3 weeks ago
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While Joe Bugner fought under the British flag in the first act of his career, it was in Australia where 'Aussie Joe' would finally find his redemption, his titles, and the adoration that had always eluded him in Britain.
The boxing world is in mourning today with the announcement that the British, European and Commonwealth heavyweight champion has died aged 75 at a care home in Brisbane, Australia.
His death was confirmed in a statement from the British Boxing Board of Control which expressed sadness at the passing of the world championship contender and sent condolences to his family.
It brings to an end a story as dramatic as any fight night, the tale of a refugee boy who grew into a giant of the ring, a man who faced Muhammad Ali and 'Smokin' Joe' Frazier, who enraged Britain, and who finally found redemption and affection as 'Aussie Joe.'
Bugner was born József Kreul Bugner in Szőreg, Hungary, in 1950. His family fled the Soviet crackdown in 1956 and arrived in Britain with nothing but hope.
By his teens his broad shoulders and long reach marked him out as a natural fighter. He turned professional in 1967 aged just 17 and climbed the rankings with a mix of raw strength and ring smarts.
Joe Bugner stunned Britain by defeating Henry Cooper in 1971, sparking outrage that forever shaped his public reputation
The towering heavyweight twice went the distance with Muhammad Ali, proving his durability even while British fans remained unconvinced
Bugner's twelve bruising rounds against Joe Frazier cemented his reputation as one of boxing's toughest and most stubborn fighters
But it was in 1971 that he became notorious, outpointing national treasure Henry Cooper to take the British, European and Commonwealth titles.
The judges saw Bugner as the winner, but the British public never forgave him for retiring their beloved 'Our 'Enry.' Overnight he was painted as the villain, a cold interloper who had stolen Cooper's farewell.
The reputation stuck. His style did not help. Bugner was cautious, technical, and unwilling to risk a knockout for the sake of glory. Fans jeered what they saw as negativity, even as he built a record most fighters would envy.
He went the distance with Muhammad Ali not once but twice, standing toe to toe with 'The Greatest' for fifteen rounds in Kuala Lumpur in 1975.
He absorbed the thunder of Joe Frazier over twelve bruising rounds. Neither man could put him away, proof of an iron jaw and a stubborn will.
Yet back home he remained unloved, branded boring or worse, the fighter who had ended Cooper's reign but failed to win hearts.
By the mid 1980s Bugner was tired of the boos. Britain had given him his chance but also its scorn. He moved to Australia with his wife and children, seeking a new start on the Gold Coast.
The move changed everything. Promoter Bill Mordey saw the chance to sell him as a homegrown warrior and dubbed him 'Aussie Joe.' The nickname stuck like glue.
Bugner with his wife Marline after his win against American boxer James 'bonecrusher' Smith for the World Boxing Federation heavyweight championship on the Gold Coast
Bugner holds up a George Foreman tee shirt after confirming his comeback to boxing at a gym on the Gold Coast in 1995
Australians quickly rallied behind Bugner, celebrating his grit, humour and resilience as he proudly fought under their flag
Australians embraced him as one of their own, an immigrant who fought under their flag, an underdog who had taken his lumps and come back smiling.
Bugner fought again, and in the twilight of his career enjoyed a second act. He packed the Sydney Entertainment Centre, beating American names like David Bey and James 'Quick' Tillis.
He won the Australian heavyweight title in 1995 and, remarkably, at the age of 48 claimed the WBF heavyweight belt on the Gold Coast when James 'Bonecrusher' Smith retired injured.
The old villain of Wembley had become a hero in Brisbane. His fights were sold on grit and entertainment, and 'Aussie Joe' was a headline name until he finally retired in 1999 with 69 wins, 41 by knockout.
Life after the gloves kept him in the public eye. He dabbled in film, appearing in Street Fighter and working with Russell Crowe on Cinderella Man.
He became a television personality, showing up in reality shows and talk programs, larger than life and still carrying the swagger of a man who had shared the ring with Ali.
Australians loved him for it. He was funny, brash, sometimes blunt, but always recognisably 'Aussie Joe.'
But away from the cameras the cost of a lifetime of punishment was catching up. In his later years Bugner revealed he had been diagnosed with dementia.
The iron man who once absorbed Ali's combinations now struggled with memory and clarity. He lived out his final years in a Brisbane care home, visited by his family, the fight slowly draining from him. It was a cruel final act, the price paid for too many rounds against the best of the best.
Bugner's death at 75 marks the end of one of boxing's most unlikely journeys.
In Britain he will forever be remembered as the man who ended Henry Cooper's reign and never managed to charm the terraces. In the record books he stands as a heavyweight who went the distance with legends and never gave up.
And in Australia he will always be 'Aussie Joe,' the adopted son who reinvented himself and finally won the cheers he craved.
