Joe Bugner (Heavyweight) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Show Less Born in SzÅreg, a southeastern suburb of Szeged in southern Hungary, Bugner and his family fled after the 1956 Soviet invasion and settled in Britain. … Read More Standing at with a prime weight of around, Bugner twice held the British and British Commonwealth heavyweight titles and was a three-time European heavyweight champion. He was ranked among the world's top ten heavyweights in the 1970s, fighting such opponents as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Ron Lyle, Jimmy Ellis, Manuel Ramos, Chuck Wepner, Earnie Shavers, Henry Cooper, Brian London, Mac Foster, Rudie Lubbers, Eduardo Corletti, Jurgen Blin and George Johnson. Read Less Joe and his family fled to the United Kingdom in the late 1950s because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary in 1956 after the Hungarian Uprising of that year. … Read More They settled in the Cambridgeshire town of St Ives near the Fens, and so, as local custom dictated, he was known as a Fen Tiger.

Read Less TEENAGE 1964 14 Years Old At school Bugner excelled in sports and was the national junior discus champion in 1964. … Read More He lived and trained in Bedford during his early boxing years; he was a regular at Bedford Boys Club under the training of Paul King and attended Goldington Road School in Bedford. Read Less Show Less Bugner had a short amateur career, fighting sixteen times and winning thirteen bouts. He turned professional in 1967 (at the unusually young age of seventeen) on the advice of his then trainer and friend Andy Smith. … Read More Smith was unhappy with the choice of Bugner's opponents and believed that he could better control the quality of his opponents if Bugner turned professional. Read Less He had a losing debut against Paul Brown on 20 December 1967 at the London Hilton, where he suffered a TKO in the third round.

1968 18 Years Old Showing gritty determination, after his debut the teenage Bugner went on to win a remarkable 18 consecutive fights in under two years during 1968 and 1969 (including 13 stoppage victories) before narrowly losing to the older and vastly more experienced Dick Hall. … Read More He bounced back and rounded off the 1960s with three further stoppage victories. Read Less TWENTIES 1970 20 Years Old In 1970 Bugner emerged internationally as an outstanding young prospect, and by the end of the year he was world-rated. … Read More He won nine consecutive bouts that year, including victories over well-known boxers such as Chuck Wepner, Manuel Ramos, Johnny Prescott, Brian London, Ray Patterson, Eduardo Corletti, Miguel Angel Paez, Alberto Lovell, Charley Polite and George Johnson.<br /><br /> Bugner was now positioned to challenge world-rated Englishman Henry Cooper, who had nearly knocked out Muhammad Ali a few years previously, for Cooper's British, British Commonwealth and European titles.

However, because Bugner was still too young to fight for the British Commonwealth title (the minimum age was twenty-one years old at the time), this much anticipated bout had to be postponed until the next year. Read Less Show Less He fought for the world heavyweight championship in 1975, losing on points in a second bout with Ali. … Read More Bugner retired from boxing in 1976, but over the next two decades he made sporadic comebacks with varying success. He moved to Australia in 1986, adopting the nickname "Aussie Joe", beating fighters such as Greg Page, David Bey, Anders Eklund and James Tillis before retiring again after a TKO loss to Frank Bruno in 1987. Read Less Bugner challenged Muhammad Ali for the world championship in June 1975, the bout being held in Kuala Lumpur, with Ali winning a relatively one-sided fifteen-round decision. … Read More Bugner performed fairly well, but maintained a strictly defensive posture throughout most of this fight, perhaps due to the blistering tropical heat, and as a result he was widely scorned by the media and public.

In an interview during an April 2008 reunion with Henry Cooper, Bugner defended his tactics in the Ali fight as having been necessary due to the extreme temperature and humidity of the outside venue. Read Less 1976 26 Years Old Early in 1976, Bugner announced his retirement from boxing, stating that he no longer felt motivated to fight professionally. … Read More Within months however he returned to the ring, expressing disgust at Richard Dunn's performance against Ali and in October he blasted out Richard Dunn in the first round to reclaim the British, British Commonwealth and European championships. Onlookers state that they had never seen Bugner angry before, and that while Dunn's supporters had waged a quite unsportsmanlike campaign against Bugner, if he had fought like that in his earller career he could have gone further. Read Less 1977 27 Years Old In 1977, Bugner lost a close twelve-round decision away from home to top contender Ron Lyle. … Read More The scores were 57-53 and 56-54 for Lyle against 55-54 for Bugner.

After this bout, Bugner again retired, making only sporadic comebacks to the ring over the next decades.<br /><br /> Bugner returned to the ring for brief periods in the 1980s and 1990s, but due to the effects of age and inactivity, he was never again as effective as he had been during his prime. Read Less THIRTIES 1980 - 1982 2 More Events 1980 30 Years Old After a three-year absence from the ring, Bugner returned in May 1980, knocking out fringe contender Gilberto Acuna, before promptly retiring again. 1982 32 Years Old In 1982, a ring rusty Bugner (having had only one short fight in 5 years and weighing in some 25 lbs above his prime fighting weight) fought the hard-hitting top contender Earnie Shavers, but was stopped in the second round due to a badly cut eye. … Read More However, Bugner decided to continue his comeback, stopping the useful John Dino Denis and fringe contender Danny Sutton, as well as domestic contenders Winston Allen and Eddie Neilson.

Read Less 1983 33 Years Old In 1983, a subdued and unmotivated Bugner lost to Marvis Frazier, showing little ambition throughout the bout. … Read More He followed this with a decision over future European champion Anders Eklund and a controversial loss to future World Title challenger Steffen Tangstad. Bugner appeared to have done enough to win the Tangstad fight, however, like with the Frazier and Eklund bouts, he appeared unmotivated and uninterested throughout. Read Less 1986 36 Years Old In 1986 he moved to Australia, where he adopted the nickname Aussie Joe after taking out dual British-Australian nationality. … Read More In Australia, Bugner launched a fairly successful comeback, earning good victories over world title contenders James Tillis and David Bey and an impressive victory over former WBA heavyweight champion Greg Page, gaining a world ranking in the process, after which he spoke of challenging reigning heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. However, there was great clamour for a fight with fellow Briton Frank Bruno. The bout was touted as the biggest all-British heavyweight bout since Cooper Vs Bugner in 1971.

Read Less 1987 37 Years Old The bout took place in late 1987, and Bugner suffered an eighth-round TKO loss to the much younger and fresher world title contender for the Commonwealth championship in front of a huge crowd at White Hart Lane football stadium. … Read More Bugner promptly retired again following this defeat, only his 3rd stoppage defeat in 20 years. Read Less FORTIES Joe Bugner Former British And Commonwealth And European Heavyweight Champion And World Title Challenger To Ali Signed Promotional Photo || Boxing Memorabilia || Champs UK "THE GREATEST" MUHAMMAD ALI Joe Bugner Former British And Commonwealth And European Heavyweight Champion And World Title Challenger To Ali SIGNED Promotional Photo Joe Bugner former British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight champion and World title challenger to Muhammad Ali SIGNED, INSCRIBED "Very Best Wishes Mr Hill" and DATED 20.1.76 black & white large 8 3/4" x 5 3/4" promotional photo. Condition very good (paperclip indentation top left along with light surface creases) Price: £ SOLD Please view shipping amounts or please contact us for any other enquiries.

