Joe Bugner, heavyweight who went the distance with Muhammad Ali twice, dies at 75
British Boxing Board of Control says former British, Commonwealth and European champion died at a care home in Brisbane
Joe Bugner, a former heavyweight boxer who twice went the distance with Muhammad Ali and held British, Commonwealth and European titles, has died at the age of 75, the British Boxing Board of Control said Monday.
"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 board said, adding its condolences to Bugner’s family. The board did not provide a cause of death.
Bugner emerged as a prominent figure in British and European boxing in the early 1970s. In 1971 he defeated Henry Cooper, a celebrated British heavyweight, handing Cooper what became his final professional defeat and taking the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight titles. Bugner did not retain those belts for long, losing them later that year.
He is perhaps best known internationally for his two high-profile meetings with Muhammad Ali. Bugner went the distance with Ali on both occasions, including a 12-round bout in 1975 that Ali won. Those performances, among others, established Bugner as a durable contender in an era of prominent heavyweights.
Born to a boxing career that spanned decades, Bugner was described by the British Boxing Board of Control as a former world championship contender. He fought a range of notable opponents through the 1970s and into the 1980s, and his victories and stubborn ring performances earned him recognition within the sport even as some segments of British public opinion remained critical following the Cooper fight.
Bugner spent his later years in Australia. The board's statement noted he passed away at a care home in Brisbane, but offered no further details about his health or survivors.
Tributes and remembrances from the boxing community were expected as news of his death circulated, with the British Boxing Board of Control leading official acknowledgement. Bugner's career is remembered for its durability and for moments that intersected with some of boxing's most famous figures, most notably his two fights with Ali, which highlighted his ability to withstand elite opposition.
Further details from family representatives, promoters and those who knew Bugner were not immediately available. The British Boxing Board of Control's statement served as the first public confirmation of his death and as an expression of condolence to his family.