When Henry Cooper hit the big time - Telegraph Boxing When Henry Cooper hit the big time Fifty years ago on Monday, Henry Cooper defeated Brian London in a bloody 15-round battle at Earl's Court, to start a glorious, unbeaten reign of just over 12 years as British heavyweight champion. Not bowed: a bloodied Henry Cooper surprises Brian London with a left at Earl's Court in 1959 Photo: PA By Gareth A Davies 7:30AM GMT 12 Jan 2009 Harold Macmillan was Prime Minister, Fidel Castro was taking control of Cuba, and Charles de Gaulle had just been sworn in as President of France. If the political scene was far removed from today, so too was the sporting landscape. In those days, the British heavyweight champion was a major figure in British sport. American champions were also popular – Floyd Patterson, Archie Moore, Carmen Basilio, Sugar Ray Robinson, all had huge followings in the UK. Cooper remembers: "The British heavyweight scene was very strong in those days. The public could always name the best heavyweights around. These days, a lot of people don't even know who the British champion is.

"There were always between 10 and 20 very decent heavyweights around. At the time, we had London, Dick Richardson, Joe Bygraves and Joe Erskine." Related Articles McGuigan back in the game 10 Jan 2009 Through the Sixties, Cooper became hugely popular, his standing enhanced as he made nine successful defences of the British title. Indeed, he is still the only champion to be awarded three Lonsdale belts outright by the British Boxing Board of Control. A rule change in 1987 allowing the Lonsdale belt to be awarded only once in any one division to a fighter means that Cooper will forever be the only boxer to achieve the Lonsdale treble. Cooper's familiar, rugged, face and dignified bearing, along with his hammer of a left hook, became etched in British sporting folklore. He was twice the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and became Sir Henry in 2000. But back on that night – Jan 12, 1959 –plain Henry Cooper, from Bellingham, in south east London, was far from the finished article, with a professional record of 17 wins, seven losses, and one draw.

He was already renowned for his left hook, and also his resilience, and heart. More than once he had got up off the canvas to win. Victory against London, a bitter rival, also meant he was able to wrap the belts for the European and Commonwealth titles around his waist. The previous year, London, known as the 'Blackpool Rock', had won the British and Commonwealth titles from Erskine, who had beaten Cooper, on points, in 1957. As champion, Cooper went on to beat Erskine three times. "Can it really be 50 years?" Cooper, now 74, wondered. . . . He had weighed in at 13st 8lb. London was 16lb heavier. "I can remember the night. Perhaps not the detail. Yes, the old Earl's Court. There must have been 10 or 11,000 people in there. Brian was much bigger than me weight-wise, but I always thought that I could beat him," Cooper recalled. "I was a better boxer than him – he used to leave himself open. I had stopped him a couple of years earlier in the first round.

I poked his head off for 15 rounds with my left hand to win those belts. Brian was a big strong guy, and if you let him get on top, he could dominate, so I went at him from the start. He was always a rough handful. He came at me with his heart in it. We were both exhausted after the fight. I could barely stand up." How time has healed the wounds and softened the memories of what was in fact, a brutal fight. Cooper finished with his face a mask of blood, with cuts above and below his left eye, and a gash above his right eye, while London could barely stand. Donald Saunders, the Daily Telegraph boxing correspondent, wrote that at the end "they looked as if they had been hitting each other with meat axes." It was a blue-riband title in those days, and Cooper's success, and his two fights with Muhammad Ali, one for the world title in 1966, made 'Our 'Enery' a household name throughout the 1960s. The winner of the Cooper-London bout was pencilled in to get a shot at Floyd Patterson's heavyweight title.

However, Cooper's manager, Jim Wicks, turned down the chance. London went instead, against the wishes of the Board, and was fined £1,000. "It was the first chance I had been offered at a world title, and I was still learning the trade then," Cooper explained. "Jim thought it wasn't the right time. What I do remember is with my winnings, I bought a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Wembley for £5,200. "I've been retired 38 years now, and my diary is as full as ever. I have been on the after-dinner speaking circuit for 25 years. The nice thing is that people always seem pleased to see me," explained one of Britain's enduring sporting icons. Cooper explained he has long since given up following the British, or even world heavyweight scene closely, though he does believe emerging heavyweight David Haye has something promising about him. "You see, the boxing game is a different game now, money is god. Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe get millions of pounds for fighting, I could have been boxing until I was 60," he joked. "Good luck to them. I'm not jealous.

I'm very proud of my achievements. I held the title until my last fight against Joe Bugner, in 1971." With that loss, Cooper retired, having held the British championship two months short of 11 years, and with a professional record of 40 wins (27 by knockout) 14 defeats and one draw. Our 'Enery, still revered by a generation, remains what he always has been. A one-off. Cooper’s heavyweight reign Defeats Brian London on Jan 12 1959 to take British, European and Commonwealth titles. Defends against Joe Erskine three times: Nov 1959 (TKO 12); March 1961 (TKO 9) and April 1962 (KO 9) .

Further defences followed against Dick Richardson in March 1963 (KO 5), London Feb 1964 (Pts15 ), Johnny Prescott June 1965 (TKO 10), Jack Bodell June 1967 (TKO 2), Billy Walker Nov 1967 (TKO 6) and Bodell March 1970 (Pts 15). Cooper controversially lost to Bugner on points in March 1971, and announced his retirement. Sir Henry Cooper - Telegraph UK News Sir Henry Cooper Sir Henry Cooper, who died on May 1 aged 76, was the most popular and respected British boxer of the postwar era.

