Joe Bugner Article In Boxing Monthly

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 13 Mar 2008, 05:25

Anyone else read It?

Good read and sounds like he has a lot of stories to tell.

58 today too.

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 14 Mar 2008, 03:29

mercman wrote:
Good read and sounds like he has a lot of stories to tell.
Crikey, yes he's had a heck of a life. Just think about it - never knew his father; fled from the Soviet invasion of Hungary and arrived in Britain as a refugee in the 1950s; a champion athelete as a youth; a professional boxer at the age of 17; British heavyweight champion at 21; fought Ali and Frazier at 23 and retired for the first time at 25; made upteen comebacks in the ring before finally packing it in in his late 40s; lived in the UK, USA and Australia; been in films; owned his own vineyard; earned and spent a fortune; and loads of other stuff too. Love him or hate him I've always thought it would make a good biography or autobiography. Would be a great read... Next project for James McDonnell?...

why the heck doesn't he get on with one then instead of all the comebacks.

it's all there, the story, the readership would be considerable having lived in so many places....think I'll check out the article now.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 14 Mar 2008, 12:28

mercman wrote:
Good read and sounds like he has a lot of stories to tell.
Crikey, yes he's had a heck of a life. Just think about it - never knew his father; fled from the Soviet invasion of Hungary and arrived in Britain as a refugee in the 1950s; a champion athelete as a youth; a professional boxer at the age of 17; British heavyweight champion at 21; fought Ali and Frazier at 23 and retired for the first time at 25; made upteen comebacks in the ring before finally packing it in in his late 40s; lived in the UK, USA and Australia; been in films; owned his own vineyard; earned and spent a fortune; and loads of other stuff too. Love him or hate him I've always thought it would make a good biography or autobiography. Would be a great read... Next project for James McDonnell?...

Not a bad call, has he not already had a biography out?

el_grande_mauro_mina · Post by **el_grande_mauro_mina** » 14 Mar 2008, 12:34

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
mercman wrote:
Good read and sounds like he has a lot of stories to tell.
Crikey, yes he's had a heck of a life. Just think about it - never knew his father; fled from the Soviet invasion of Hungary and arrived in Britain as a refugee in the 1950s; a champion athelete as a youth; a professional boxer at the age of 17; British heavyweight champion at 21; fought Ali and Frazier at 23 and retired for the first time at 25; made upteen comebacks in the ring before finally packing it in in his late 40s; lived in the UK, USA and Australia; been in films; owned his own vineyard; earned and spent a fortune; and loads of other stuff too. Love him or hate him I've always thought it would make a good biography or autobiography. Would be a great read... Next project for James McDonnell?...
Not a bad call, has he not already had a biography out?

Not as far as I know of...

There are plenty of boxers who I would buy a book about

Tony Sibson
Jack Bodell
Richard Dunn
Maurice Hope

Well those 4 haven't had an autobiography out as far as I know.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 14 Mar 2008, 13:25

Problem with that sort of thing is that there ain't a great deal of money in it, unless you can agree on a decent cut of the proceeds.

There's also a lot of things Joe won't want to talk about. Apparently, that is why John Conteh won't do one, he just doesn't want to do one, too many naughties in his past.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 14 Mar 2008, 13:28

How well would a Bugner bio sell in all fairness?

He was always the outsider, the henchman of the piece (although not in a good, Eubank mass market appeal, sort of way)

There wouldnt be many outside of a select boxing hardcore who would be moved to buy a book about him IMO.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 14 Mar 2008, 13:32

I think it would sell ok actually, he's still very well known, particularly because of his fight with Bruno.

Trouble is, boxing books generally don't sell well, unless it is a biography written at the time they are still active. Boxing isn't mainstream enough any more.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 14 Mar 2008, 14:11

Yeah, but Conteh has been approached since to tell his full story, by the same guy who published Magri's, but Conteh wasn't interested.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 14 Mar 2008, 14:12

I agree, Bugners life story would make a great book, very interesting guy, I've always liked him... remember reading about how he used to pay Ali money to spar with him during Ali's exile when Ali was broke, good guy.
Another fighter whose life would make a good book imo is Dennis Andries.... anyone know what he's up to these days....
And 'I Conteh' is a great book, very frank about the naughties too...

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 14 Mar 2008, 14:15

Really? I've never read it. If that's the case then I don't understand why he doesn't want to do another.

Matt W · Post by **Matt W** » 14 Mar 2008, 17:41

I want to see bio/autobios of Marvin Hagler & Thomas Hearns.. Can't believe one hasn't been written on either of them. Terry D could get to work on Marvin... (er, not the hairy version

)

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 14 Mar 2008, 18:07

jamesmcdonnell wrote:I think it would sell ok actually, he's still very well known, particularly because of his fight with Bruno.

Trouble is, boxing books generally don't sell well, unless it is a biography written at the time they are still active. Boxing isn't mainstream enough any more.

You think? Where is his natural fan base? The average punter who reads sporting bios but is not a huge boxing fan per se, would they be tempted?

He may do okay off the back of the men he fought - Cooper, Ali, Frazier, Bruno and the like - but I couldnt see many copies being shifted purely for the 'love' of Bugner, as it were

The general lack of passion that he showed in the ring would convert into tepid book sales IMO.