Shipping Amount: £ Muhammad Ali vs Joe Bugner I József Kreul "Joe" Bugner (born 13 March 1950) is a Hungarian British/Australian former heavyweight. Born in Szőreg, Hungary, Bugner and his family fled after the 1956 Soviet invasion and settled in England. During the 1970s, Bugner twice held the British and British Commonwealth heavyweight titles and he was a three time European heavyweight champion. He was a top-ranked contender during the 1970s, fighting such opponents as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Ron Lyle, Jimmy Ellis and Henry Cooper. He fought for the World heavyweight championship in 1975, losing on points in a second bout with Ali. Bugner retired in 1977 and moved to Australia. Over the next two decades he made sporadic comebacks with variable success, winning the Australian heavyweight title in 1995. At the age of 49 he won the WBF heavyweight championship. He retired in 1999 with a final record of 69-13-1, including 41 wins by knockout.

Early Years Joe and his family fled to the United Kingdom in the late 1950s because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary in 1956 after the Hungarian uprising of that year. They settled in the Cambridgeshire town of St Ives. At school Bugner excelled in sports and was the national junior discus champion in 1964. Joe lived and trained in Bedford during his early boxing years, he was a regular at Bedford Boys Club. Boxing Career - Professional Debut Bugner fought sixteen times as an amateur boxer, winning thirteen bouts. He turned professional in 1967 (at the age of seventeen) on the advice of his then trainer and friend Andy Smith. Smith was unhappy with the choice of Bugner's opponents and Smith believed that he could better control the quality of Bugner's opponents in the professional game. He had a losing debut against Paul Brown on the 20 December 1967 at the London Hilton, where he was knocked out in the third round. After his debut he went on to stop twelve of his next thirteen opponents. This included four one-round wins, and two knockouts over Brown in rematches.

In 1970 Bugner emerged internationally as an outstanding young prospect, and by the end of the year he was on the fringe of the World ratings. He won nine consecutive bouts this year, including victories over well known boxers such as Chuck Wepner, and Brian London. Bugner was now positioned to challenge World rated Englishman Henry Cooper for Cooper's British, British Commonwealth and European titles. However, because Bugner was still too young to fight for the British Commonwealth title (the minimum age was twenty-one years old at the time), this much anticipated bout had to be postponed until the next year. Starting in his early years as a professional and continuing for the rest of his career, Bugner earned a reputation as an exceptionally defensive and cautious boxer. He was criticized often for lacking natural aggression in the ring. Some observers argued that Bugner's heart was never in boxing after an early opponent, Ulric Regis, died from brain injuries soon after being outpointed by Bugner at London's Shoreditch Town Hall. Defeat Of Henry Cooper In March 1971, Bugner finally met Cooper, and defeated him by a fifteen round decision.

This bout was very closely contested, and the outcome remains one of the most controversial decisions in British boxing history. There were no judges and the fight was scored by the referee, Harry Gibbs. Bugner won by ¼ point. The British sporting public and press were deeply divided as to which boxer deserved the verdict. Nonetheless, Bugner was now the British, British Commonwealth, and European champion, and for the first time he was ranked among the World's top ten heavyweights. Bugner would remain in the World ratings for most of the rest of the decade. Later in 1971, Bugner lost decisions to underdogs Jack Bodell and Larry Middleton. The Bodell fight was particularly costly, depriving Bugner of his British, British Commonwealth and European championships. Bugner's relative inexperience (his youth and lack of an extensive amateur background) was the chief cause of these defeats. In 1972 Bugner won eight consecutive fights, including a knockout over Jurgen Blin for the European championship. By the end of this year Bugner had acquired sufficient seasoning as a boxer that his manager began seeking matches against the World's very best heavyweights.

Prime Years In 1973 Bugner lost twelve round decisions to Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Although the scorecards in these fights were lopsided, Bugner fought well in both bouts and he won the respect of the boxing media and public alike. After their bout, Ali declared that Bugner was capable of being World champion. The fight with Smokin' Joe in July 1973 at Earls Court in London was deemed a classic. After being knocked down by a tremendous left hook in the tenth round, Bugner arose and hurt Frazier to close the round. Many regard the Frazier bout as being Bugner's best career performance. After the Ali and Frazier fights, Bugner won eight matches in a row, his most notable victories being over Jimmy Ellis, Mac Foster, and Jose Luis Garcia. By the end of 1974 Bugner was rated among the top five heavyweight contenders in the World. Bugner challenged Muhammad Ali for the World championship in June 1975, the bout being held in Kuala Lumpur. This fight has been described as one of the most boring championship bouts of all time, with Ali winning a one-sided 15 round decision.

Bugner maintained a strictly defensive posture throughout this fight, and as a result he was widely scorned by the media and public. In an interview during an April 2008 reunion with Henry Cooper, Bugner defended his tactics in the Ali fight as having been necessary due to the extreme temperature and humidity of the outside venue. Nevertheless, Bugner had fought 27 rounds against arguably the greatest boxer in history without having ever being seriously troubled. Early in 1976, Bugner announced his retirement from boxing, stating that he no longer felt motivated to fight professionally. Within months however he returned to the ring, and in October he knocked out Richard Dunn to reclaim the British, British Commonwealth, and European championships. In 1977, Bugner lost a close 12 round decision to top contender Ron Lyle. After this bout, Bugner again retired, making only sporadic comebacks to the ring over the next decades. Comebacks Bugner returned to the ring for brief periods in the '80s and '90s, but due to the effects of age and inactivity, he was never again as effective as he had been during his prime.

In 1982, Bugner lost by technical knockout to Earnie Shavers. He also lost a decision to Joe Frazier's son Marvis Frazier two years later. In 1986 he moved to Australia, where he acquired the name Aussie Joe Bugner. In Australia, Bugner launched a moderately successful comeback, winning victories over James Tillis, David Bey, and Greg Page. In 1987 however he was stopped in the eighth round in London by Frank Bruno for the Commonwealth championship. Bugner won the Australian heavyweight title in 1996 by a points victory over Vince Cervi. He won the lightly regarded 'WBF' version of the heavyweight crown in 1998, by defeating James "Bonecrusher" Smith. At the age of 49 years and a 110 days, it made him the oldest ever boxer to hold a World championship belt. Fight Record His record for 83 professional fights is 69 wins (41 on knockouts), 13 Losses and 1 Draw. He last fought in June 1999 beating Levi Billups, who was disqualified for low blows.