Image 1 of 2 Henry Cooper knocks down Muhammad Ali, during the fourth round of their world heavyweight fight, at Wembley in 1963 Photo: PA Muhammad Ali and Sir Henry Cooper pose together in Windsor in 2009 Photo: AP 6:28PM BST 03 May 2011 Comments Cooper was the only man ever to win three Lonsdale belts, each awarded for three successful defences of the British heavyweight title he held for 12 years. His embodiment of the virtues of courage and modesty endeared him to millions of fellow Englishmen as “Our ’Enery” His most celebrated fight took place before a crowd of 35,000 at Wembley in June 1963. Cassius Clay, not yet world champion, had predicted he would win inside five rounds. Cooper had acquired a reputation for cutting easily, and when blood appeared around his eye in the third round, Clay’s bragging seemed justified. But the American had seriously underestimated Cooper. At the end of the next round he caught Clay with his celebrated left hook. It was the first time Clay had ever been knocked down and he was only saved by the bell.

His canny trainer, Angelo Dundee, made the most of a split in one of Clay’s gloves, giving him time to recover. When he emerged he was able to pepper Cooper’s eye with the torn glove, and as blood poured down Cooper’s face the referee ended the fight. When Cooper challenged him for the world title three years later the returning Muhammad Ali paid due respect. His mobility proved too much for Cooper and, cut by the heel of a glove, he was again forced to retire, honour intact. Cooper later fought the former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, but was knocked out in the fourth round. Henry Cooper was born in Westminster, London, on May 3 1934. He was 20 minutes older than his twin brother, George. Their father, a tram driver, was an amateur boxer while their grandfather had been a bare-knuckle fighter. Even their grandmother was said to have boxed like a man. Related Articles Henry Cooper, the former boxer, dies aged 76 02 May 2011 Henry was brought up at Bellingham in south-east London and attended Athelney Road school. During the Second World War he and George were evacuated to Sussex.

Being billeted with an elderly disciplinarian was an unpleasant experience for the inseparable scamps. From the age of nine the pair were learning to box, and at 15 they joined the noted Eltham club. On leaving school, plastering work developed Henry’s physique and he won his first competition at 17. Shortly before he had beaten a former police champion twice his age, convincing himself of his own talent. Cooper was to win 73 of his 84 amateur fights, although he lost the first four. Years later he blamed his mother for plying him with bread pudding before those bouts. In 1952 he won his first Amateur Boxing Association title, as a light-heavyweight. He represented Britain at the Helsinki Olympics but lost his first fight. He and George then joined the RAOC for National Service. Both were, unsurprisingly, sent to the so-called Boxers’ Battalion, which each year dominated the Army Championships. The Coopers spent rather more time in the gym than on guard duty. They turned professional in 1954. From the first their manager, Jim Wicks, realised their publicity potential, even televising their signing to him.

Wicks was soon content to trust Henry’s judgment as to his training regime and ideal fighting weight, for the 6ft tall, 13st 7 lbs fighter favoured suppleness over bulk. Wicks never overboxed Cooper, considerably prolonging his career. He also made him wash his face three times a day in a mixture of alum and brine claimed to toughen the skin – with an effect that was perhaps more psychological than physical. Cooper had a difficult two years from September 1956, winning only one of seven fights. An open air challenge for the European heavyweight title was lost when Ingemar Johansson knocked out Cooper while the sun was in his eyes. He considered quitting boxing, but in 1958 outpunched Zora Folley, ranked third in the world, to restore his confidence. In 1959 he won his first British and Empire titles, from Brian London, in 15 hard rounds. Cooper’s victories were built on technique, aggression and his ferocious left hook, which some observers believe to be the finest of any heavyweight. Although he led with his right, he was naturally left-handed and it was this that lent the blow such power.

At its best it travelled only a few inches, yet it landed with a force of four and a half tons. When filmed it proved to be 40 times too fast for the eye to see. The model of gentlemanly courtesy out of the ring, Cooper was streetwise if never dirty within it. He was particularly adept at hitting opponents as they came out of a clinch. He was not a strategic fighter, liking to take a fight as it developed rather than have a set plan. In 1961 Cooper won the first of his Lonsdale belts, but lost to Folley. Had he won he would have fought the waning Floyd Patterson for the world title. He was not at his best against Folley, being hampered by an injury to his left elbow suffered years before when he was plastering. It was to trouble him until he retired. Cooper won his second belt shortly before he fought Clay, and in 1964 claimed the European title for the first time. His elbow injury, however, prevented him from defending it, and the title was stripped from him. The next year he enjoyed knocking out Chip Johnson in their first round — Johnson had effectively ended George Cooper’s boxing career the previous year.

