Joe Bugner, a former heavyweight boxer who fought Muhammad Ali twice in his career, has died.
“It is with great sadness that the Former British, European Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion and World Championship contender Joe Bugner has passed away at his care home in Brisbane, Australia,” the British Boxing Board of Control confirmed on Monday.
“The British Boxing Board of Control passes on its condolences to Joe’s family.”
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Bugner was a talented boxer, but he wasn’t in the good graces of those in his native Britain after sending Henry Cooper, a boxing legend in the commonwealth, into retirement after beating him in 1971. The victory gave him the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight titles. Bugner didn’t hold on to those belts after losing them later in 1971.
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He went on to face off against Ali for the first time in 1973 when they entered the ring in a non-title fight in Las Vegas. Bugner was able to go the distance against the boxing icon, though Ali would get the win by points.
Just five months later, Bugner was in the ring against the legendary Joe Frazier, this time on home soil at Earl’s Court in London. Like the fight against Ali, Bugner was able to go the distance, but he came up short as Frazier won by points.
The most thrilling fight, though, came between Bugner and Ali in Kuala Lumpur in 1975, their second time fighting each other. In front of a packed-out crowd, Bugner and Ali went a full 15 rounds on the canvas, though the former came out as the loser by points once more.
Bugner fought for 32 years, ending his career in 1999 before relocating to Australia. He spent the final years of his life in an assisted living home after being diagnosed with dementia.
Bugner went 69-14 over his 83 fights, 41 of which ended inside the distance.
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Bugner was a Hungary-born boxer who moved to Britain as a child refugee amid the 1956 Soviet invasion.
