Joe Bugner: Henry Cooper, two fights with Ali and 15 rounds in Kuala Lumpur | Ultimate Boxing Reunion

Why fans still care

JOE BUGNER fought the best heavyweights of the 1970s. He took the British, Commonwealth and European titles from Henry Cooper, went the full 12 rounds with Joe Frazier, Who’s Who number 32 and the full distance twice with Muhammad Ali, Who’s Who number 33, once with the world title at stake.

England never warmed to him after the Cooper fight. Australia did, and he became “Aussie Joe”.

Early life

He was born József Kreul Bugner on 13 March 1950 in Szőreg, a village near Szeged in southern Hungary. In 1956, after the Soviet invasion, his mother walked the children across the border into Yugoslavia. After time in refugee camps the family settled in St Ives, England.

He was a strong athlete as a boy and won a national junior discus title. In the 1967 ABA championships he lost to Billy Wells, who, according to Olympedia, beat two future British heavyweight champions, Richard Dunn and Joe Bugner, on his way to the final.

The early fights

He turned professional at 17. His debut, in December 1967, ended in a round 3 knockout loss to Paul Brown. By the time he met Henry Cooper he had won 31 of his 34 fights, with two losses and a draw.

Career chapters

1. 1967Turns professional and loses his debut to Paul Brown
2. 1971Beats Henry Cooper for the British, Commonwealth and European titles, then loses them to Jack Bodell
3. 1972Regains the European title by knocking out Jürgen Blin
4. 1973Goes the distance with Muhammad Ali, Who’s Who number 33 and Joe Frazier, Who’s Who number 32
5. 1975Challenges Ali for the WBA and WBC titles in Kuala Lumpur
6. 1976Knocks out Richard Dunn in round 1 to win back the British, Commonwealth and European titles
7. 1977Loses a split decision to Ron Lyle
8. 1982Stopped by Earnie Shavers
9. 1986Moves to Australia and beats James Tillis, David Bey and Greg Page
10. 1987Stopped by Frank Bruno at White Hart Lane
11. 1995Wins the Australian heavyweight title from Vince Cervi
12. 1998Wins the WBF heavyweight title at 48
13. 1999Wins his last fight, against Levi Billups

Henry Cooper 16 March 1971

On 16 March 1971 at the Empire Pool, Wembley, he met Henry Cooper over 15 rounds for the British, Commonwealth and European titles. The referee, Harry Gibbs, was the only scorer. He had it level after 14 rounds, and the last round decided it. Bugner won by a quarter of a point. On air, the BBC’s Harry Carpenter asked, “How can they take the man’s title away like this?” Cooper never fought again.

Bugner was 21 and a triple champion, but a large part of the British public held the result against him. “I won, but I lost everything,” he said later.

On 27 September 1971 he lost all three titles to Jack Bodell on a fairly wide points decision over 15 rounds. He won the European title back the next year by knocking out Jürgen Blin in a rematch.

Muhammad Ali 14 February 1973

On 14 February 1973 in Las Vegas he met Muhammad Ali, Who’s Who number 33 in a non title fight. He lasted the 12 rounds, and Ali won on a unanimous decision.

Joe Frazier 2 July 1973

Less than five months later, on 2 July 1973 at Earls Court in London, he fought the former world champion Joe Frazier, Who’s Who number 32. Frazier put him down in round 10. He rose at nine, came back and staggered Frazier before the bell. Frazier won on points over 12 rounds.

Ali in Kuala Lumpur 1975

In Kuala Lumpur, on 30 June 1975 by one account and 1 July by another, he challenged Ali for the WBA and WBC heavyweight titles. It was his one world title fight with a major body. He lasted all 15 rounds and lost on points.

Back on top in Britain 1976 to 1987

On 12 October 1976 he knocked out Richard Dunn in round 1, dropping him with a straight right soon after the bell, to win back the British, Commonwealth and European titles. On 20 March 1977 in Las Vegas he lost a split decision to Ron Lyle.

On 8 May 1982 Earnie Shavers stopped him in round 2, and in 1983 he lost a 10 round decision to Marvis Frazier, Frazier’s son.

In 1986 he moved to Australia, and in his comeback he beat the Americans James Tillis, David Bey and Greg Page. On 24 October 1987 he stepped in for Trevor Berbick against Frank Bruno at White Hart Lane in London, and the fight was stopped after round 8.

“Aussie Joe” 1995 to 1999

A failed vineyard investment was part of the reason for another comeback in the 1990s. In September 1995 he beat Vince Cervi for the Australian heavyweight title.

On 16 March 1996 in Berlin, at 46, he was stopped by Scott Welch at 2:48 of round 6, with Welch’s WBO Inter-Continental title at stake. “This is the end of the story,” Bugner said that night. It wasn’t.

On 4 July 1998, at 48, he won the vacant WBF heavyweight title when James “Bonecrusher” Smith could not go on with a dislocated shoulder in round 1. The WBF was a minor sanctioning body, and Boxing News calls the belt “spurious”. Bugner had his own view of the injury: “I hit him so hard that I dislocated his shoulder.” The cause is disputed.

His last fight was on 13 June 1999, when Levi Billups was disqualified in round 9.

Style, technique and the corner

How he fought

He was a big, upright heavyweight at 6 ft 4 in, known for an excellent jab and good defence. He went the distance with Ali twice and with Frazier, and got up from Frazier’s knockdown to finish strongly. When he did land big, it was with the right hand, as when a straight right finished Dunn inside a round.

The name

In England he was “The Greek God”. In Australia he became “Aussie Joe”.

Stories people still tell

1. A quarter of a point.

   The Cooper fight came down to the last round on one man’s card, and Harry Carpenter’s question on air is still remembered. “I wish I had never ruddy fought Henry Cooper,” Bugner said of it later.

2. Ali’s prediction.

   After their 1975 fight in Kuala Lumpur, Ali said, “Watch out for Bugner. He’ll be the champion a couple of years from now.”

3. A belt at 48.

   More than 30 years after his debut, he won the WBF title in Australia.

Legacy

He boxed for 32 years, from 1967 to 1999, and finished with 69 wins, 41 by knockout, 13 losses and a draw from 83 fights. He won the British and Commonwealth titles twice and the European title three times, and he shared the ring with Ali, Frazier, Lyle, Shavers and Bruno. After boxing he acted in Street Fighter (1994) and Gettin’ Square (2003), appeared on I’m a Celebrity in 2009, and published his autobiography, My Story, with Stuart Mullins in 2013. He died in 2025, aged 75.