Then, in 1967, Henry was awarded his unprecedented third belt after defeating Billy Walker. He regained his European title in 1968 and successfully defended it the next year in the roughest fight of his career. The Italian Piero Tomasoni delivered several blows below the belt, and after the fight Cooper’s groin protector resembled a crushed can. The offending Tomasoni was dispatched with a hook that lifted his feet from the canvas. Cooper had already decided to retire when be lost to Joe Bugner on a controversial points decision in March 1971. He had won 40 and lost 14 of his professional contests, with one drawn. An earlier venture as a greengrocer had proved a financial disaster, but in retirement Cooper steadily added to the money he had made from his fights. He became a familiar face on television, both as a commentator and as a promoter of everything from cereal to paint. For one brand of cologne he famously urged the nation to “splash it all over”. He indulged his passion for golf and fast cars as well as undertaking much charity work.

He also became a director of several underwriting companies; when he lost money in Lloyds, he was forced, to his great sadness, to auction his Lonsdale belts in 1993. He was a keen advocate of boxing for boys as a means of acquiring self- discipline. Baroness Summerskill once pointed to his battered nose when arguing against the sport. “Boxing’s my excuse,” countered Cooper, “What’s yours?” He despised the hype surrounding modern big fights. A staunch monarchist, Cooper’s dignity and charm made him a great favourite with the Royal Family. He was appointed OBE in 1969 and knighted in 2000. He was also awarded a papal knighthood in 1978 for his charity work. He was also much loved by the British public, and was twice voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He wrote several books, including a modest autobiography, published in 1972. Henry Cooper married, in 1960, Albina Genepri, an Italian waitress at his favourite restaurant. He adopted her Catholic faith and it was an extremely happy marriage, though she could never bring herself to watch him fight.

They had two sons. Sir Henry Cooper obituary | Sport | The Guardian Sir Henry Cooper obituary British heavyweight boxing champion known for his warmth, indomitable spirit and a left hook dubbed 'Enry's 'Ammer Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper before their world heavyweight title fight in London. Photograph: Aubrey Hart/Getty Images Sunday 1 May 2011 17.31 EDT First published on Sunday 1 May 2011 17.31 EDT Share on Messenger Close Sir Henry Cooper , beloved of British postwar generations as no heavyweight boxer before him, has died aged 76. His warmth and indomitable personality, together with his rise from humble roots, gave him a popularity far beyond his sport's normal boundaries. He was never world champion, but his good spirits seemed to hold a gift for everyone, even for his most notable conqueror, Muhammad Ali.

At Wembley stadium, on 18 June 1963, Cooper landed Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, on his pants with a punch that made boxing history – a left hook travelling five and a half inches at 30mph with 60 times the force of gravity, striking the side of the American's jaw. The world came to know it as 'Enry's 'Ammer, and it felled Ali as never before. However, in front of 55,000 people, Ali was "saved by the bell" amid unique controversy. Ali, then 21, had fought only one major figure, the ageing Archie Moore, before his arrival in London to meet Cooper, the experienced 29-year-old British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion, over 10 rounds. With a multimillion-dollar syndicate behind Ali's world championship ambition, and Cooper in his prime, it was a fight attracting worldwide interest. Already, the Kentucky fighter's braggadocio ("I am the prettiest ... I am the greatest") had brought him the title of the Louisville Lip.

But, after Cooper's hammer blow, Ali's corner were up to various tricks before the Englishman fell victim to a cut eye in the fifth round. In later years, Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee, admitted tweaking the loose stitching of his fighter's right glove so that the formal minute interval was stretched by six seconds before a replacement was found. His use of smelling salts also defied the rules. "For a fit man," Cooper said later, "seconds are a lifetime. When you are really trained up, you need only 20 seconds and you are back to your old self." Ali's long reach and quickness posed Cooper, himself the lightest of heavyweights, 13st 13lb at his heaviest, some early problems. "For my money, he was the fastest heavyweight of all time, and a stone and a half heavier than me," Cooper acknowledged. "There was never a still target in front of you. He wasn't a counter-puncher, nothing to compare with Floyd Patterson . Nor a puncher like Rocky Marciano. It was a flicker with the left, or a long-arm right that could drag and tear your skin." Ali caught Cooper with a typical blow in the third round.

Jim Wicks, Cooper's manager, known as "The Bishop" and always protective of his man, was all for ending the fight as the blood flowed down his fighter's cheek. Cooper, in the corner interval, pleaded for one more round as his "cuts" man, Danny Holland, applied an adrenalin-Vaseline compound. In Cooper's view, he could still take his man – and he very nearly did. The 'Ammer smacked into Ali's chin as he backed into the ropes, the American's speed for once not saving him. Ali slid down the ropes, the slowness helping him. The referee, Tommy Little, reached a count of five, then Ali rose, in Cooper's view like an amateur, his arms dangling, an open target. But the bell rang, and boxing history took another turn. "Oh boy!" was Cooper's autobiographical note. "If it had only happened in the second minute." As it was, Ali took the world title in his next fight, against Sonny Liston.

Cooper was to meet Ali – by then, his name had been formally changed after his conversion to Islam – for a world title fight at Arsenal's Highbury stadium, London, on 21 May 1966. Again the fight had to be stopped for a cut eye, this time in the sixth round. The gash was deeper and longer than any of Cooper's career. The Englishman reckoned himself narrowly ahead on points, but the blow was typically Ali, a long punch grazing with the heel of the glove. "It was a physical thing that let me down," Cooper said. "Prominent bones and weak tissue around the eyes. But I was never as bad as my brother, George. After all, I went on until I was 37." For years afterwards, Ali would pay tribute to Cooper.