In an interview in 2004, Bugner said that the hardest puncher he had ever faced was Earnie Shavers and the biggest beating he took was from Ron Lyle. Life Outside Of Boxing On his move to Australia, Bugner and his wife Marlene opened a vineyard. It failed in 1989, and he estimated to having lost some one and a half million Australian dollars. He now lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Bugner has started to carve a career in the film industry, working with Bud Spencer in his movies in the eighties. He was the expert adviser on the Russell Crowe film, Cinderella Man, which was a film about the heavyweight boxer James J. Braddock. Bugner was dropped part way through the project, which prompted him to call Crowe, "a gutless worm and fucking girl". Joe suffers from a serious back injury which sustained from training for fights in his middle years. He also has financial problems. It was these financial problems which forced him back into the ring at such advanced age. A benefit was held for Joe in 2008 by Kevin Lueshing.

Joe Bugner | Top 10 British heavyweight boxers of all time - Boxing Boxing 6. Joe Bugner (Record 83 fights, wins 69, wins by KO 43, Losses 13, Draws 1) József Kreul "Joe" Bugner was Hungarian-born but became a naturalized citizen of both Australia and the United Kingdom. Bugner and his family fled to Britain after the 1956 Soviet invasion and settled in England. Standing at 6ft 4ins tall, and weighing 220lbs, Bugner twice held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles and was a three-time European heavyweight champion. Defeated Henry Cooper, who retired afterwards. Ranked among the world's top 10 heavyweights in the 1970s, he fought greats such as Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. He fought for the world heavyweight championship in 1975, losing on points in a second bout with Ali.

Credit: GETTY IMAGES The Top 10 British Heavyweights of All Time | Bleacher Report The Top 10 British Heavyweights of All Time Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Associated Press It is possible that not all these three men feature on the list. 12.9K 11 Comments For many years, British heavyweights suffered a dismal reputation and were the butt of jokes in America, the country which ruled the division for most of the 20th century. In more recent years, Europe has seen a great revival in its heavyweight fortunes, and Britain has had its role in that. The poster boy for the low American perception of Brits was "Phaintin" Phil Scott, a 1920s heavy who was famed for hitting the canvas at the slightest foul and who once won three of four back-to-back fights by disqualification. Scott made it to a de facto world-title eliminator against Jack Sharkey in Miami, but after neither the referee, nor the commission, would uphold his claims about being fouled in Round 3, his record registers a third-round stoppage loss.

This came on the back of failures by earlier British champions "Bombardier" Billy Wells and Joe Beckett, who share the distinction of being knocked out in the first round of European title challenges against Georges Carpentier. At our lowest ebb, a Dorothy Parker witticism was twisted against our big men: “If all the British heavyweights in history were laid out end to end, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.” However, over the years Britain has had its fair share of European champions, if perhaps its world-title challengers have been more from the brave loser column than the glorious victor one. Whilst it is probably an exercise in futility to try to compare fighters from different eras in a pseudo-scientific fashion, here is an impressionistic selection of the best-ever British heavyweights. Associated Press Jack Petersen versus Jock McAvoy Welshman Jack Petersen never beat a top overseas fighter and retired at the age of 25 due to eye problems after a third defeat to German contender Walter Neusel. In terms of career-best wins, he is edged out by late-1950s stalwarts Brian London and Dick Richardson, as well as Brian’s father Jack London.

Nonetheless, amongst a host of nearly men, Petersen’s phenomenal early success and drawing power mark him out as something special. The early 1930s was a boom time for British boxing, when, for the first time, fights hit outdoor stadia in a big way. As British heavyweight champion from the age of 20, first between 1932-33 and then 1934-36, Petersen was right at the vanguard of it. He is arguably the biggest box-office draw in British boxing history, attracting crowds north of 50,000 on six occasions, first in his native Cardiff and later in London. Petersen’s defining rivalry was against Len Harvey, who outpointed him in 1933 to relieve him of the British title. Petersen won the rematch the next year by 12th round TKO in front of a British-record attendance of 90,000 at White City Stadium, and then took the rubber match in 1936.

The spoils from that trilogy, as well as wins over top light-heavyweight Jock McAvoy and Canadian champion Larry Gains, mark Petersen out as the top Brit from his short era. At his peak at the end of 1934, he was the seventh-ranked contender by Ring Magazine. Although perhaps better suited to the light-heavyweight division, Petersen chased the biggest fighters for the biggest fights and turned the British heavyweight scene into an attraction like never before. Sidney Smart/Associated Press Don Cockell wearing enough layers that you can't question his conditioning. It is a frequent complaint of the recent heavyweight scene that there are fighters who prosper without even being in proper shape—world title challengers Chris Arreola, Dereck Chisora and Eddie Chambers spring to mind. London-born British champion Don Cockell fell victim to the same jibes back in 1955 when he crossed the pond to challenge world titleholder Rocky Marciano. Cockell had gone from 175 pounds as a light heavyweight to as much as 210 pounds.

In that presentation, Cockell didn’t have the idealized physique of a pro sportsman but always insisted that his weight gain was due to a medical condition , not gluttony. That didn't stop the American press from coining a whole host of unkind nicknames when he arrived stateside—Dumpling Don, the Glandular Globe and the Battersea Butterball being only the choicest. Having previously lost his British light-heavyweight title to the undersized ring legend Randolph Turpin, Cockell enjoyed surprising success in the top division, beating an aged Tommy Farr before picking up the British title against Johnny Williams. Cockell’s biggest scalp was the Bronx fighter Roland LaStarza, whom he outpointed over 10 rounds at Earl’s Court in 1954. LaStarza had just pushed the champion Marciano close enough to win fight of the year awards and Cockell was then moved preposterously high up the Ring rankings—ending the year as the No. 2 contender . Cockell was given no chance at all against Marciano, and admittedly, he never looked in danger of springing the upset over nine gruelling rounds.

However, from the British perspective, the perceived constant fouling by The Rock, which included low blows, shots after the bell, and punches thrown when Cockell was down, made Cockell into a heroic loser . Unfortunately, he would never truly recover from the onslaught and retired the next year aged 27. 8. David Haye Tom Hevezi/Associated Press With only 47 rounds of heavyweight boxing to his name, you could argue David Haye is lucky to make the cut. On the other hand, on a head-to-head basis, he might be the favourite to beat as many as eight of the other nine. What Haye has in his favour is two wins over top-10 heavyweights: his tedious decision against Nikolai Valuev, and his career-best fifth-round TKO finish against Dereck Chisora. Haye is one of the most naturally gifted British boxers of all time, with great speed and power his principal advantages. His exciting run in the cruiserweight division is arguably second only to Evander Holyfield. At heavyweight, Haye proved extremely selective in choosing his opposition and, doubting his ability to absorb big shots, was much more cautious in the ring.

