Joe Bugner

[sonnyboyx2]

How would Bugner fare against the Heavyweights of today.

[SouthPawHitman]

Not very good. He's like 70.

[rightsideup]

He was a solid fighter who had a good career. I recall seeing on youtube a vid of Ali on a British talk show and the host badmouthed bunger and ali came to his defense and said they should be proud to have the second or third best heavy weight in the world. At his peak I sure he would be relevant today

[billeau2]

Not very good. He's like 70.

Yeah but those guys are tough....I would take him at 70 against these Klitsko types any day! just give him a walker and allow a few centium silver's in the water bottle.

[billeau2]

How would Bugner fare against the Heavyweights of today.

Its hard to tell really. Guys like Wepner, Bugner, were of the Toney Galenta line. These guys tend to be seen as not having much technique, which is a misconception...and they tend to favor methods that people today can't relate to as much.

When I think of the heavyweight ranks, guys who have come up through an olympic system that is far from its heyday, and guys who are fighting professionally, sometimes for a title after very little experience... And I see guys in the ring who cannot move a lick, who stand there and trade punches.

Then we see an esablishment that has made these changes seem progressive with things like punch stat numbers, which reward one for throwing punches exclusively, and 12 round fights which limit strategies used in the ring... big gloves, large rings, etc.

Guys like Bugner were made for a different time. These guys had methods for waiting an opponent out, for diffusing punches that looked like they were flush, and for beating up your opponent consistantly over a long stretch of time. These guys had a lot of experience and were very good at adapting in the ring to changes...But there is really no one in the division that is comprable. Mayorga was a bit like these guys, and he had a lot of success against great fighters at times. I can't think of another precedent that would suggest to me how Joe would fare!

[SouthPawHitman]

Yeah but those guys are tough....I would take him at 70 against these Klitsko types any day! just give him a walker and allow a few centium silver's in the water bottle.

Good post..

[SouthPawHitman]

I looked it up and Joe is 65 and his last fight was in 1999 so a comeback is doubtful.

[The Old LefHook]

Bugner would be heavyweight champ in this this era. He was always underrated.

[SouthPawHitman]

Joe's reach is 82 inches which is impressive considering who he fought.