Joe Bugner vs. David Tua

[Jaguar]

Bugner could be lackadaisical. However, Tua could as well. In some fights he was very aggressive, in other fights he did little look to land a big left hook. i.e. most of the Lewis fight, and the Byrd fight. He looked bad in most of the Oquendo fight until he stopped him.
Idiotic to question Bugner's durability. He got stopped in his very first fight, then wasn't stoppedfor another 15 years when he fought Earnie Shavers.

Yes, and the Shavers stoppage was on a cut. The only time Bugner was ever counted out was as a 17-year-old in his first fight.

[Joson]

Bugner could be lackadaisical. However, Tua could as well. In some fights he was very aggressive, in other fights he did little look to land a big left hook. i.e. most of the Lewis fight, and the Byrd fight. He looked bad in most of the Oquendo fight until he stopped him.
Idiotic to question Bugner's durability. He got stopped in his very first fight, then wasn't stoppedfor another 15 years when he fought Earnie Shavers.

Yes, and the Shavers stoppage was on a cut. The only time Bugner was ever counted out was as a 17-year-old in his first fight.

The Shavers stoppage was also Bugner's first real fight in five years (Ron Lyle, 1977), aside from a ridiculously easy tune-up against Gilberto Acosta. The ring rust showed. Bugner's speed was not up-to-par against Ernie.

From the film, it's clear Bugner's getting decisively beaten. But you can see signs that the tide might change. Joe's standing-up against power-shots that would have leveled most other heavyweight. In the second, Shavers hurts Bugner, and puts him down with a monster right. But Bugner arises clear headed. The fight resumes, and Joe starts throwing more punches.

Shavers' punch output in both rounds is amazingly high, and as the second unfolds, I thought I sensed the first signs of arm-weariness in Earnie. Bugner's still getting the worse of it, but he seems almost unhurtable and is tossing more leather.

Then the cut. Bad break for Bugner. It's over.

Bugner vs. Shavers is great match at any point between 1973 and 1983, IMO. It could go either way depending on who's having the better night. If Shavers wins, it's the short run. If Bugner wins, it's the long run. It's either 50%/50% or 60%/40% Shavers IMO.

[Jaguar]

Bugner could be lackadaisical. However, Tua could as well. In some fights he was very aggressive, in other fights he did little look to land a big left hook. i.e. most of the Lewis fight, and the Byrd fight. He looked bad in most of the Oquendo fight until he stopped him.
Idiotic to question Bugner's durability. He got stopped in his very first fight, then wasn't stoppedfor another 15 years when he fought Earnie Shavers.

Yes, and the Shavers stoppage was on a cut. The only time Bugner was ever counted out was as a 17-year-old in his first fight.

The Shavers stoppage was also Bugner's first real fight in five years (Ron Lyle, 1977), aside from a ridiculously easy tune-up against Gilberto Acosta. The ring rust showed. Bugner's speed was not up-to-par against Ernie.

From the film, it's clear Bugner's getting decisively beaten. But you can see signs that the tide might change. Joe's standing-up against power-shots that would have leveled most other heavyweight. In the second, Shavers hurts Bugner, and puts him down with a monster right. But Bugner arises clear headed. The fight resumes, and Joe starts throwing more punches.

Shavers' punch output in both rounds is amazingly high, and as the second unfolds, I thought I sensed the first signs of arm-weariness in Earnie. Bugner's still getting the worse of it, but he seems almost unhurtable and is tossing more leather.

Then the cut. Bad break for Bugner. It's over.

Bugner vs. Shavers is great match at any point between 1973 and 1983, IMO. It could go either way depending on who's having the better night. If Shavers wins, it's the short run. If Bugner wins, it's the long run. It's either 50%/50% or 60%/40% Shavers IMO.

Yep, I thought Shavers was almost going into panic mode before the stoppage. You could see him throwing everything at Bugner but Bugner seemed to be weathering the storm and firing back. But then the cut.

I've always wondered how it would have panned out had it not been for the cut.

Either way, Shavers was a ridiculous choice for a comeback fight. What was Bugner thinking of?

ps. I think Bugner actually got dropped at the end of round one (from a big 'hit and hold' uppercut) but he bounced straight back up and made it to the end of the round, then came firing back before the cut in the second.