Joe Bugner, who has died aged 75, twice went the distance with the great Muhammad Ali – the second time in a failed 1975 world title challenge – and also lost to the fearsome Joe Frazier in an epic contest. But the British sporting public never loved him in the way of heavyweight boxers such as Frank Bruno, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Perhaps he was never forgiven for defeating Henry Cooper at Wembley, three days after his 21st birthday in March 1971, by the narrowest of margins in a points decision that remained a subject of controversy for decades to come.