Against Valuev and Wladimir Klitschko, this resulted in tentative action over 24 uneventful rounds. Haye will be remembered for his disappointing showing against Klitschko, where he seemed to settle for a respectable points defeat rather than go all out for a victory. Perhaps he thought he would live to fight another day, but his recent injury troubles may nix the chance of a rematch. It would be a great shame if Haye is unable to fight again because his last performance against Chisora showed that he had the potential to be a truly great heavyweight. Chisora had never been stopped and had gone the distance with Vitali Klitschko, but Haye picked him apart with irresistible power and the best combination work seen by a heavyweight in some time. Looking back, Haye was the best heavyweight in the world not named Klitschko for a number of years, albeit in a weak era. However, he didn’t simply take on enough real challenges to consolidate his standing on the all-time lists. Leslie Priest/Associated Press Bruce Woodcock wins the British title, July 1945.

In July 1945, just two months after VE Day, Doncaster-born Bruce Woodcock challenged the experienced champion Jack London for the British heavyweight title. He ushered in a new era on the domestic scene with a shocking sixth-round KO—London had not been stopped for 11 years. Woodcock was thrown into the deep end the next year at the Mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden. His big-punching opponent, Tami Mauriello, was coming off the back of 10 straight stoppage wins, and Woodcock became No. 11 in the fifth round. To this day there are those who criticise the handling of Woodcock and wonder if he could have gone further with more careful management through the ranks. Nonetheless, he was able to bounce back from the Mauriello fight, beating perennial contender Gus Lesnevich in one of a string of fights at Harringay Arena. A brutal seven-round loss to American Joe Baksi was soon evened out by a DQ win over Lee Savold before Woodcock’s true night of glory at White City Stadium.

British world light heavyweight champion Freddie Mills, then at the peak of his powers, challenged Woodcock for the British title in front of 46,000 people. Woodcock made his size advantage tell in the end, winning by stoppage in Round 14. Woodcock’s promoter then tried to bill his next bout, a rematch with Savold, as a vacant world heavyweight title clash, but few were sold on the idea . Woodcock lost because of a bad cut, and legend has it, he was already essentially blind in one eye. He would only fight once more. Although he never managed to put a run of wins together at world level, Woodcock’s good jab and dogged determination had him in Ring’s top 10 heavies for 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1949, peaking at No. 4 in 1946. John Gichigi/Getty Images Fourth-time lucky for Big Frank at Wembley Stadium. Frank Bruno won his world title at the fourth attempt—a luxury that would never have been afforded his predecessors in simpler and less forgiving times.

Whilst it is possible to argue that Bruno was a paper champ, the man he beat for the coveted WBC strap, Oliver McCall, had won it legitimately against Lennox Lewis, and at a time when Lewis was probably the most avoided man in the division. Certainly Bruno’s WBC reign was a lot more legitimate than David Haye’s WBA tilt, because there was genuine ambiguity at the time as to who was the top dog. Bruno also stayed at the top longer than those below him on the list—the count runs to 11 years between the win against Lucien Rodriguez, which announced him on the world stage in 1985, and his last fight against Mike Tyson. Although Bruno offered little resistance against Tyson, whom he fought twice, he did put up a good showing against Lewis in 1993, giving the future undisputed champion one of his toughest evenings. Bruno also won the European title against Anders Eklund and has a first-round stoppage win over the usually competitive South African Gerrie Coetzee. He ended his career with 38 KOs across 40 wins, a testament to his natural power and some canny matchmaking.

Outside of the ring, Bruno’s affable personality and willingness to send himself up on Comic Relief and in pantomime helped make him into a true household name. Although poor stamina dogged Bruno and played a part in losses to world-class Americans Tim Witherspoon and James "Bonecrusher" Smith, he dug in late on against McCall to clinch a famous and popular victory in front of an ecstatic crowd at Wembley Stadium. Associated Press/Associated Press Tommy Farr (right) dines with Joe Louis years after their exciting matchup. Like Don Cockell 18 years later, Farr earned great respect in a losing effort for the world heavyweight title. Unlike Cockell, Farr went the 15-round distance in his 1937 challenge to Joe Louis, and some of his most blinkered supporters even thought he had a case to have beaten the fabled champion. Wales has a notably rich history in the heavyweight division—along with Jack Petersen, there is British champion Joe Erskine and European champion Dick Richardson. But it is Farr, "the Tonypandy Terror," who tops that list. After a spectacular third-round KO win over able German Walter Neusel, Farr had five straight fights in the US.

It is arguably the toughest run of fights ever taken on by a British heavyweight, starting with Louis, and also including former champions Jim Braddock and Max Baer (whom he had previously beaten on British soil). Farr was the very model of the plucky British loser—he actually lost all five of those fights, although he was probably unlucky to drop a split decision to Braddock. Back in Britain he immediately beat one of those five, Red Burman, in a rematch. But it is his dance with Louis that will cast his name into eternity. Farr went a long way to restoring the reputation of British heavyweights with his unrelenting effort. He took a lot of punishment from a ferocious puncher to go the distance, but he had surprising amounts of success and won at least five of the 15 rounds despite bad cuts around his eyes. It is a testament to Farr’s indefatigability that Louis, many people’s pick as the greatest-ever heavy, had won eight of his previous nine by stoppage and would complete a sweep of stoppages in the next seven that followed. It is estimated that as many as 10 million listened to Louis-Farr on radio in the UK and Prof.

Peter Stead, co-author of Wales and Its Boxers, has said , “You could argue that Tommy's fight against Louis was the first sporting media event on a Wales-wide basis.” Anonymous/Associated Press Joe Bugner alongside two-time opponent Muhammad Ali. Three of the top four here can be questioned on grounds of nationality. Joe Bugner was born in Hungary and in his twilight years competed as "Aussie Joe," having relocated to Queensland. All the same, he debuted in the UK in 1967 and was based here through his prime until 1977. Bugner is another British heavy who is strangely more notable for good losses than good wins—he went the distance with Joe Frazier and twice with Muhammad Ali, including a 1975 world title fight in Malaysia. Bugner, like Haye, was criticised for negative tactics on the biggest night of his life. Whilst Haye immediately blamed a bad toe, Bugner went for the tropical climate of Kuala Lumpur, arguing it was too hot and humid to fight in a more energetic fashion. Many fans viewed Bugner as a frustrating figure and his pragmatism jarred with romantic conceptions of the fight game.

Bugner himself believed he was unpopular because he finished the career of fan favourite Henry Cooper, as recorded in Stephen Brunt's Facing Ali , “I was never forgiven for that. I took out Old Henry.” The 15-round decision win over Cooper was one of Bugner’s eight wins in European title fights, a record for a British heavyweight. He was the dominant European fighter in one of the richest eras of heavyweight boxing, as underlined by his first-round KO win over British champion Richard Dunn in 1976. His peak in the global standings came at the end of 1974, when he was ranked as the Ring Magazine's fifth contender in the world , behind champion Ali, George Foreman, Frazier, Ron Lyle and Oscar Bonavena. Standing 6’4” with a long reach, Bugner was an impressive physical specimen who would dwarf many of his predecessors on the list. Although he never quite put it together for a signature performance, his longevity and ability to keep it competitive against all-time greats merits his strong showing.