British boxing writers visiting him in the US would be told: "Give my regards to Henry." Overall, Cooper's record was unmatched by any British fighter of his or any other time – winner of 40 of his 55 contests, 27 by knockout, one drawn, in a 17-year career from 1954 to 1971; winner of three Lonsdale belts for three successive British heavyweight title victories; holder of European and Commonwealth/Empire titles for sustained periods, the British for about 11 years. Many thought him unlucky to lose his last fight, and all three titles, to Joe Bugner, with a controversial points decision by the referee Harry Gibbs at Wembley stadium, on 16 March 1971. Cooper had a strong regard for the boxers of his time, men such as Brian London, Joe Erskine, Joe Bygraves, Dick Richardson, Jack Bodell and, at the last, Bugner. In his later years, he came to despise what he saw as tawdry dealings in overweight punch slingers with little of the skill that he had prized.

Even for his times, he was nearer the cruiserweight mark than a true heavyweight, but the weight of his left hook was that of a champion, and the postwar sporting world provided him with a multitude of fans, to whom he was ever attached. "Old mums and good-looking young girls, it didn't matter," he said. "Running along the street for your Ali training, they'd shout at you, 'Button his lip.' Not that I minded. His lip earned me good money." Cooper, too, could be swift and able with the spoken word. In a 1970 TV debate, Lady (Edith) Summerskill, a notable opponent of boxing, inquired: "Mr Cooper, have you looked in the mirror and seen the state of your nose?" Quickly, he replied: "Well, have you? Boxing is my excuse – what's yours?" It was ungallant, he acknowledged afterwards, but after a pleasant-enough discussion she had rather ambushed him.

Cooper's career coincided with the dawn of the black-and-white TV era, and he was soon to stand with Stanley Matthews , Lester Piggott, Bobby Charlton, Roger Bannister, Leonard Hutton and Denis Compton as a national sporting hero. In his case, too, it extended to a long semi-retirement in which charity and public entertainment played a significant part. He was knighted in 2000 as much for public services as for his boxing skill and courage. They were qualities much leavened by a natural humour and modesty. He was an unabashed royalist, and made no secret of his pleasure in attending lunch at Buckingham Palace with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Cooper loved to tell of his beginnings, and the tales were later repeated in pubs and civic halls all over the country. "We were born, George and me, on 3 May 1934 ... the biggest surprise of my mother's life. Not wanting to see the x-rays beforehand, she was going to call us Walter. Then one of the nurses took a peep at us and said, 'They're a proper little Henry and George.

They're going to be six-footers.' And that's how it stuck." George was to fight professionally as Jim because of another George Cooper boxing at the time. He retired long before Henry because of his more prominent brow and more vulnerable skin. Born in Southwark, south-east London, Cooper always saw himself as an "Elephant" boy, meaning the Elephant and Castle area, famous in the early part of the century for horse-trading. There, his half-Irish grandfather bought and sold horses. The Thomas a Becket gym, where Cooper trained for the Ali world title fight, was part of that heritage. Cooper's father, also called Henry, had been a Royal Artillery regular from 1919. A useful amateur boxer, he had inherited a gift with horses and was a driver in gun teams inspected by King George V. He served in Burma from 1942, leaving Lily, his wife, to fend for the twins and their elder brother, Bern. The family had moved to a council estate in Bellingham, south-east London, in 1940, but the twins were soon evacuated to Lancing, West Sussex.

The boys returned to Athelney Road school, queueing for rations, chopping wood, doing paper rounds and generally living off their wits. "Golf balls were scarce so we'd nick them off the fairway, run round the clubhouse and sell 'em back to grateful members for a tanner," said Cooper, who later became a chairman of the Variety Club golf section. A natural left-hander, Cooper started to box as a normal right-hander, not a "southpaw", when a neighbour, Bob Hill, a local fireman, took the brothers along to Bellingham Boxing Club. As an amateur with Eltham Boxing Club, Cooper won 73 of 84 contests, including the ABA light-heavyweight championship in 1952. That year, at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, he suffered a second-stage points defeat to a Soviet boxer, Anatoli Petrov. The French judge awarded Cooper the verdict, but the other two, from communist countries, came down the other way. The twins turned professional after completing their national service with the "boxers' battalion" of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.

Under the astute, paternal Wicks, Cooper won his first nine fights, the ninth against an old foe, the 15-stone Bygraves, which was especially rewarding. The next ended with a cut-eye retirement after a clash of heads with the Italian Uber Bacilieri. Early title challenges to Bygraves, Erskine and Ingemar Johansson ended in defeat, but his career took off with a points victory over the highly rated American Zora Folley, followed in December 1959 by the capture of the British and Empire belts from Brian London. Next came successful defences against Dick Richardson, Erskine, Johnny Prescott and London again. In a 1969 European title defence at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, against another Italian, Piero Tomasoni, Cooper suffered the lowest blow of his career – a dent seven inches below his navel in the aluminium cup covering his genitals. He fell to the canvas, only for the referee to carry on counting. He recovered to win on a fifth-round knockout, but kept the cup as a souvenir. There were three dents in it.

