Joe Bugner: Best I’ve Faced

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/330445-best-ive-faced-joe-bugner

Best overall:

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, who was the greatest of all time in my opinion. What made him so special was that he was phenomenal in and out of the ring. Ali could sell anything to anyone, so he marketed his own fights and in that respect he was a promoter’s dream.

I recall both fights like they were yesterday and had studied this legend for years, before facing him. He wasn’t champion when we met the first time, in Las Vegas in 1973, and both of us were looking for a world title fight at the time.


Best boxer:

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I take pride in the fact that a lot of people in Las Vegas thought our first fight was closer than the judges had it, but Ali definitely won.

Speed wise he was on the ball and technically he was just awesome. I tried to out jab him but once he had you on the end of his own left hand he could bring out all these combinations, from nowhere, leaving fans, and opponents, in awe.


Best puncher:

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He was an enormous puncher, but I have real issue with that fight because of a conversation Shavers and I had years later. Apparently Don King told Ernie to get me out of that ring, by any means necessary, and not to worry about disqualification.


Best defense:

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again. So many people ask why I couldn’t land on him when his hands were low and I always explain that he was the best part of two meters away from me, when he did that. Ali would throw punches as his legs were bringing him in, which was a gift.

Joe Frazier bobbed and weaved really well, but I was able to find the target and if I’m to be brutally honest I thought I won that fight on a very close decision. Harry Gibbs (referee and sole official scorer of the Frazier-Bugner fight) had awarded me the decision over Henry Cooper, two years earlier, and was given a horrendous time by the British media for doing so. In my mind he didn’t want to give me the Frazier fight for fear of a repeat backlash.


Fastest hands:

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. He was in his early 30s both times we fought and still retained that remarkable hand speed, plus he knew me so well. The other thing is that Ali could read you and that only added to the natural speed he already had. When I set myself to punch Ali seemed to know what was coming and he responded in a flash. For example in the first fight I caught him with a beautiful right hand and he said, “Damn, good punch white boy, do it again!” Now, I was only 22 years old, which meant I was stupid enough to try it and he caught me with four solid punches to the jaw. The reactions, the speed, the timing, were brilliant.


Fastest feet:

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I know it might get boring (laughs) but there is no other contender in this one. Ali danced in the later rounds of both our fights and you must remember that the heat was incredible in the rematch. That tells you that he wasn’t just fit, he was super fit and his feet were such a huge asset.


Best chin:

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. He was so tough and I landed everything I had in that fight. He dropped me in round 10 with a huge left hook and I remember looking at Andy Smith (manager) who gave me the signal to get up. I got to my feet and suddenly Joe left himself wide open and I caught him with a perfect right hand on the button. His leg went from under him and his knee almost touched the canvas.


Best jab:

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. I was very lucky in that I had learned so much from him in 1969 and practiced over a four-year period, before we faced each other. I learned from the best and the jab was one of the main things I tried to emulate.

That gave me something that I could use in our fight.


Strongest:

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. He was a very strong opponent and although I lost a close decision the bottom line is close isn’t good enough.

Being honest I shouldn’t have took that fight. I had just won the British, Commonwealth and European titles, after knocking out Richard Dunn in one round, and mentally I wasn’t focused on Lyle. I blame myself for that but there was a lot of pressure to fight, because a huge amount of money was on the line.

Lyle, in my mind, wasn’t a fan of white people in those days and he saw it as kill or be killed against me. We didn’t like each other, no doubt about that, but I was still young myself and not the sharpest tool in the box (laughs).


Smartest:

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Intelligence wise, in the ring and out, he was incredible. Before both our fights he asked me to give him a wink if a member of the press was nearby and I suppose I should have known better. I winked at him and suddenly he jumped out of his chair and screamed, “He just called me a ******!” I was stunned, just a kid at the time, and didn’t know what to say.

Moments later Ali came over to me and said, “Hey Joe Bugner. Was I good?” I told him he’d made me look like a racist and he replied, “That was the whole idea. Joe Bugner we’re selling tickets!”

He was close to the bone but there was always method behind his madness.