Frank Tewkesbury/Associated Press Henry Cooper, Floyd Patterson and Billy Walker Henry Cooper will always be first remembered for his 1963 fight with Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay), when he came within a whisker of stopping the world’s most revered fighter before he’d really got started. Cooper felled Clay with his famous left hook—"Enry’s ‘Ammer"—near the end of the fourth round. Clay was saved by the bell, and what happened next remains a topic of controversy, with accusations that Clay’s trainer Angelo Dundee used illegal smelling salts in his corner and caused a delay by tearing one of his fighter’s gloves . Ultimately Clay recovered and would prevail because Cooper fell victim to severe cuts to the face, a problem that would resurface in their rematch three years later, that time with the world title at stake. Cooper was heavily criticised by Bugner for always losing when he stepped much above British level, and there is some truth to this. Apart from a win over Zora Folley in 1958 (which was later avenged), he struggled in losses to top Americans, such as Amos Johnson and former world champion Floyd Patterson.

However, it was on the domestic scene that Cooper earned his spurs. The UK talent pool was extremely deep in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and Cooper ultimately emerged from the pack as the numero uno. Cooper won three from five against Joe Erskine, twice stopped Dick Richardson in five, beat world-title challenger Brian London three times and rounded off his domestic run with wins over the golden-boy Billy Walker and future British champion Jack Bodell. In prevailing from this tricky domestic battleground, Cooper gained almost unprecedented popularity, winning Sports Personality of the Year twice and eventually being knighted Sir Henry in 2000. Associated Press Fitzsimmons (left) versus James J. Corbett in 1897. Bob Fitzsimmons never actually fought in the UK—he was born in Cornwall in 1863 before moving to New Zealand as a child, and then he turned pro in Australia, while his career highlights took place in the US, where he became a citizen. Even so, Fitzsimmons is traditionally considered a UK fighter, so here he is.

This is before the question as to whether Fitzsimmons was really a heavyweight at all, as he never weighed more than 175 pounds during a career in which he held the world middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight championships. Because of those achievements, Fitzsimmons would rank highest out of anyone on this list in pound-for-pound terms, but his short reign as heavyweight champion keeps him off the top spot. Fitzsimmons won the heavyweight title in 1897, becoming only the third man to hold it in the modern era. He conquered champion James J. Corbett by 14th round KO, despite being outweighed by perhaps 15 pounds. When Fitzsimmons lost the title to James J. Jeffries two year later, he was outweighed by as much as 39 pounds, a startling fact which underlined his bravery and audacity at competing in the top division at all, let alone succeeding. It would be the equivalent of putting Carl Froch in with David Haye today. Fitzsimmons remains the lightest man to hold the heavyweight title, a record that could not be broken today due to sanctioning rules.

In his later years he would square off against and lose to future world champion Jack Johnson, again at a huge size disadvantage. Such was "Ruby" Robert’s power that Ring Magazine once ranked him as the eighth greatest puncher of all time , across all divisions. John Gichigi/Getty Images Undisputed Champion: no man has held all those belts together since Lewis retired. After Bob Fitzsimmons, it would take exactly 100 years for the next undisputed British world-heavyweight champion. That man, Lennox Lewis, would ultimately eclipse Fitzsimmons’ achievements in the top division, aided by an extra five-and-a-half inches of height and 75 pounds of weight at 6’5” and 245 pounds. Lewis was born in London before moving to Canada aged 12, the country for which he’d win Olympic gold in 1988. Lewis returned to the UK when he turned professional and went on to win both the British and European heavyweight titles. No heavyweight before Lewis’ era had combined such a large frame with first-class balance, power and athleticism, and he ushered in the super-heavyweight era which the Klitschko brothers have continued.

Because of this unusual combination of attributes, Lewis lines up well against pretty much any heavyweight in history. The leading American heavyweights of the 1990s: Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe were less than eager to face Lewis, who was thought to entail more risk than the financial rewards he could bring to the table. Bowe in particular outright refused to face Lewis and was stripped of the WBC title. Lewis’ career then hit a major setback when he was shockingly stopped in the second round by Oliver McCall in 1994. Lewis beat McCall in a rematch three years later (as he would his only other conqueror, Hasim Rahman, in 2001) but had to wait until 1999 for his first big shot against Evander Holyfield. After a hotly debated draw, Lewis beat Holyfield on points at the second attempt before cleaning out the division, the most high-profile fight being the overcooked showdown with Mike Tyson–a fight Lewis won by eighth-round stoppage.

Lewis ultimately reigned for four years as heavyweight champion, beating Vitali Klitschko by cuts-related stoppage in his last fight, but he could surely have beaten Holyfield at an earlier date were it not for the politics that surround the sport. Unlike quite a few names on this list, Lewis has avoided an ill-advised comeback, despite the huge sums potentially on offer. Joe Bugner - BoxRec Joe Bugner Birth Name: József Kreul Bugner Born: 1950-03-13 Hometown: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia Stance: Orthodox Joe Bugner Image Gallery Joe Bugner came to Britain as a child refugee fleeing the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956. Before embarking on his boxing career Bugner was a talented athelete and was a junior AAA discus champion. Initially he started training at his local youth club to get fit for athletics and was encouraged to box competitively by the trainer, Andy Smith . After a few amateur fights Bugner turned professional at the age of 17 and at the age of 21 he won the British, European and Commonwealth heavyweight titles.

In 1975 Bugner challenged Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title, but lost on points. He had previously gone the distance with both Ali and Joe Frazier two years before that. Bugner also fought many other top fighters - including Jimmy Ellis , Ron Lyle , Earnie Shavers , Greg Page and James Bonecrusher Smith - in a career which was littered with retirements, comebacks and, arguably, he never fulfiled his true potential. Notably, Bugner spent the latter part of his boxing career in Australia. Known as 'Aussie Joe', Bugner managed to win the WBF title at the age of 48. In a colourful life has also lived in the USA, had an acting career, many business interests and worked as a TV commentator and presenter. Bugner was never really popular in Britain - some say this was due to his controversial win over Henry Cooper in Cooper's last fight, some say it was because he was often frustrating to watch and frequently overly defensive - but achieved celebrity status Down Under after leaving the UK. Bugner's son J.A. Bugner also fought as a professional.

