Joe Bugner, the boxer who twice faced Muhammad Ali, dies at 75
Former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Bugner has passed away at the age of 75 in a care home in Brisbane, Australia. His death has been marked with tributes from across the boxing world, remembering him as a fighter who mixed it with the very best in one of the sport’s golden eras.
Bugner’s career stretched across three decades, and during that time he was consistently ranked among the world’s top heavyweights. He was born Jozsef Kreul Bugner in Hungary in 1950, but after the Soviet invasion in 1956, his family fled to Britain. Growing up in Cambridgeshire, he found his way into boxing as a teenager, winning the ABA light heavyweight title at just 17 years old. By 1971, he had already made headlines by defeating Henry Cooper at Wembley, a victory that handed him the British, Commonwealth, and European heavyweight titles. That fight remained controversial, as many felt Cooper deserved the win, and the backlash meant Bugner never quite received the same adoration as other British heavyweights.
Still, his reputation inside the ropes was built on toughness, skill, and durability. He twice went the distance with Muhammad Ali—first in Las Vegas in 1973, and then again in Kuala Lumpur in 1975, when he challenged Ali for the world heavyweight title. He also battled Joe Frazier in 1973 in a grueling contest, showing enormous resilience even in defeat. During his career, Bugner also shared the ring with heavyweights like Frank Bruno, Earnie Shavers, and Jimmy Ellis, leaving behind a record of 69 wins, 13 losses, and one draw.
Bugner’s career was unusual in its longevity. He first retired in 1976 but returned several times, fighting into his late 40s. After relocating to Australia in the mid-1980s, he became affectionately known as “Aussie Joe.” He captured the Australian heavyweight title in 1995 and, at the age of 48, won the World Boxing Federation’s version of the heavyweight crown by defeating James “Bonecrusher” Smith. He finally hung up his gloves in 1999.
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Outside of boxing, Bugner enjoyed a colourful life. He appeared in films, including Street Fighter , and even worked as a boxing adviser for Russell Crowe’s Cinderella Man . In 2009, he gained fresh attention as a contestant on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! His later years were spent in Australia, where he became a local cult figure.
Reactions to his passing have reflected his unique place in boxing history. Promoter Frank Warren described him as a “great man who will be missed,” while Frank Bruno called it a “sad day for boxing.” The British Boxing Board of Control also expressed condolences to his family.
Though he never captured the same affection as Cooper or Bruno in Britain, Joe Bugner’s career proved he belonged in the company of giants. To go the distance with Ali twice, to battle Frazier, and to fight across generations showed the resilience of a man who carved his own place in the sport.
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