Tributes have been paid to Joe Bugner, the British heavyweight who twice fought Muhammad Ali, after his death at the age of 75. Frank Bruno, who beat Bugner in 1987, called it 'a sad day for boxing'.
Bugner twice held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles and was a three-time European champion during boxing's golden age in the 1970s. He fought 83 times, taking Ali and Joe Frazier the distance in 1973, and losing to Ali again in a 1975 world title bout in Kuala Lumpur.
Born in Hungary in 1950, Bugner's family fled to the UK after the Soviet invasion. He defeated Henry Cooper in a controversial 1971 decision and later moved to Australia, becoming known as 'Aussie Joe'. Despite a defensive style that sometimes alienated fans, he was respected for his toughness.
Bugner retired in 1976 but made several comebacks, finally hanging up his gloves in 1999 after winning the WBF belt at age 48. Outside boxing, he appeared in films, played golf with Dean Martin, and was a friend of Tom Jones. He died in a Brisbane care home after suffering from dementia.
