled the country after the 1956 Soviet invasion and settled in the United Kingdom.
Bugner started boxing as a teenager, quickly climbing the amateur ranks. At just 17, he won the ABA light heavyweight title. He turned professional soon after and, in 1971, defeated Henry Cooper at Wembley to claim the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles.
Career Against the Best
Throughout the 1970s, Bugner ranked among the world’s top 10 heavyweights. Known for durability and technical skill, he shared the ring with legends Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Earnie Shavers, and Frank Bruno.
He fought Ali twice in 1973 and again for the world title in 1975. Although Ali’s speed and accuracy dominated, Bugner’s ability to last the distance earned him widespread respect. Later in 1973, he faced Frazier in a grueling contest, losing in the 12th round.
Comebacks and Later Career
Joe Bugner retired several times but returned repeatedly. After moving to Australia in the mid-1980s, he faced Bruno in 1987, losing in the eighth round. Nearly eight years later, he claimed the Australian heavyweight title in 1995.
At 48, he captured the World Boxing Federation heavyweight belt by beating James “Bonecrusher” Smith in 1998. He finally retired in 1999 after a victory by disqualification over Levi Billups. His final record stood at 69 wins, 13 losses, and one draw.
Life Beyond the Ring
Outside boxing, Bugner appeared in the 1994 action film Street Fighter and advised on Russell Crowe’s Cinderella Man. He later joined ITV’s I’m a Celebrity in 2009.
Tributes poured in from the boxing world. Frank Bruno called it a “sad day for boxing,” while promoter Frank Warren praised Bugner as “a great man who will be missed.”
The boxing wold will surely miss Joe Bugner Adieu, RIP