The world heavyweight fight in which Ali wounded Cooper's eye was the only one watched by his Italian-born wife, Albina. They had met while Albina, born in an Apennine village, was a 16-year-old serving in an Italian restaurant in Soho, central London. They married in 1960 and had two sons, Henry Marco and John Pietro. Appointed OBE in 1969, Cooper was voted BBC sports personality of the year in 1967 and 1970. He made no great fortune out of boxing. His decision to retire was already established before his last fight, against Bugner in July 1971. Modestly comfortable, he still needed to auction off his Lonsdale belts after the collapse of a Lloyd's of London syndicate lost him a huge lump of his savings. The Canterbury auction made only £40,000 where £100,000 was expected. He collaborated on books, including one with me in 1972, a taped and edited life story that succeeded David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon as a paperback bestseller, at 40p a copy.

For three years, Cooper chaired a team in the BBC's Question of Sport quizshow, his knowledge of sport proving encyclopedic. Advertisers homed in. For Brut, he would become associated with aftershave, for the NHS, he was a face to encourage flu jabs for the elderly. His charity work included raising funds for more than 100 Sunshine coaches for children who were ill or had disabilities. One of the coaches was named after Albina. In 1998, he famously suffered a snake bite in the golfing rough, which led to a spell in hospital over the Christmas holiday. More seriously, an obscure heart condition developed which latterly restricted both his golf and his charity work. His fighting spirit kept him going throughout. It was never in Cooper's nature to turn people away. Just before the referee Harry Gibbs died, in 1999, they shook hands. "For charity," Cooper said with a laugh. Hard as it might have been, that was the measure of the man. Albina's death from a sudden heart attack in 2008 was a profound blow to the family. George died in 2010. Cooper is survived by his sons.

John Rawling writes: Our 'Enry was undoubtedly something of a national treasure, but the story regarding the supposed splitting of the glove by Angelo Dundee – happily corroborated by Henry in his second career as an after-dinner speaker – was a mischievous manipulation of the truth which allowed Dundee to paint himself as the master trainer who pulled a stroke to help young Cassius Clay survive the knockdown. For his part, Henry was only too happy to acquiesce to a tale which added to the legend of 'Enry's 'Ammer, which so nearly defeated the heavyweight who would ultimately be recognised as the greatest of all time. In reality, analysis of the television recording and the radio broadcast, which survives in its entirety, reveals a somewhat more prosaic truth. Dundee did indeed call the referee to his corner to inspect Clay's glove, but the referee made no instruction for the glove to be changed and instead ruled that the contest could continue. The minute's interval was not stretched by 66 seconds, as some tales had it, but actually lasted a little longer than 66 seconds in total.

The matter was pointed out to me by the respected commentator and journalist Reg Gutteridge , who died in 2009, and was at ringside reporting the fight. It was supported by the first-hand accounts of those who were there and by Simon Smith's famous BBC radio commentary. The fact is that the glove incident was an embellishment of the truth that has entered sporting mythology as fact. For several years, I commentated with Henry at major fights for BBC radio. His iconic status meant that he was mobbed by autograph hunters wherever we were, to the extent that I would frequently feel more like a minder than a colleague. "Come on, Henry, we've got to get out of here to record that interview," was the advice that I would give to let him eventually walk away and make his exit from the arena. Unquestionably, Henry became increasingly irritated by the hype surrounding fighters such as Chris Eubank and especially Frank Bruno, whom he saw as a strong but limited fighter who was lucky to have ever had a chance to challenge once for a world title, let alone be given four opportunities.

It was after Bruno's 1995 victory against the similarly limited Oliver McCall, which brought the Englishman the WBC version of the heavyweight title, that Henry walked away from commentary. He had not gone along with the jingoistic adulation of Bruno in his moment of triumph, and was criticised in some quarters for giving what was seen as only grudging praise. Thereafter, Henry filled his time making numerous public appearances and playing a very decent, if less than aesthetically pleasing, game of golf. He was a charming companion, and always prepared to give his time to young and old. When asked to explain Henry's enduring popularity, I would explain that if he were to be offered £10,000 to make an after-dinner speech, and it clashed with an unpaid appearance at a boys' club when he had given his word that he would attend, Henry would unhesitatingly refuse the fat cheque and be there for the youngsters. He was a good boxer, but an outstanding man.

• Henry Cooper, boxer, born 3 May 1934; died 1 May 2011 Obituary: Sir Henry Cooper, heavyweight boxing champion - The Scotsman Obituary: Sir Henry Cooper, heavyweight boxing champion 19:39 20:53 Monday 02 May 2011 Hugely popular boxer who was the only man to win three Lonsdale belts outright Sir Henry Cooper, heavyweight boxing champion. Born: 3 May, 1934, in London. Died: 1 May, 2011, in Oxted, Surrey, aged 76. THE great misfortune of Sir Henry Cooper was that he was born too soon. Had he born two decades later, he might well have been the finest world boxing champion Britain has ever produced, for he would have been able to compete at cruiserweight instead of heavyweight. Boxing's various authorities did not introduce the cruiserweight division until 1979, when the World Boxing Council set the upper weight limit at 13st 13lbs, or 195lbs, (88.5kgs).

