Joe Bugner Reveals His Recent Battle With Cancer

[Ruthless-RKO]

Former world heavyweight challenger Joe Bugner has confirmed that he has successfully battled cancer and is making a recovery. The 68-year-old has told The Sun that his doctor attributed the skin cancer to too many hours in the sun.

Bugner has lived in Australia since 1986 and has remained there, appearing in TV show I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! since retiring from the sport for good in 1999.
A former British, Commonwealth and European Champion, he defeated Henry Cooper for the titles at Wembley in 1971, Bugner said that he feels good following his bout with cancer.



“Anywhere in the world I've been proud to show off my pecs, but the sun's rays were cooking me like a piece of meat,” he said. “I'm very happy now and back training. I feel so good I'm thinking about another comeback. Anthony Joshua, you'd better look out.”

Bugner lost to Muhammad Ali on two occasions — decision defeats in 1973 and 1975 respectively — as well as suffering defeats at the hands of Joe Frazier (L12 in 1973) and Frank Bruno (TKO 8 in 1987).

However, he made a late career comeback in the mid-1990s, picking up the lightly-regarded WBF title by beating James Smith in 1998 before bowing out of boxing for good after winning by DQ against Levi Billups the following year.

[Kalan]

My favorite fight of Bugner's was the Frank Bruno fight.... I also liked his fight with Marvis Frazier, who was 9-0.

He took good beatings in those 2... He never could slip or duck punches well so he was perfect for slow pokin' Bruno.

[HomicideHenry]

I remember for a time he was in talks of fighting Butterbean in the early 2000s. Rather underrated fighter in the 70s Heavyweight scene. Never quite got his just due. I remember the documentary on his fight with Henry Cooper, and even after forty years Ole Henry was still bitter about losing.

[SenorPipino]

I remember for a time he was in talks of fighting Butterbean in the early 2000s. Rather underrated fighter in the 70s Heavyweight scene. Never quite got his just due. I remember the documentary on his fight with Henry Cooper, and even after forty years Ole Henry was still bitter about losing.

I believe only the referee scored that fight. That would be the notable Harry Gibbs. That might have been a British tradition at the time.

I think Gibbs had Bugner up by a round although the consensus was that Cooper appeared to be the winner by at least 3 rounds.

It was Cooper's final fight.

[Kalan]

I would have loved to see a fight between Floyd Patterson and Bugner at that time... It may have gone the way of Bug's fight with Marvis Frazier .... with Floyd slipping and dodging and scoring with hooks and short rights like Floyd did to Ingo.

Patterson knocked a younger version of Henry Cooper out cold... Patterson was actually younger in age than Cooper so a fight with Joe Bugner would definitely have been a possibility...

[oogiebe]

Brave man. Really a shame. I'm floored that he's only 68 y/o.


He was the first HW boxer who I actually heard use "Shan't" in a sentence. He said, "I shan't get knocked out" or something like that. Class guy.

[ron4972]

I would have loved to see a fight between Floyd Patterson and Bugner at that time... It may have gone the way of Bug's fight with Marvis Frazier .... with Floyd slipping and dodging and scoring with hooks and short rights like Floyd did to Ingo.

Patterson knocked a younger version of Henry Cooper out cold... Patterson was actually younger in age than Cooper so a fight with Joe Bugner would definitely have been a possibility...

The 1971 version of Bugner would have lost a decision to Patterson. No doubt about that. But one year later, in the fall of 1972, Bugner was a much improved fighter. That's when he knocked out Jurgen Blin and Tony Doyle. A few months later Bugner put on world-class losing efforts against Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. That marked the beginning of Bugner's prime.

My hunch is that if Patterson and Bugner had fought anytime after the fall of 1972, then Bugner would have won on points.