Following his retirement from the sport , Cooper continued his career as a television and radio personality and was enormously popular in Britain : he was the first ( and is today one of just three people ) to twice win the public vote for BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award and is thus far the only boxer to be awarded a knighthood .
He was the first ( and is today one of just three people ) to twice win the public vote for BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award .