How would a prime Joe Bugner in this era?

He’d linger in there with the top fighters, occasionally upsetting one here and there. Doubt he’d be the best

 

Whatever your point is it is irrelevant because the comparison was to today and if he fought today he'd fight under todays circumstances ..

 

He could win a title guys like Charles Martin and Lucas Brown (didn't even have good striking when he fought in mma) have held titles and they are terrible when considering elite level. Can see him beating all but the top 3.

 

I guess the first question is when exactly was Joe Bugner's prime?

He turned pro at 17.

He lost to Ali the first time when he was still 22. He lost to Frazier when he was 23.

Didn't seem like he was in his prime yet.

When most heavyweights are approaching their prime, they are around 27 or 28 and goes until they are maybe 32. But those are the years when Bugner lost to Ron Lyle and basically retired for several years. He wasn't very active at all. And a week after his 32nd birthday, he lost to Shavers. When he was 33, he lost to Marvis Frazier.

So, there isn't much to go on in his supposed "prime."

I don't think Bugner beats any of the top heavyweights today. But he was a solid pro.

Maybe lower top 10. At best. He could certainly grab a 'regular' or 'interim' belt, depending on the opponent, but that doesn't mean a guy is even top 5 anymore, there are so many regular and interim belts.

 

There's a guy named Agit Kabayal who's pretty much the same thing as Bugner, but he's in his prime right now.

 

He wouldn't beat Usyk.

 

The heavyweight top ten looks pretty bad at the moment, but the division is deep.

Ortiz is ancient, and Parker and Whyte have known ceilings. Pulev and Povetkin are finished.

On the other hand, Usyk, Hunter, Yoka, Hrgovic, Joyce, Mahmudov, Dychko and a few others are all talented or at least solid.

 

Eh- I dunno but who would even wanna watch Aussie Joe?