The Bugner Identity

David Tossell

ISBN 10: 183680475X / ISBN 13: 9781836804758

Edité par Pitch Publishing Ltd, GB, 2026

Joe Bugner was the only boxer to take both Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier the distance, and he did it twice to Ali. Bugner faced the very best in a golden era of heavyweights and was British and European champion. He should have been one of the country's most admired sportsmen. Yet he was cursed by his controversial points win over national hero Henry Cooper, and felt he was eventually hounded out of the country he had entered as a six-year-old refugee from Hungary. By the time he became the oldest man to win a version of the world heavyweight crown at 48, he was fighting from the other side of the world as 'Aussie Joe', his achievement met with indifference or even ridicule. Yet the reaction to his death in September 2025 revealed a respect and affection in Britain that would have surprised him. The Bugner Identity is the first major book on this most contentious of British champions. It explores his extraordinary life, his fractured bond with his adopted homeland, and whether history has judged Joe Bugner unfairly. N° de réf. du vendeur LU-9781836804758

Synopsis :

‘Joe Bugner was a great heavyweight in an era of the very best heavyweights’ – Steve Bunce, BBC Radio.

First major book on Joe Bugner, one of Britain’s most colourful and controversial boxers, chronicling a remarkable life in and out of the ring.

Written by renowned award-nominated sports historian and biographer David Tossell, with insight from family, friends and other key figures in Bugner’s life.

Bugner was the only fighter to take both Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier the distance – twice in Ali’s case, including a world-title challenge. He should have been one of Britain’s most admired sportsmen. Yet he was cursed by his contentious points win over national hero Henry Cooper.

This gripping book uncovers:

• Bugner’s escape from Soviet-occupied Hungary as a six-year-old refugee and his arrival in England
• His rise through the heavyweight ranks, the emotionally charged Cooper victory, and the glory years when he was bracketed with the likes of Ali, Frazier and Foreman
• His colourful celebrity life: clashing with Elvis Presley over a robe for Ali, a feud with Russell Crowe on a film set and meeting his future wife at Joan Collins’s house
• His demolition of Richard Dunn and his memorable showdown with Frank Bruno, then the richest fight in British boxing history
• Joe’s move to Australia, his acting career, the loss of his fortune and the financially driven comeback as ‘Aussie Joe’, culminating in the capture of a version of the world crown 31 years after turning pro
• His return to British public life through I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and the renewed fascination with his story

Essential reading for boxing enthusiasts and anyone interested in British sporting history, The Bugner Identity explores his extraordinary life, his fractured bond with his adopted homeland, and whether history has judged Joe Bugner unfairly.

À propos de l'auteur:

David Tossell is the author of 21 previous books. He has been shortlisted seven times in the British Sports Book Awards and three times for the MCC/Cricket Society Book of the Year. He is a former national newspaper journalist and long-time head of European public relations for the National Football League.

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : The Bugner Identity
Éditeur : Pitch Publishing Ltd, GB
Date d'édition : 2026
Reliure : Hardback
Etat : New