Did Bugner Have The Chin, To Go The Distance With Foreman?

Considering he was caught and floored by a past prime Frazier, and would've been stopped had Frazier not had any mercy on him, I'm going to say no.

He's going to be caught at some point against Foreman. Only this time he's not getting up.

 

Pertinent observation which has decided me.

 

Peralta had a great chin and was a defensive specialist.

 

Shavers started out fast and stopped Bugner early I don't see why Foreman can't repeat that performance Bugner is getting way overrated in this thread.

 

Bugner was on his comeback, not the same fighter he had been though Shavers had been stopped by Mercado and Cobb late in fights he started (dropped Mercado hard) off dominating before running out of gas.

Shavers landed a big right hand along the ropes and followed up with a vicious right uppercut to drop Bugner near the end of the 1st. Joe got up fine, even winked to the ref.

He showed no ill effects from the knockdown in the 2nd, it was a close round where Bugner was starting to make Shavers miss and tie up on the inside as well as started to get his jab going toward the end of the round when it was stopped on cuts.

Shavers had taken the first two rounds but Bugner was getting back into it.

I think Joe would have taken over and hammered Shavers for a decision or late stoppage.

 

Shavers rocked him in round 2 aswell and had him along the ropes for large periods. Bugner seemed unsettled by Shavers aggression and was getting hit alot, theres no guarantee Bugner wouldn't of been flat on his back even without the cut.

Regardless I think Bugner is getting overrated in this thread he had some decent skills and was fairly durable, but I never got the impression that he would come close to beating a real top name.

Infact I just went back and looked at Bugner vs Shavers round 2, and Shavers rocked Bugner with a overhand right and then landed a lethal uppercut along the ropes that snapped Bugner's head back just prior to the cut stoppage. Bugner was in trouble even before the cut and as I said was getting hit alot.

 

Bugner is getting laughably overrated in this thread. You're right on the money. He's simply not busy enough to deter Foreman.

 

I have been running scenarios in my head about this fight. In all of them George Foreman is stopping Joe Bugner, so, no, I do not see Joe Bugner lasting the distance with George Foreman.

 

Totally agree.

Fine post and absolutely on point.

 

Earnie actually fought quite a dirty fight against older, come backing Bugner.

A lot of holding and hitting (something Earnie was guilty of in a number of fights) and low blows involved.

The punch that dropped Bugner was an absolute foul - along the same lines as the uppercut Shavers dropped Jimmy Ellis with.

First, Earnie is holding the back of Bugner’s head with the right and hitting him low with the left. Then, Shavers immediately switches hands, holding with the left and hitting Bugner with the uppercut.

Bugner was fine when he arose even despite Earnie’s obvious infraction. As already mentioned, he casually winked at the ref.

The fight was stopped abruptly due to the cut only. Earnie wasn’t pacing at all - he was throwing a lot and landing but Bugner was taking it.

Good chance Earnie was going to fatigue badly in the next 2-3 rounds and be outlasted by Bugner.

Many tout Shavers as hitting harder than Foreman (not me personally) and he was hitting Bugner as well as he could’ve hoped for - but Joe wasn’t exactly going anywhere.

 

Bugner was visibly stunned just prior to the stoppage his legs bucked a bit after a big overhand right from Shavers in which the commentators also pointed out. And then as I said earlier he took a big uppercut that snapped his head back.

It just seems like speculation to me on what Bugner would or wouldn't do, but what we do know is that Shavers floored Bugner and visibly stunned him a few times throughout the fight and was well on top when the fight was halted due to a cut.

Shavers possibly did hit harder than Foreman with one punch but Foreman was a high caliber fighter and would stop Bugner IMO. As i said i think Bugner is getting vastly overrated in this thread with even some suggesting he has a chance of winning which is a bit baffling to me.

I mean this is the same Bugner that got a gift vs an aging Henry Cooper, lost to the very unremarkable Jack Bodell. Yeah Bugner did go the distance with some notable names but never came close to winning any of the fights and mostly fought passive. Look at 2nd Ali fight for example that was total non effort from Bugner in which he fought to survive.

I mean what's more impressive fighting to survive and virtually not winning any rounds ? or getting stopped but actually giving it your all in the ring and actually trying to win ?

The most impressive performance I see of Bugner was vs Frazier in which he did try to be fair, but was still well beaten 10-2 by a slightly faded Frazier and I believe Frazier could've stopped him in 10th round if he really wanted to.

Overall could Bugner go the distance if he fights to survive ? Possibly. But if he actually tries to engage with Big George hes getting stopped.

 

Joe could have followed up and put him out for a 10 count and beyond, but he held back, probably for fear of causing him permanent harm.

If that is 1973 Foreman with the same chance I think tragedy would have unfolded that night.

 

George gets Bugner out of there inside 4 rounds. Bugner simply too passive and allows George to tee off at will.

It’s not a question of if Bugner can see out the distance, it’s just a matter of when George lowers the boom on him.

 

I think he ko's Bugner early as well, Bugner is not a mover and cutting the ring off for Foreman is easily done making Bugner have to exchange. Ref waves it off around the 4th or 5th.

 

Another thing to consider, Joe Bugner's style was too stiff t possibly survive a George Foreman onslaught, he would have resembles the heavy bag for Foreman.