Joe Bugner in care home with dementia

I saw that '97 chat. Joe was only joking about a return bout between the two.

 

Thanks Greg. Lol, so Cooper said Joe fought to survive - and in Joe’s presence. Sounds like some niggle there - but I’ve also seen them in an interview together and I know what you’re saying - there didn’t appear to be any real malice but def. two proud men who spoke their minds.

I thought Cooper gave great account of himself in both Ali fights - if not for his being prone to cuts, Henry might’ve had the opportunity to enhance the credit. A bit like Norton, Cooper seemed curiously immune to Ali’s power -

Cooper said Ali never really hurt him - and imo, that claim passes the eye test. Given same, Cooper said that it amazed him to see Ali tip over big guys otherwise.

 

Ali clearly staggered Cooper in the fifth round of their first bout shortly before it was stopped.

I liked Cooper but I think he accepted the myths surrounding his first fight with Ali rather than the reality e.g. Cooper claimed that the break between the fourth and fifth rounds was extended by as much as two minutes when it was only extended by six seconds.

But I thought he was robbed against Bugner.

 

I always like Bugner's sharp wit, a good example of it is in the article where Mickey Duff criticised Bugner's performance in his second fight with Ali saying:

“I suppose Joe at the end of the day, money is the name of the game.”

And Bugner replied with:

“Yes - and being able to count it.”

Absolutely spot on.

I doubt that Mickey Duff was a boxing promoter purely for the job satisfaction.

 

I didn't get the impression Hart visited him. Unless I missed something, he tried contacting Bugner and was only able to speak to his son.

I hope Bugner is able to live the rest of his life in comfort and dignity.

 

That's depressing. It's terrible when they forget you. Heartbreaking way to go.

I always liked the "Aussie Joe" incarnation of Bugner.

He went on a pretty good run there in his 80s comeback, beating the likes of Greg Page, David Bey and Quick Tillis ... and then did it again in the 90s.

Fought in four decades, and that wasn't just a one-fight-in-a-decade stat. Went on successful runs in all four. (21-2 in the 1960s. 31-6-1 in the 70s, 9-4 in the 80s, 8-1 in the 90s.) Pretty amazing.

Greatest Hungarian Heavyweight in History by a mile or 10.

 

I wish him the very best

 

I agree, I've grown up in the world of boxing and it's like a time bomb.

 

Sad to hear this.

God bless him and his family!

 

I didn’t think the Cooper fight a robbery, 8-7 to Bugner, even the other way, no robbery!
The reaction by commentator BBC Harry Carpenter at the end, “how can you take a man’s title just like that?” didn’t help.
Cooper was a darling of the BBC who walked on water, as far as they were concerned.
In ancient history the BBC used to comprehensively cover boxing, courtesy of their compulsory public funding. Those days, are but a memory. They used to show the flooring of Clay almost on a daily basis, such was their adulation for our ‘enry.
A pity Joe blew his titles shortly after to the agricultural style of Jack Bodell, who promptly after, was obliterated by Jerry Quarry.
But Joe persevered, with an activity rate that puts current part time heavyweights to shame.
The ill thought Bruno fight should never have taken place.
Let’s hope he gets the very best of care.

 

Fair play to your opinion Dave.

I didn’t observe Cooper to have been staggered at all - even when Ali ramped up the offence when Henry was literally blinded by his own blood.

Just my impression - but I always felt Henry treated the exaggerated break between rounds like a good old ripping yarn for the talk show/iv circuit.

He always related it without malice or tone that he was cheated or robbed. He was even okay with Ali being administered the technically illegal smelling salts.

And Henry wasn’t the only perpetrator in regards to the myth - Dundee contributed to the story at least in equal measure if not more than Henry - and I believe Dundee’s motive wasn’t just for a good story but to also promote himself as a savvy trainer who saved Ali’s bacon.

Tbh, I haven’t watched the Coop vs Bugner fight the whole way through, so I can’t comment - but I will make time to watch the full fight in the not too distant future since my interest is piqued.

 

Yes, Dundee made a real meal of it on subsequent tv features and interviews, with a rogue-ish twinkle in his eye over his involvement.
He must have taken a line in a film released the previous year as his coda, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend!”

 

That beautifully sums up the cheeky tone that Dundee (and Cooper) carried when retelling the story.

Almost as if “Yeah, I know the truth, you know the truth, we all know the truth, but we don’t want to spoil a good, long standing porky pie, do we?”.

I think Coop and Dundee incrementally and eventually pushed their story to a whopping 4 minute delay, haha. It’s a wonder that didn’t go so far as to say round 5 was postponed until the following day.

I wonder what they would’ve said if someone ever had the “audacity” to present the definitive evidence to them mid IV?

They probably would’ve replied “Ah, we’re gonna be like that, are we? Okay. Fair play, next question..” Lol.

 

It isn't a classic fight by any means. I thought that Cooper did most of the work and won by two or three rounds.

Bugner's strategy seemed to be to bounce around a bit, throw two jabs and repeat.

 

Thanks for your summation. I often put many of the seemingly less exciting fights on the back burner for years later viewing - but sometimes it’s a pleasant surprise to find they’re a bit more compelling than you realised.

It’s compelling enough at least to sit and score a fight for yourself - particularly where apparently, controversial decisions are involved.