3<\/p>\n Bugner shared the ring with Frazier, Bruno, Lyle and Ali (twice)Credit: AFP<\/p>\n He won the British and Commonwealth heavyweight belts twice, the European title three times and recorded notable victories over Jimmy Ellis and Henry Cooper.<\/p>\n Along the way, Bugner proved he was made of sterner stuff by taking Joe Frazier<\/a>, Ron Lyle and Ali (twice) the distance.<\/p>\n The first man to stop him since his disastrous debut against Paul Brown in 1967 was Earnie Shavers, some 15 years later at the Reunion Arena in Dallas. <\/p>\n Bugner was downed in the opening stanza by a booming right hand before the fight was waved off in the second round due to a deep laceration above the travelling fighter’s left eye.<\/p>\n READ MORE ON BOXING <\/p>\n While the referee determined the cut was a result of a punch, therefore handing Shavers the victory via TKO, Bugner insisted it had been caused by a headbutt.<\/p>\n And while Bugner affirmed years later that Shavers was the hardest puncher he ever faced during a sit-down interview with Ring Magazine in 2013<\/a>, he was left with a bitter taste in his mouth. <\/p>\n “He was an enormous puncher, but I have a real issue with that fight because of a conversation Shavers and I had years later,” said Bugner, who sadly passed away in September last year.<\/a><\/p>\n “Apparently, Don King<\/a> told Earnie to get me out of that ring by any means necessary and not to worry about disqualification.<\/p>\n “Now, if you watch the fight, I get caught with a good right hand in round two, but a follow-up head butt, which the referee didn\u2019t pick up on, caused a serious cut. <\/p>\n “That wound above my left eye required 14 stitches, and it wasn\u2019t from a punch.<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n Shavers’ legendary power stood out above the rest in Bugner’s mindCredit: GETTY<\/p>\n “Now, take into account that Don King was a creature of incredible power within the boxing world, and he played dirty as far as I\u2019m concerned. <\/p>\n “I didn\u2019t like him from the word go. End of story.<\/p>\n “I also have to say that the most vicious and relentless fighter on the planet, in those days, was “Smokin”\u00a0Joe Frazier.”<\/p>\n Earnie Shavers hit like a truck<\/p>\n Bugner wasn’t alone in his assessment of Shavers’ heavy hands.<\/p>\n After sharing 15 hard rounds with the Alabama slugger, Ali famously quipped that Shavers hit so hard that ‘it shook his kinfolk in Africa.’<\/p>\n The incredibly durable Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb also once said: \u201cEarnie Shavers could punch you in the neck with his right hand and break your ankle.”<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n 70 of Shavers’ 76 wins came via knockoutCredit: Getty<\/p>\n![\"Bugner](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1973-former-european-champion-british-1020083585.jpg\")
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