Ironically, that was precisely the heaviest weight at which Cooper ever fought, but boxing only allowed larger men to be heavyweights during his time in the ring, and that meant Cooper frequently taking on much heavier opponents. One of them was Muhammad Ali, known as Cassius Clay when they first met at Wembley Stadium on 18 June, 1963. Some 20lbs (9kg) heavier than Cooper, Ali's lightning-quick punches opened up a bad cut over and beneath Cooper's left eye in the third round. The British champion pleaded for one more round to see if he could defeat the brash young American and, with seconds remaining in the fourth, a devastating left hook put Ali on the floor for the first time in his career in his first overseas bout. Myths have grown up about the aftermath of "Our 'Enery's 'Ammer" felling The Louisville Lip.

Contrary to the received wisdom, Ali was not out on his feet when the next round was due to start, but in fact was vertical after four seconds and fully conscious after 30, and trainer Angelo Dundee's sly attempt to rip open Ali's glove to buy him more time barely worked, as referee Tommy Little ensured that the next round was only six seconds late in starting. Ali, who had predicted a fifth-round stoppage, came hurtling out and his very first punch split Cooper's eye injury even wider. A few more direct hits and the referee had no option but to stop the fight. Cuts were always a problem for Cooper, who had prominent facial bones. That and a lack of poundage cost Cooper dear, for in his entire professional career he only ever lost to fighters who were heavier than him, and on several occasions he beat opponents who were more than a stone heavier than him. Born in Westminster and raised in Southwark and then Bellingham, Cooper was a proud Londoner.

His father was a tram driver and later a soldier who boxed as an amateur, and Cooper and his twin brother George were both in boxing gyms at a young age.Fighting out of the famed Eltham club, Cooper had an oustanding amateur career at light-heavyweight, winning 73 of 84 bouts, becoming ABA champion and fighting for Great Britain in the 1952 Olympics where he was controversially eliminated, losing on points to a Soviet Union fighter for whom two communist country judges voted, while the French judge, and most neutrals, gave the contest to Cooper. He and George then did their National Service in the so-called Boxer's Battalion of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, and both turned professional on rejoining civvy street. George never prospered greatly in the ring as he was too prone to cuts, but Henry Cooper's name soon began to be touted as a contender. He had good British "upright" technique, was aggressive and, being a converted southpaw, had a ferocious left hook.

In an era when British titles were considerably more prestigious than now, Cooper had to bide his time to get the big fights, especially after he was knocked out in a European title challenge by subsequent world champion Ingemar Johansson. In that same year of 1957, he was beaten on points in a British and Commonwealth title fight by champion Joe Erskine of Wales. Cooper and Erskine fought five times - the former winning three, including his first British title in 1959. Cooper would hold the British title for most of the 1960s and regain it in 1970 at a time when good class British heavyweights such as Erskine, Jack Bodell, Billy Walker and Brian London were extant - Cooper beat them all. Yet he couldn't step up to the highest world level as a second defeat - again on cuts - by Muhammad Ali and a four-round thrashing by former world champion Floyd Patterson showed his limitations. Cooper retired at 37 after losing his British title on a highly controversial points decision to the much heavier Joe Bugner in 1971.

His final record of 40 wins, 27 of them by knockout, against 14 losses and a draw, was admirable, as was his record of nine British championship wins that earned him three Lonsdale belts outright - the only man ever to achieve that feat. Twice voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Cooper was hugely popular with the British public as was proven by his advertising of Brut after shave and other products. He lost much of his wealth in a scandalous collapse at Lloyds insurers, forcing him to sell his Lonsdale belts. He recovered some of his fortune and constant media work kept him in the public eye until he was in his sixties. He came across as what he was - a warm and friendly Londoner who was very knowledgeable about sport in general as he showed while a captain on the BBC's A Question of Sport. A tireless worker for charity, Cooper received an OBE in 1969, a papal knighthood in 1978 and was knighted in 2000.

Cooper met his Italian wife Albina when she was serving as a waitress.He converted to her Catholic faith and though she refused to watch him box, they were happily married from 1960 for 48 years until her sudden death from a heart attack. It was said by friends that Cooper never recovered from her passing, which was followed by the death of his twin last year, a final blow that caused him great anguish. Muhammad Ali, now 69 and with his Parkinsonism worn as the cruel badge of a fighter's courage, has paid warm tribute to his great friend. Despite being downed by Joe Frazier and bludgeoned by George Foreman, and having his jaw broken by Ken Norton, Ali still maintained that the hardest punch he ever took was 'Enery's 'Ammer in 1963. It started the Cooper legend, but even without it, the man himself would have achieved legendary status by dint of his courage, personality and an innate sporting nobility that is sadly part of a bygone age. Sir Henry Cooper is survived by his sons, Henry Marco and John Pietro.

Henry Cooper (boxer) : Wikis (The Full Wiki) The Full Wiki More info on Henry Cooper (boxer) Wikis Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics For the Australian boxer, see Henry C. Cooper . Sir Henry Cooper 3 May 1934 (1934-05-03) (age 75) Birth place No contests 0 Sir Henry Cooper OBE , KSG (born 3 May 1934) in South East London , is a retired English heavyweight boxer and was the British, European and Commonwealth heavyweight champion in 1970. He is the only British boxer to win three Lonsdale Belts outright. Contents 6 External links Biography Cooper and his identical twin brother, George, grew up in a council house on the Bellingham Estate on Farmstead Road, South East London , although during the Second World War they were relocated as evacuees to Lancing on the Sussex coast .

