Joe Bugner - should he get more respect?

Simply Yes.

If around in this era would have sttod a good chance of picking up an alphabet strap.

Decent fighter and a very nice guy who used to dig in to his own pockets to take top groups of amateurs away on holiday each year!!!

 

i've always respected him.he gave frazier a hell of a fight

 

Most definetly, he was hounded out of the country by Harry Carpenter & all the "Our Henry" Loving brigade. They never missed a chance to slag him down in ink:-(

 

Very good points...........:good

 

all the more reason to back bugner.cooper is the only fighter i have ever dis-liked

 

Muhammad Ali treated Bugner as a casual bit of fun.

Muhammad Ali was maybe casual and lazy in training camp.

It was a poor poor fight from Ali.

 

Joe would post his support, but that would mean putting a bit of effort in!

Arguably the most talented British Heavyweight that side of the Lewis in the 20th Century, and although he teased us every now again (Frazier/Dunn), so often he just could not be bothered, he was just glad to be in the big fights, and to go the distance.

 

I don't think Bugner really helped himself, though. Outside the ring and in.

 

I wrote a letter to Boxing News slagging off Henry Cooper's consistant re-telling of the "glove myth" and the ****ers wouldn't print it. :twisted:

 

Joe Bugner was one of the best heavyweights Britian ever had ,but he always seemed to hold back after Ulric Regis died from his injuries after his fight with Bugner

 

Could even beat a bum like Ali or a china chinned fighter in Frazier! :yep

















Of course he deserves ALOT more respect.

 

Reading a report about that fight, Bugner was criticized for holding back in that bout. I do not think the sad demise of Regis, was the primary cause of Bugner's issues with holding back.

 

Bugner does deserve a lot more respect, yes. A very talented boxer when he chose to be.

But I think most of the abuse and derision comes more so from the general mainstream sports fans rather than the hardcore boxing world. Primarily centred around Harry Gibbs scoring in his favour over the nation's beloved Henry Cooper. Cooper was a British institution back then, and I don't think Bugner's ever been forgiven for beating him.

Similar to the Lewis-Bruno fight in some ways. There was a time, particularly in the early 90's, when Lewis wasn't particularly popular and the British public hadn't really warmed to him, where as Frank was a national hero.
Both Lewis and Bugner were the men who the general public were indifferent to, but both defeated a national sporting icon loved by the whole country. The difference is that Lewis was "forgiven" and accepted as a Brit hero when he went on to prove he was something special and the greatest heavyweight we've ever had. Bugner has never really been forgiven.

 

Holds a 1st round TKO over Bonecrusher.........think Smith dislocated his shoulder, but Bugner did know how to survive!