I watched this fight in several parts several months ago.There was no clear winner for me. Boxing Commercial politics being as aware as they always seem to be, gave the decision to the more commercially viable 'coming man'. ( Or maybe that's just me being an old cynic)? Or maybe that's just 40 years of the fight game ? I would see it so close, a draw, if ever there was. If they could've combined Bugners' physique with Coopers' mindsight, you may have had a world champ ?
I'll have to watch the youtube video; I always knew it was close, plus it was Henry's last fight and, since I've always looked at the underachieving Bugner with distain after jumping on his bandwagon until his p I s s effort against Ali in 75, I hope I score the fight a close one for the old man! Cooper beat Zora in 1958; Bugner has zero quality wins. My $0.02
I saw the fight many, many years ago. I don't recall how I scored it - but I clearly remember how absolutely shocked the TV commentator was, when Harry Gibbs raised Bugner's arm!
That fight was the worst thing that could have happened to bugner.beating our ennry back then was like duffing up the queen mother if the fight ad been a draw or bugner had lost he would have been accepted by the British public.funny how attitudes change don't think nowadays people would be so sentimental about Cooper.
That little stretch he put together in Australia at age 37 in 1986/87 was pretty impressive...James tillis,David bet and Greg page...but typical bugner...once he'd secured the British superfights with Frank Bruno he just puts in a total non effort and quits having come in 20lbs overweight
It looked like both fighters thought Cooper had won. The way Cooper turned to the referee expecting to have his hand raised while Bugner just plodded off back towards his corner.
He looked very good that night. Joe weren't his very best, but I'd give Bugner credit for an excellent performance.
Obviously Gibbs was an excellent referee getting kudos from many over the years. To my British friends who I've never met, I'd heard the when he was the sole scorer in many Brit title bouts he'd often give one fighter a quarter or half point nod and no one complained. In watching several fights over the years with Gibbs being the sole scorer I found it interesting that he immediately raised the hand of the victor seconds after the final bell. As for Bugner's performance against Frazier my mantra has always been that you can't truly give a fighter credit in a fight that he lost and Bugner clearly lost that fight though giving a good effort. Plus it was Frazier's first fight after his humiliation at the hands of Foreman; one would think he wasn't quite the same after that. My somewhat limited $0.02