Around 1942, their father, Henry Senior was called up to serve in the war; the rest of the family would not see him again for almost three years. The twins would attend Athelney Road School in Lewisham . The Cooper brothers were particularly close growing up and, in his biography, Henry talks of how they would come to each other’s aid when things turned nasty in the school playground. One particular incident would land the young Henry his first knockout in the playground. At school, the only subject that seemed to interest Henry was history where he had the enjoyment of acting out scenarios. Life was tough in the latter years of the Second World War , and especially in London, urban life brought many dangers during the blackout . Henry had to take up many jobs including a paper round before school and even making money out of recycling to the clubhouse golf balls on the Beckenham course. All three of the Cooper brothers were known to excel in sport with George and Henry exercising talents particularly in football and also cricket . [1] Career highlights Advertisements Early bouts Cooper is often regarded as the most popular of all English boxers and is still affectionately known in the UK as: "Our 'Enry".

He started his boxing career in 1949 as an amateur with the Eltham Amateur Boxing Club, and won seventy-three of eighty-four contests. At the age of seventeen, he won the first of two ABA light-heavyweight titles and before serving in the Army for his two years' National Service represented Britain in the 1952 Olympics (outpointed in the second stage by Russian Anatoli Petrov). Henry and his twin brother, George (boxing under the name Jim Cooper) turned professional together under the caring management of Jim Wicks, who was one of boxing's great characters nicknamed 'The Bishop' because of his benign nature. He would never allow one of his boxers into the ring if he felt they were over matched. He famously said when promoters were trying to match Henry with the then unbeaten and feared Sonny Liston: "I would not allow 'Enery into the same room as him, let alone the same ring." Henry was at one time the British , European and Commonwealth heavyweight champion.

His early title challenges were unsuccessful, losing to Joe Bygraves for the Commonwealth belt (KO 9), Ingemar Johansson for the European belt (KO 5) and Joe Erskine (PTS 15) for the British and Commonwealth. He then won on points over highly rated contender Zora Folley and took the British and Commonwealth belts from new champion Brian London in a 15 round decision in January 1959. The winner of the fight was pencilled in to get a shot at Floyd Patterson 's heavyweight title, but Cooper turned down the chance and London fought and lost against Patterson in May 1959. Cooper continued to defend his British and Commonwealth belts against all comers including Dick Richardson (KO 5), Joe Erskine (TKO 5 and TKO 12), Johnny Prescott (TKO 10) and Brian London again (PTS 15), although he suffered a setback when losing a rematch with Folley by a second round KO.

Cooper was also offered a chance to fight Sonny Liston but his manager Jim Wicks rejected the idea, saying "We don't even want to meet Liston walking down the same street." [2] Fight with Cassius Clay Cooper fought Cassius Clay twice, firstly in a non-title fight in 1963 at Wembley Stadium , when Cooper knocked Clay down in the dying seconds of the fourth round with his trademark left hook , "Enry's 'Ammer". The bell rang before Cooper could try to complete a knockout. Clay was literally, "saved by the bell." Prior to the fight Clay's trainer Angelo Dundee had noticed a small tear in one of Clay's gloves but didn't bring it to the referee's attention. With Clay now staggered from the knock down, Dundee opened up the tear with his finger and told the referee that his fighter needed a new pair of gloves, thus delaying the start of the 5th round. [3] Cooper has always insisted that this delay lasted anywhere from 3–5 minutes and denied him the chance to try to knock Clay out while he was still dazed.

When the 5th round finally started, Clay ferociously attacked Cooper's cuts, leaving Cooper's face streaming with blood and referee Tommy Little was forced to stop the fight in the American's favour. The British boxing newspaper Boxing News conducted an investigation into the 'split glove' incident in 2003. Using the original television and radio broadcasts to determine length of time between rounds 4 and 5 it was discovered that Cassius Clay only gained 5 seconds extra and not the mythical 3–5 minutes. The gloves were never changed. Other sources on the matter confirm this. [4] [5] After this fight a spare pair of gloves was always required at ringside. What is certain however, is that Dundee broke a phial containing an unknown substance and held it under Clay's nose in an effort to revive his man, which was illegal. [6] Clay was obviously impressed by the knockdown and on the 40th anniversary telephoned Cooper to reminisce. Clay who had changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964, later said, on British television, that Cooper "had hit [him] so hard that his ancestors in Africa felt it".

In 1966 they met a second time at Arsenal Stadium in London to contest the world title. Cooper was deafeated again by Ali. Last fights After the loss to Ali, Cooper fought former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson , losing by a fourth round knockout. After that he went undefeated until the final fight of his career, and made more defences of his British & Commonwealth titles against Jack Bodell (TKO 2 and PTS 15) and Billy Walker (TKO 6). In 1968 Cooper added the European crown to his domestic titles with a win over Karl Mildenberger , and later made two successful defences of his title. In his last fight, in 1971, he faced the emerging British heavyweight hope Joe Bugner for the British, European and Commonwealth belts. Fight referee Harry Gibbs awarded the fight to Bugner by the narrowest of margins: a quarter of a point. Many felt that defeating the popular Cooper was one reason why British fans didn't take to Bugner. The decision was booed by the audience, which was mainly composed of Cooper's fans.