Henry Cooper Vs Joe Bugner Official Onsite Pennant From Their British And Commonwealth And European Heavyweight Title Fight || Boxing Memorabilia || Champs UK "THE GREATEST" MUHAMMAD ALI Henry Cooper vs Joe Bugner Official Onsite Pennant From Their British And Commonwealth And European Heavyweight Title Fight Henry Cooper vs Joe Bugner official on-site black & gold pennant from their British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight championship fight, 16th March 1971, Empire Pool, Wembley, London. Measuring 8 1/2" x 6". Condition excellent Bugner W pts over 15 rounds In March 1971, Bugner finally met veteran Cooper, and won a fifteen-round decision. This outcome was hugely contested, and the outcome remains one of the most controversial decisions in British boxing history. There were no judges and the fight was scored by the referee alone, Harry Gibbs. Bugner won by ¼ point. The British sporting public and press deeply hated the verdict. Cooper had carried the fight as aggressor throughout in a fine performance whilst Bugner defended and countered. A classic boxing dilemma.

Bugner was aware it set him off as well unpopular with British fight fans from the start whilst Cooper retired in a mass of sympathy. Nonetheless, Bugner was now the British, Commonwealth, and European champion, and for the first time he was ranked among the world's top ten heavyweights. Bugner would remain in the world ratings for most of the rest of the decade Post Fight Comments * "I don't want to see Henry knocked about. He is right to retire. But this was a diabolical decision." -Jim Wicks, Cooper's manager. * "I thought I won all right. But Cooper is a great boxer and I learned alot from the fight." -Joe Bugner * "If I had won I would probably have gone on. But the referee's decision went against me and there is no point in continuing." -Henry Cooper Price: £ SOLD Please view shipping amounts or please contact us for any other enquiries.

Shipping Amount: £ Henry Cooper vs Joe Bugner - Rounds 13, 14 & 15 Sir Henry Cooper OBE KSG (3 May 1934 – 1 May 2011) was an English heavyweight known for the effectiveness of his left hook, "Enry's 'Ammer", and his knockdown of the young Muhammad Ali. Cooper held the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight titles several times throughout his career, and unsuccessfully challenged Ali for the World heavyweight championship in 1966. Following his retirement from the sport, Cooper continued his career as a television and radio personality and was enormously popular in Britain: he was the first (and is today one of just three people) to twice win the public vote for BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award and is thus far the only boxer to be awarded a knighthood. Biography Cooper was born in Lambeth, London to Henry and Lily Cooper. He, his identical twin brother, George (1934–2010), and elder brother Bern grew up in a council house on the Bellingham Estate on Farmstead Road, South East London. During the Second World War they were evacuated to Lancing on the Sussex coast.

Around 1942, their father, Henry Senior, was called up to serve in the war; the rest of the family did not see him again for almost three years. The twins attended Athelney Road School in Lewisham. The Cooper brothers were particularly close growing up and, in his biography, Henry talks of how they came to each other's aid when things turned nasty in the school playground. One particular incident landed the young Henry his first knockout in the playground. At school, the only subject that seemed to interest Henry was history, where he enjoyed acting out scenarios. Life was tough in the latter years of the Second World War, and London life especially brought many dangers during the blackout. Henry took up many jobs, including a paper round before school and made money out of recycling golf balls to the clubhouse on the Beckenham course. All three of the Cooper brothers excelled in sport, with George and Henry exercising talents particularly in football and also cricket. George Cooper, Henry's twin, who boxed as Jim Cooper, died on 11 April 2010 at the age of 75. Henry Cooper served his National Service in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps where he was recruited for his boxing ability.

Although Cooper is best known for knocking down Muhammad Ali, he defeated a string of well known heavyweights during his career, including; Zora Folley, Roy Harris, Karl Mildenberger, Alex Miteff, Wayne Bethea, Brian London, Joe Erskine, Jose Manuel Urtain, Piero Tomasoni, Dick Wipperman, Dick Richardson, Billy Walker, Tony Hughes, Jack Bodell, Jefferson Davis and Gawie De Clerk. Cooper died on 1 May 2011 at his son's house in Oxted, Surrey, after a long illness, 2 days before his 77th birthday. Boxing Career - Style Although Cooper was left-handed, he used the "orthodox" stance, with his left hand and foot forward, rather than the reversed "southpaw" stance more usually adopted by a left-handed boxer. He relied on an exceptionally powerful left hook and a formidable jab for offence, being able to effectively combine the two to 'hook off the jab'. He generally tried to force the action in his bouts, a crowd pleasing style which won him many supporters.

After developing a left shoulder problem in the latter half of his career Cooper adjusted to put more stress on right-handed punches which he had hitherto neglected. Early Bouts Cooper was often regarded as the most popular of all English boxers and was affectionately known in the UK as: "Our 'Enery". He started his boxing career in 1949 as an amateur with the Eltham Amateur Boxing Club, and won seventy-three of eighty-four contests. At the age of seventeen, he won the first of two ABA light-heavyweight titles and before serving in the Army for his two years' National Service represented Britain in the 1952 Olympics (outpointed in the second stage by Russian Anatoli Petrov). Henry and his twin brother, George (boxing under the name Jim Cooper) turned professional together under the caring management of Jim Wicks, who was one of boxing's great characters and nicknamed 'The Bishop' because of his benign nature. He would never allow one of his boxers into the ring if he felt he was over-matched.

He famously said when promoters were trying to match Henry with Sonny Liston: "I would not allow 'Enery into the same room as him, let alone the same ring." Henry was at one time the British, European and Commonwealth heavyweight champion. His early title challenges were unsuccessful, losing to Joe Bygraves for the Commonwealth belt (KO 9), Ingemar Johansson for the European belt (KO 5) and Joe Erskine (PTS 15) for the British and Commonwealth. He then won on points over highly rated contender Zora Folley and took the British and Commonwealth belts from new champion Brian London in a 15 round decision in January 1959. The winner of the fight was pencilled in to get a shot at Floyd Patterson's heavyweight title, but Cooper turned down the chance and London fought and lost against Patterson in May 1959.

Cooper continued to defend his British and Commonwealth belts against all comers, including Dick Richardson (KO 5), Joe Erskine (TKO 5 and TKO 12), Johnny Prescott (TKO 10), and Brian London again (PTS 15), although he suffered a setback when losing a rematch with Folley by a second round KO." Muhammad Ali Cooper twice fought Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), firstly in a non-title fight in 1963 at Wembley Stadium. Cooper did not have a trainer at that time and his own regime led to his losing weight; he later averred that lead was inserted in his boots for the weigh-in and estimated his true weight to have been 12 stone 12 lb (81 kg), making him 27 pounds lighter than Clay. Commentator Harry Carpenter remarked during the introductions on the difference in size between the boxers. Clay's mobility, fast reflexes, height and unorthodox defensive tactic of pulling back from punches made him a frustratingly elusive opponent; some of Cooper's work during the contest has been described as 'very near the knuckle' with Clay later complaining of being repeatedly hit on the break.

