I fought Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier but nobody hit harder than ‘Puncher of the Century’ 

Joe Bugner locked horns with some ferocious punchers during a golden era for heavyweight boxing.

While he was unsuccessful in his only attempt at world honours in 1975 against Muhammad Ali, the British-Australian pugilist enjoyed a stellar career.

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He won the British and Commonwealth heavyweight belts twice, the European title three times and recorded notable victories over Jimmy Ellis and Henry Cooper.

Along the way, Bugner proved he was made of sterner stuff by taking Joe Frazier, Ron Lyle and Ali (twice) the distance.

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.

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.

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.

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, he was left with a bitter taste in his mouth.

“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.

“Apparently, Don King told Earnie to get me out of that ring by any means necessary and not to worry about disqualification.

“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’t pick up on, caused a serious cut.

“That wound above my left eye required 14 stitches, and it wasn’t from a punch.

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“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’m concerned.

“I didn’t like him from the word go. End of story.

“I also have to say that the most vicious and relentless fighter on the planet, in those days, was “Smokin” Joe Frazier.”

Earnie Shavers hit like a truck

Bugner wasn’t alone in his assessment of Shavers’ heavy hands.

After sharing 15 hard rounds with the Alabama slugger, Ali famously quipped that Shavers hit so hard that ‘it shook his kinfolk in Africa.’

The incredibly durable Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb also once said: “Earnie Shavers could punch you in the neck with his right hand and break your ankle.”

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Aptly bestowed the title of ‘The Puncher of the Century’, Shavers was ranked the sixth hardest hitter of all time by Ring Magazine.

Out of 76 wins (76-14-1), 70 of them came inside the distance, including 23 in the first round.

Like Bugner, he wasn’t able to get his hands on a world title, yet his legacy as one of the finest knockout artists to ever grace the ring is cemented in the annals of boxing history.