Why was joe bugner so hated by the british people?

He followed Cooper and he was not that exciting , a balls to the wall fighter.

 

British people didn't hate Bugner. It was the gutter press made all that crap up. Second best after Lewis. All that Aussie Joe stuff was just to sell ticket against FB.

 

Well he didn't consider himself Australian until he finally emigrated there.Primarily he beat a house hold name in Cooper, who was by then an institution in the UK ,the public never forgave him for it and most thought he did not deserve the verdict. Joe looked the part,but was really a mechanical boxer,there was nothing spontaneous about his work in the ring,he generally promised more than he delivered.I can think of only two occasions when he rose to the challenge, one when gave Joe Frazier a good fight,which because of Frazier's all action style was really forced upon Bugner just to survive,the other was when he threw caution to the winds and ko'd Richard Dunn.
Hugh McIllvanney nailed it,he said ,"Bugner has the physique of a greek statue,but fewer moves." I saw Bugner in about his 2nd fight,he was on the bill for the Cooper v Mildenberger fight at Wembley,that was a long time ago!

 

What was it like being at Cribb-Molineaux? I heard you sold programs at the gate … did you get to sneak down and watch the fight?

 

He was ' hated for 1 reason only.....the gutter press of the time.
He got a decision against the beloved Cooper in 1971 at age 21 with his tall strong physique and blonde hair and willingness to answer back the press decided he was ' arrogant" and ' difficult'. Bugger put up tough fights against France,Ali the 1st time and Lyle but the media stereotyped him as not trying. His re-emergence at 36 as 'assignment Joe's was impressive and showed how good he was but he was served up as a sacrifice to Bruno and seemed to go along with cashing 8n,turning up 20 lbs overweight from his last fight and lying down at the first sign of real trouble. .Thereby confirming the British presses view of him.

A real shame . That 80's comeback was very good and promising.

 

I was with Pierce Egan,carrying his note pad.The mob broke up the fight,I didn't see anything like it again until the Hagler v Minter fight,a few years later.

 

I understand that Cooper was looking to retire after the fight but the decision awarded to Joe spoilt the anticipated, successful send off party.

It seems it was a very controversial nod, many rejecting the decision - and not least being the iconic caller Harry Carpenter.

Kind of the perfect storm for Bugner - a controversial win over a much loved Brit boxing legend via a none too compelling (overly passive?) boxing style.

Add to all that Henry not being too hot on Bugner himself after the fact.

Unfair on Bugner but they were the magic ingredients.

Of course, when he became Aussie Joe, the formerly pacifistic Bugner developed into a fighting beast that could not be contained.

 

Well played.