In the dying seconds of the fourth round, Cooper felled Clay with an upward angled version of his trademark left hook, "Enry's 'Ammer". Unfortunately for Cooper, his opponent's armpit caught in the ropes going down, which prevented his head from striking the canvas covered boards which made up the floor of the ring (something which could easily have knocked him unconscious). Clay stood up and started slowly towards Angelo Dundee who - in violation of the rules - guided him into the corner. At first Dundee talked and slapped Clay's legs, but after a still-dazed Clay misunderstood and tried to get off the stool Dundee used smelling salts in a serious violation of the rules. Dundee has since claimed to have opened a small tear in one of Clay's gloves and told the referee that his fighter needed a new pair of gloves, thus delaying the start of the 5th round. Cooper has always insisted that this delay lasted anywhere from 3–5 minutes and denied him the chance to try to knock Clay out while he was still dazed. In tapes of the fight it seems Clay received only an extra six seconds (although there are still doubters who think a longer delay was edited out) and the gloves were not replaced.

Cooper started the 5th round aggressively, attempting to make good his advantage, but a recovered Clay effectively countered and Cooper was hit high on the face with a hard right which opened a severe cut under his eye; referee Tommy Little was forced to stop the fight in the American's favour although Cooper was ahead on the scorecards. After this fight, a spare pair of gloves was always required at ringside. What is certain, however, is that Dundee held smelling salts under Clay's nose in an effort to revive his man, which was illegal. Clay was obviously impressed by the knockdown and on the 40th anniversary of the fight telephoned Cooper to reminisce. Clay, who had changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964, later said on British television that Cooper "had hit him so hard that his ancestors in Africa felt it". In 1966 Cooper fought Ali, now World heavyweight champion, for a second time at Highbury. However Ali was now alert to the danger posed by Cooper's left and more cautious than he had been in the previous contest; he held Cooper in a vice-like grip during clinches, and when told to break leapt backward several feet.

Accumulated scar tissue around Cooper's eyes made him more vulnerable than in the previous meeting and a serious cut was opened by Ali, which led to the fight being stopped, Cooper again suffering a technical knockout when he was ahead on the scorecards. Last Fights After the loss to Ali, Cooper fought former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, losing by a fourth round knockout. After that he went undefeated until the final fight of his career, and made more defences of his British and Commonwealth titles against Jack Bodell (TKO 2 and PTS 15) and Billy Walker (TKO 6). In 1968 Cooper added the European crown to his domestic titles with a win over Karl Mildenberger, and later made two successful defences of his title. In his last fight, in May 1971, a 36 year old Cooper faced 21 year old Joe Bugner, one of the biggest heavyweights in the World, for the British, European and Commonwealth belts. Referee Harry Gibbs awarded the fight to Bugner by the narrowest of margins, a quarter of a point.

An audience mainly composed of Cooper fans did not appreciate the innately cautious Bugner and the decision was booed with commentator Harry Carpenter asking, "How can they take away the man's titles like this?". Cooper announced his retirement shortly afterwards. For years after the fight Cooper refused to speak to Gibbs, but eventually agreed to shake his hand for charity six months before Gibbs died. Opinion On Modern Boxers In Cooper's later years, he retired from commentary on the sport as he became "disillusioned with boxing", wanting "straight, hard and fast boxing that he was used to from his times." While acknowledging that he was from a different era and would not be fighting as a heavyweight today, Cooper was nonetheless critical of the trend for heavyweights to bulk up as he thought it made for one-paced and less entertaining contests. In his final year, he said plainly that he did not "think boxing is as good as it was", naming Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan as "the best of their era", but asserting that "if you match them up with the champions of thirty or forty years ago I don't think they're as good".

Life Outside Boxing After his retirement from boxing Henry Cooper maintained a high public profile with appearances in the BBC quiz show A Question of Sport and various advertisements, most famously in those for Brut aftershave, which have been credited with removing a lingering suspicion among the British that men who wore cologne were effeminate. Although generally a traditionalist, Cooper abhorred racism; his grandfather was an Irish immigrant and Cooper became the first celebrity sponsor of the Anti-Nazi League, a largely left-wing campaign against far-right groups which were agitating against immigration. He was also active in charity events. He appeared as boxer John Gully in the 1975 film Royal Flash and in his latter years featured in a series of UK public service announcements urging vulnerable groups to go to their doctor for vaccination against influenza called Get your Jab in First! Cooper had become a 'name' at Lloyd's of London, a supposedly 'blue chip' investment, but in the 1990s he was reportedly one of those who suffered enormous personal losses because of the unlimited liability which a 'name' was then responsible for, and he was forced to sell his hard won Lonsdale belts.

Subsequently, Cooper's enduring popularity as an after dinner speaker provided a source of income and he was in most respects a picture of contentment until the death of his wife. Considering his long career, Henry Cooper had suffered relatively little boxing-related damage to his health. Apart from "a bit of arthritis", his only problem had been damage to a knee because of running several miles a day in plimsolls in the days before trainers became available. Cooper remained an imposing figure into his seventies, in the words of one journalist, "the living manifestation of an age of tuxedos in ringside seats, Harry Carpenter commentaries, sponge buckets and 'seconds out'". He lived in Hildenborough, Kent, and he was the president of Nizels Golf Club in the town until his death. Cooper was married to Albina Genepri, an Italian Catholic, from 1960 until her death from a heart attack aged 71 in 2008. He converted to her faith. He was survived by their sons, Henry Marco and John Pietro, and two grandchildren. He left £747,098.

In an interview published a few days after his death, Cooper described Albina, who "hated" his sport, as "an ideal wife for a boxer", never grumbling about his long absences before big fights and inviting journalists in for tea while they waited for Cooper to get out of bed the morning after bouts. Awards And Honours Cooper was the first to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award twice (in 1967 and 1970) and one of only three two-time winners in the award's history (the others being Nigel Mansell in 1986 and 1992 and Damon Hill in 1994 and 1996). Cooper was given the award in 1967 for going unbeaten throughout the year. One of the most memorable fights of the year was his defeat of challenger Jack Bodell in June. His second award came in 1970, when Cooper had become the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight champion, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest post-war British boxers. He is the only British boxer to win three Lonsdale Belts outright.

Cooper was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1969, awarded a Papal Knighthood in 1978, and was knighted in 2000. He is also celebrated as one of the great Londoners in the "London Song" by Ray Davies on his 1998 album The Storyteller. József Kreul "Joe" Bugner (born 13 March 1950) is a Hungarian British/Australian former heavyweight. Born in Szőreg, Hungary, Bugner and his family fled after the 1956 Soviet invasion and settled in England. During the 1970s, Bugner twice held the British and British Commonwealth heavyweight titles and he was a three time European heavyweight champion. He was a top-ranked contender during the 1970s, fighting such opponents as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Ron Lyle, Jimmy Ellis and Henry Cooper. He fought for the World heavyweight championship in 1975, losing on points in a second bout with Ali. Bugner retired in 1977 and moved to Australia.

