He Fought Muhammad Ali, Then Lived in a Van

Rudi Lubbers was a Dutch boxer who represented the Netherlands at the Olympic Games in 1964 and 1968. He turned professional in 1970 and, by his own account, was never beaten by a Dutch opponent. In 1973 he fought Muhammad Ali over twelve rounds in Jakarta, losing on points in a heavyweight bout that earned him 125,000 dollars. He has said the fight made him mentally stronger, and that he stayed friends with Ali.

After boxing he worked at funfairs for several years with his partner, Ria. Ria was declared bankrupt in 1999, and the couple lost their home. They then moved through Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Portugal before reaching Bulgaria a few years before the report.

When Reuters reported on them in February 2019, Lubbers was 73 and the two were living in a broken-down van in the countryside near the village of Kosharitsa, in the southeast of the country. They had no electricity, water or sanitation, and they were enduring freezing temperatures. They also looked after stray dogs, at one point sixteen of them including puppies. Ria's health then suddenly worsened and she was taken to hospital in critical condition, though she had improved a little by the time of the report.

A Dutch television documentary drew attention to their situation, and a crowdfunding campaign raised more than 12,500 euros. Lubbers's son Marco, with whom he had not been in contact for two years, travelled to Bulgaria after seeing the programme. Dutch expatriates also arranged temporary shelter for the dogs.

Lubbers said he still follows boxing, though he feels the sport has become more about brawling than technique.