For a heavyweight, reaching full maturity in the 1970s was the height of bad luck. Those years, still considered the golden age of the heavyweight division by experts, saw world-class fighters like Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman clash at the top. Among those who had to face this unfortunate fate was Joe Bugner, a British-adopted fighter with a strong physique, superb defense, and great durability. He managed to hold his own against the greatest champions, carving out a small place in the history of that glorious era. Today, on his 75th birthday, we retrace his journey from one corner of the world to another—from the real punches of boxing legends to the cinematic ones of the iconic Bud Spencer.
The Controversial Fight and Public Hatred
When young Joe and his family sought refuge in the United Kingdom to escape the chaos of the Hungarian Revolution, he was probably too young to wonder how the British would treat him in the future. At first, he was welcomed with kindness, but everything changed after the most bittersweet victory of his career: his win over local hero Henry Cooper.
Cooper, who had once come close to knocking out the great Muhammad Ali, was adored by British fans. Their 1971 clash at Wembley was a highly tactical and evenly balanced fight, but Cooper appeared to land the more telling blows. Perhaps influenced by the final round, which favored Bugner, the referee and sole judge, Harry Gibbs, declared the 21-year-old Hungarian-born fighter the winner.
Bugner raised his arms in celebration, thrilled to have become the European, British, and Commonwealth champion all at once—unaware that this victory, deemed unfair by the public, would forever cost him the affection of British boxing fans.
A Kid Standing Before the God of Boxing: Bugner vs. Ali
There’s an anecdote told by Bugner himself that highlights the naïveté with which the blond youngster approached his showdown with the crafty and experienced Muhammad Ali in Las Vegas, two years after his triumph over Cooper:
“Before our fight, Ali asked me to wink at him as soon as a journalist came near. I probably should have been suspicious. I gave him a wink, and suddenly he jumped from his chair, pointed at me, and shouted: ‘He called me nigger!’ I was in shock—I was just a kid back then and had no idea what to say. A little later, Ali came up to me and said, ‘Hey Joe Bugner, was I good?’ I told him he had made me look like a racist, and he replied, ‘That’s the idea, Joe. We’re selling tickets!’”
Perhaps it was his youthful recklessness that allowed Bugner to perform better than expected that night—especially in the early rounds when his long arms moved swiftly. He still lost, as Ali gradually adapted to his style, but he didn’t disgrace himself. In fact, his solid performance soon earned him a home-country showdown with Joe Frazier.
The War with Joe Frazier: An Incredible Tenth Round!
The fight between Bugner and Smokin’ Joe, held in Kensington, delivered plenty of thrills to the audience. Psychologically shaken by his defeat to Foreman six months earlier, Frazier started off rather tense. If Bugner had possessed more power, the punches he landed early on—while his shorter rival charged forward—might have been decisive. But that wasn’t the case, and gradually, the pre-fight favorite took control with his relentless pace. The match, seemingly headed toward an uneventful conclusion, reignited in the tenth round.
Frazier trapped Bugner in the corner and stunned him with a vicious left hook. Incredibly, however, despite Bugner being dazed and defenseless, Frazier allowed him to drop to his knee without delivering the finishing blow. After the fight, he explained:
“When I had him on the ropes and his legs were gone, I could have killed him, but Mama wouldn’t have liked that—so I stood back.”
It was an incredible act of sportsmanship that Smokin’ Joe could have paid for dearly. Shortly after the count, Bugner caught him off guard with a right hand that made his legs buckle for a moment! However, both fighters were completely exhausted by then, and the bout ended with a well-deserved victory for Frazier.
A Loss of Motivation and the “Escape” from the UK
Even though they came against formidable opponents, those two defeats took a toll on Bugner’s morale. He strung together eight consecutive wins—including victories over Italian fighters Bepi Ros, Mario Baruzzi, and Dante Cane—earning himself another shot at the world title, which had returned to Ali’s hands. However, Bugner showed little improvement. He arrived at the big fight out of shape and uninspired, losing a wide decision on the scorecards.
By this point, he was struggling with the overwhelming hostility of both the British press and the fans. “Even the Kray twins got better press than I did,” he later said, referencing the infamous London gangsters.
Bugner’s career became a cycle of temporary retirements and inconsistent comebacks. Among his ups and downs was a second-round loss due to a cut against the ferocious puncher Earnie Shavers—according to him, caused by a headbutt. Years later, Shavers admitted to Bugner that Don King had instructed him to “take him out by any means necessary”, assuring him that he wouldn’t be disqualified.
When the mutual resentment between Bugner and the British boxing community reached its peak, he relocated to Australia, where he obtained citizenship.
The Chance for Redemption: Joe Bugner vs. Frank Bruno
At 37 years old, Bugner found himself with a unique opportunity. Frank Bruno, a British heavyweight beloved by UK fans, was looking for an opponent to test himself against ahead of a possible showdown with Mike Tyson. Bugner eagerly put his name forward—after years of enduring hostility, he now had the chance to deliver the ultimate insult to British boxing fans by defeating their new golden boy right in front of them.
The fight, heavily hyped in the media, also marked the rise of promoter Barry Hearn—father of today’s boxing mogul, Eddie Hearn. Barry even tricked the public into believing there would be no live television broadcast in order to boost ticket sales, only to reverse his decision at the last moment.
However, what could have been a fairytale comeback turned into a disaster. The years and excess weight had taken too great a toll on Bugner, and Bruno dominated, winning by TKO after eight uninspiring rounds at Tottenham’s White Hart Lane.
After retiring, Bugner made use of his imposing physique to carve out a new career in film. Many will remember him in comedic roles alongside Bud Spencer, starring in movies such as They Called Him Bulldozer and I’m for the Hippopotamus.
As for his final adopted homeland, the man who was once Hungarian, then British, and finally Australian, has never left it since.