LONDON, England - Promoter Frank Warren led the tributes to British heavyweight legend Joe Bugner, who has died at the age of 75.

Bugner, who retired in 1999 with a record of 69-13-1 (41 KOs), won multiple British, Commonwealth and European titles over the course of his memorable career.

But it was a career as remarkable for the fights he lost as much as those he won, given he went the distance in valiant defeats against Ron Lyle, Joe Frazier and twice against Muhammad Ali.

The first of those clashes with The Greatest came in 1973 when he dropped a decision at the Convention Center in Las Vegas before their rematch for the world heavyweight title in Kuala Lumpur two years later.

After Ali and Bugner completed all 15 rounds, the judges gave the defending champion the nod but Bugner earned the respect of the sporting world as a result of his performance that night at the Merdeka Stadium. Incredibly, less than five months later, Bugner would then face Frazier, another behemoth of the division, losing narrowly on points.

Bugner was one of the most recognisable faces in boxing across the 1970s, a decade in which he boxed no fewer than 38 times as he emerged as one of the key figures in a golden age for the division. One of the biggest nights of his career came in March 1971, when he narrowly and controversially beat Henry Cooper on points after 15 hard rounds to claim the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight titles against another member of British boxing royalty. Cooper would never box again.

It was a long and storied road to the top for the man once dubbed ‘The Greek God’ due to his physique. Born Jozsef Kreul Bugner in Szoreg, Hungary in 1950, his family fled the Soviet invasion and eventually settled in Cambridgeshire, England.

He took up boxing in Bedford and, after a brief amateur career, turned professional at the age of just 17 and famously lost his debut as he was stopped by 1-3 Paul Brown in the third of their six-rounder. Just 40 days later he was back in the ring, claiming the first win of his career at the York Hall, Bethnal Green via second round stoppage against southpaw Paul Cassidy.

There would be bigger nights and brighter lights along the way for Bugner, who relocated to Australia in 1986, earning him the nickname ‘Aussie Joe’. He was in his house in Australia when he received a phone call from a wannabe boxing promoter called Barry Hearn that would change the course of British boxing history forever.

Snooker promoter Hearn, who had never been involved in boxing promotion before, decided to make a fight between Bugner and Frank Bruno. He was at dinner with his wife Susan when he called Bugner and made him an offer he could not refuse. He was stopped by Bruno in the eighth of their 10-rounder at White Hart Lane, the then home of Tottenham Hotspur FC, on October 24, 1987 but it would be the start of the Matchroom Boxing journey that continues today with Hearn’s son, Eddie.

Another notable British boxing promoter also has Bugner to thank for a watershed moment in his career. Hall of Famer Warren wrote on social media: “Sad news to hear of the passing of Joe Bugner, former British, European and Commonwealth champion and a man who went the distance with both Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

“He also participated in the first fight I did on ITV - a great man who will be missed. I’m sending my regards to his family. May he rest in peace.”

Bugner survived a heart attack in 2014 and also battled cancer. The late, great journalist Colin Hart wrote in 2023 that Bugner was living in a care home in Brisbane, Australia but severe dementia meant he could no longer remember his incredible feats across his career.

His son Joe Jr told Hart: “I found it heart-breaking when I visited him just before Christmas because he didn’t seem to know who I was. I’m afraid he remembers nothing about his boxing career.”

Few details about his death have been confirmed at the time of writing but everyone at The Ring would like to extend their deepest condolences to one of the most enduring heavyweights in boxing history. Joe Bugner, rest in peace.