Career
Dunn was defeated by many top boxers of the time, losing to Muhammad Ali, Joe Bugner, Jimmy Young, and Kallie Knoetze. However, he did defeat some professional fighters such as Johnny Griffin, Neville Meade, Bunny Johnson and Danny McAlinden. However, in May 1973 Dunn defeated Billy Aird on points in an eliminator for the British Heavyweight Championship at Grosvenor House in London.
He lost the final eliminator against Bunny Johnson in October after a tenth round knockout at the King"s Hall in Manchester.
However, when he faced the same opponent at the Empire Pool at Wembley for both the British and Commonwealth titles in September 1975, he prevailed on points after 15 rounds. He made his first defence against McAlindon just two months later.
After winning the European Heavyweight title with a third round TKO OF Bernd August in April 1976, he was given the chance of fighting for the WBC and WBA titles against Ali in Munich, Germany, for which he received £52,000 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £472,500 in 2011). Although he was seriously overmatched, many British fans have said that Dunn made one of the most courageous showings of any British fighter when he faced Ali.
Dunn was knocked down five times in five rounds.
After the fight, Muhammad Ali promised the gloves he had used in the fight to British promoter Mickey Duff, who was raising funds for Chris Finnegan, a terrific fighter who had lost sight in one eye. When he passed his gloves to Duff"s Puerto Rico Norman Giller in the ring, Ali told Giller to look inside. In one it was written "Ali wins" and in the other "round five".
Dunn lost his next fight to Joe Bugner, surrendering all his titles in a stunning first round knockout and retired after his next fight, a fifth round defeat to big hitting Kallie Knoetze in the Ellis Park Tennis Stadium in Johannesburg.
Richard Dunn is now retired and living in Scarborough. On television in around 2005 he explained serious injuries he received from an unfortunate accident whilst working on an oil rig.