Joe Bugner in care home with dementia

Funny thing. I was about to post a reply criticizing those who have never stepped into the ring themselves having the nerve to judge boxers who have the guts to even just to step into the ring. BUT then I thought, hmm, don't jump the gun, better check on this Duff dude.

Okay then, the man had 46 pro bouts, 33 W, 9 loss, 4 draws. He was never KO'd but he only scored 4 KOs (TKOs) himself. The max. durations were 6 or 8 rounds, though I see one 10 rounder.

Still, Joe engaged much bigger and more dangerous fish, so Duff Man should've still minded his manners. Lol. If he was involved in promoting Joe, he would've obviously been talking the impact on his own money-making potentials also, I guess. His own record doesn't necessarily reflect an exciting, go get 'em, fighter but I haven't seen any of his fights.

 

I found this 7 year old clip which might be viewed as having been ominous in hindsight.

Joe refers to his winning the world title - that would the WBF belt vs James Bonecrusher Smith in 1998, when Smith popped his shoulder and couldn’t continue.

However, Joe refers to his opponent on that occasion as being Scrap Iron Johnson, who Joe fought way back 1970.

Seems like an innocent misstatement but these are the things that can begin to creep in. Note Joe said it without a hint of realisation or follow up retraction - as most of us do when we use the wrong name.

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Really sad to hear that he has dementia, UK turned on him because he beat as a 21 year old Henry Cooper 37 by 1/4 point!

He has a very good autobiography.

Lamented for a safety first approach to fights but after beating Ulric Regis on points 8 rounds, Regis sadly passed away.

That took something out of him, mentally in a bad place after.

I met him as a teenager in a work related situation, well if the saying is you take as you find he was a real gent.

 

Yes he came over as a very nice man.

 

I've only just seen this story and naturally it's saddened me.

Joe wasn't the best British heavyweight of all time but he was perhaps the biggest enigma. He was always unpopular; partly because of the Cooper fight, partly because we prefer our sports figures to be humble rather than arrogant, partly because there was always the feeling that he invariably fought within himself and therefore let us down when the desire for a British world heavyweight champions was desperate, but mainly, I suspect, because he enjoyed playing the bad guy. Modern promoters would have loved him.

The feud with Cooper was petty, although it always seemed one-sided. Cooper never got over that night, even though it enshrined his public perception, while Bugner moved on. A few years ago Steve Bunce brought the two of them together for a film and Bugner seemed to take delight in still needling Cooper, who with hindsight was already showing signs of his own dementia. Neither Bugner nor Bunce could have known the state of his health so no blame could be attached to either, but it now makes uncomfortable viewing.

I hope Joe is cared for until the end of his days and I hope that in some way, wherever his mind may be, he's reliving his greatest moments because, when he was motivated and in shape, he was a world-class boxer.

 

I don't know if you remember the Bugner decision broke Henry's heart . He said " I'm finished with boxing" True to his word Henry was on the sports quiz program Question of Sport. He was captain of one Team Cliff Morgan the rugby player captained the other. Each had four in the team. They had one segment where each player had a question on their own sport. Henry refused to answer boxing questions he always picked golf

 

Yes, I’ve read that Henry was an avid golfer with an excellent handicap. That’s one thing Cooper noted re Ali - he said many other fighters have some sporting interests aside from boxing - but with Ali it was only ever and always boxing.