Over the next two decades he made sporadic comebacks with variable success, winning the Australian heavyweight title in 1995. At the age of 49 he won the WBF heavyweight championship. He retired in 1999 with a final record of 69-13-1, including 41 wins by knockout. Early Years Joe and his family fled to the United Kingdom in the late 1950s because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary in 1956 after the Hungarian uprising of that year. They settled in the Cambridgeshire town of St Ives. At school Bugner excelled in sports and was the national junior discus champion in 1964.Joe lived and trained in Bedford during his early boxing years, he was a regular at Bedford Boys Club. Boxing Career - Professional Debut Bugner fought sixteen times as an amateur boxer, winning thirteen bouts. He turned professional in 1967 (at the age of seventeen) on the advice of his then trainer and friend Andy Smith. Smith was unhappy with the choice of Bugner's opponents and Smith believed that he could better control the quality of Bugner's opponents in the professional game.

He had a losing debut against Paul Brown on the 20 December 1967 at the London Hilton, where he was knocked out in the third round. After his debut he went on to stop twelve of his next thirteen opponents. This included four one-round wins, and two knockouts over Brown in rematches. In 1970 Bugner emerged internationally as an outstanding young prospect, and by the end of the year he was on the fringe of the world ratings. He won nine consecutive bouts this year, including victories over well known boxers such as Chuck Wepner, and Brian London. Bugner was now positioned to challenge world rated Englishman Henry Cooper for Cooper's British, British Commonwealth and European titles. However, because Bugner was still too young to fight for the British Commonwealth title (the minimum age was twenty-one years old at the time), this much anticipated bout had to be postponed until the next year. Starting in his early years as a professional and continuing for the rest of his career, Bugner earned a reputation as an exceptionally defensive and cautious boxer. He was criticized often for lacking natural aggression in the ring.

Some observers argued that Bugner's heart was never in boxing after an early opponent, Ulric Regis, died from brain injuries soon after being outpointed by Bugner at London's Shoreditch Town Hall. Defeat Of Henry Cooper In March 1971, Bugner finally met Cooper, and defeated him by a fifteen round decision. This bout was very closely contested, and the outcome remains one of the most controversial decisions in British boxing history. There were no judges and the fight was scored by the referee, Harry Gibbs. Bugner won by ¼ point. The British sporting public and press were deeply divided as to which boxer deserved the verdict. Nonetheless, Bugner was now the British, British Commonwealth, and European champion, and for the first time he was ranked among the world's top ten heavyweights. Bugner would remain in the world ratings for most of the rest of the decade. Later in 1971, Bugner lost decisions to underdogs Jack Bodell and Larry Middleton. The Bodell fight was particularly costly, depriving Bugner of his British, British Commonwealth and European championships. Bugner's relative inexperience (his youth and lack of an extensive amateur background) was the chief cause of these defeats.

In 1972 Bugner won eight consecutive fights, including a knockout over Jurgen Blin for the European championship. By the end of this year Bugner had acquired sufficient seasoning as a boxer that his manager began seeking matches against the world's very best heavyweights. Prime Years In 1973 Bugner lost twelve round decisions to Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Although the scorecards in these fights were lopsided, Bugner fought well in both bouts and he won the respect of the boxing media and public alike. After their bout, Ali declared that Bugner was capable of being World champion. The fight with Smokin' Joe in July 1973 at Earls Court in London was deemed a classic. After being knocked down by a tremendous left hook in the tenth round, Bugner arose and hurt Frazier to close the round. Many regard the Frazier bout as being Bugner's best career performance. After the Ali and Frazier fights, Bugner won eight matches in a row, his most notable victories being over Jimmy Ellis, Mac Foster, and Jose Luis Garcia. By the end of 1974 Bugner was rated among the top five heavyweight contenders in the World.

Bugner challenged Muhammad Ali for the world championship in June 1975, the bout being held in Kuala Lumpur. This fight has been described as one of the most boring championship bouts of all time, with Ali winning a one-sided 15 round decision. Bugner maintained a strictly defensive posture throughout this fight, and as a result he was widely scorned by the media and public. In an interview during an April 2008 reunion with Henry Cooper, Bugner defended his tactics in the Ali fight as having been necessary due to the extreme temperature and humidity of the outside venue. Nevertheless, Bugner had fought 27 rounds against arguably the greatest boxer in history without having ever being seriously troubled. Early in 1976, Bugner announced his retirement from boxing, stating that he no longer felt motivated to fight professionally. Within months however he returned to the ring, and in October he knocked out Richard Dunn to reclaim the British, British Commonwealth, and European championships. In 1977, Bugner lost a close 12 round decision to top contender Ron Lyle. After this bout, Bugner again retired, making only sporadic comebacks to the ring over the next decades.

Comebacks Bugner returned to the ring for brief periods in the '80s and '90s, but due to the effects of age and inactivity, he was never again as effective as he had been during his prime. In 1982, Bugner lost by technical knockout to Earnie Shavers. He also lost a decision to Joe Frazier's son Marvis Frazier two years later. In 1986 he moved to Australia, where he acquired the name Aussie Joe Bugner. In Australia, Bugner launched a moderately successful comeback, winning victories over James Tillis, David Bey, and Greg Page. In 1987 however he was stopped in the eighth round in London by Frank Bruno for the Commonwealth championship. Bugner won the Australian heavyweight title in 1996 by a points victory over Vince Cervi. He won the lightly regarded 'WBF' version of the heavyweight crown in 1998, by defeating James "Bonecrusher" Smith. At the age of 49 years and a 110 days, it made him the oldest ever boxer to hold a world championship belt.

Fight Record His record for 83 professional fights is 69 wins (41 on knockouts), 13 Losses and 1 Draw. He last fought in June 1999 beating Levi Billups, who was disqualified for low blows. In an interview in 2004, Bugner said that the hardest puncher he had ever faced was Earnie Shavers and the biggest beating he took was from Ron Lyle. Life Outside Of Boxing On his move to Australia, Bugner and his wife Marlene opened a vineyard. It failed in 1989, and he estimated to having lost some one and a half million Australian dollars. He now lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Bugner has started to carve a career in the film industry, working with Bud Spencer in his movies in the eighties. He was the expert adviser on the Russell Crowe film, Cinderella Man, which was a film about the heavyweight boxer James J. Braddock. Bugner was dropped part way through the project, which prompted him to call Crowe, "a gutless worm and fucking girl". Joe suffers from a serious back injury which sustained from training for fights in his middle years. He also has financial problems.

It was these financial problems which forced him back into the ring at such advanced age. A benefit was held for Joe in 2008 by Kevin Lueshing.

Question: Who preceded Joe Bugner as British heavyweight champion?
Answer: Henry Cooper