Commentator Harry Carpenter asked, "How can they take away the man's titles like this?" However, one commentator felt the younger, stronger Bugner had done enough to win. [7] Cooper announced his retirement shortly afterwards. For years after the fight, Cooper refused to speak to Gibbs. Cooper has since stated: "I didn't speak to him for years after the fight. I don't usually hold grudges, but I knew certain things went on before the fight (that I don't want to speak about) and for those reasons I didn't speak to him until about six months before he died." Cooper eventually agreed to shake his hand for charity. [8] Alongside figures such as Frank Bruno , Joe Bugner , Tommy Farr and Lennox Lewis , Cooper is regarded as one of the all-time best British heavyweights. Life outside boxing During the early 1990s, Cooper reminisced about his life as a wartime evacuee in the BBC Radio 2 documentary Nobody Cried When The Trains Pulled Out. He remembered being taken from his London home to the Sussex coast. "Right into the path of the German bombers, thanks a lot," he laughed.

The programme was written by Terence Pettigrew and presented by Michael Aspel, both fellow-evacuees. He gained further fame after his career ended by being one of the team captains on the BBC quiz show A Question of Sport for a number of years. Cooper also famously advertised Brut aftershave and was very active in charity work. He also advertised breakfast cereal on television in the 1980s [9] In 1980, Cooper wrote a book called The Great Heavyweights in which he spoke of the men whom he considered the finest of all time. They are Jack Johnson , Jack Dempsey , Joe Louis , Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali . He analyzed each and compared their strengths and weaknesses. Cooper featured in a series of UK public service announcements urging vulnerable groups to go to their doctor for vaccination against influenza . The series was called Get your Jab in First!, a reference to both the colloquial term for an injection and the boxing punch .

[10] Cooper currently lives in Hildenborough , in Kent and he currently is the chairman of Nizels Golf Club in Hildenborough Awards and honours Cooper was the first to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award twice (in 1967 and 1970) and one of only three two-time winners in the award's history (the others being Nigel Mansell in 1986 and 1992 and Damon Hill in 1994 and 1996). Cooper was given the award in 1967 for going unbeaten throughout the year. One of the most memorable fights of the year was his defeat of challenger Jack Bodell in June. His second award came in 1970, when Cooper had become the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight champion, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest post-war British boxers. Henry Cooper was knighted in 2000. [11] [12] References ^ Edwards, Robert. Henry Cooper: The Authorised Biography Of Britain's Greatest Boxing Hero. Helter Skelter. pp. 51–58.

ISBN 0563488-31-X. Henry Cooper vs. Joe Bugner - BoxRec Henry Cooper vs. Joe Bugner From BoxRec Jump to: navigation , search 1971-03-16 : Henry Cooper 189 lbs lost to Joe Bugner 212¼ lbs by PTS in round 15 of 15 Location: Empire Pool, Wembley, London, United Kingdom Referee: Harry Gibbs 73½-73¾ EBU (European) Heavyweight Title (4th defense of Cooper) Commonwealth (British Empire) Heavyweight Title (11th defense of Cooper) BBBofC British Heavyweight Title (1st defense of Cooper) Scoring: Referee Harry Gibbs (sole arbiter): 73 3/4 - 73 1/2 Attendance: 11,600 Notes "Joe Bugner, just 21 and nearly 16 years Henry Cooper's junior, took the European, British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles from the old man by a tight points decision after 15 bruising rounds at Wembley Tuesday night. The crowd booed the decision.

But Cooper went straight to Bugner with congratulations and told newsmen "he's a fine young fighter." He then announced his retirement. Bugner probably got the decision by a furious all-out attack in the last round. He flung himself at Cooper and landed a flurry of lefts to the head. Before that Cooper, despite his age, had had the crowd roaring with a superb two-fisted assault that brought him the 13th and 14th rounds." -Associated Press Post fight comments "I don't want to see Henry knocked about. He is right to retire. But this was a diabolical decision." -Jim Wicks, Cooper's manager "I thought I won all right. But Cooper is a great boxer and I learned alot from the fight." -Joe Bugner "If I had won I would probably have gone on. But the referee's decision went against me and there is no point in continuing." -Henry Cooper Preceded by: SirHenry Cooper. SirHenry Cooper. Boxing Profile: Thomas Hearns 2/4/2006 He came from a fighting family and by the time his boxing career ended in 1971 he was the most beloved British boxer of all time.

Only once did he challenge for the world's title, but he dominated the British heavyweight scene for over fifteen years. His popularity soared even more after retirement and eventually the Queen of England knighted him. Sir Henry Cooper was more than just a British fighter; he was a fine example of what British boxing is all about. Henry's professional career started in September of 1954 and he proceeded to win his first nine fights including an eight round points win over Joe Bygraves. In Henry's tenth bout, he lost the first of many bouts due to an eye cut to Uber Bacilleri. He would later avenge that loss. The roller coaster career of Henry Cooper had now begun. He would drop a ten rounder to Joe Erskine and stop Brian London in one round only to lose in five to Peter Bates. 1955 was a rough year for Henry as Bygraves kayoed him for the British Empire title. Future world champion Ingemar Johansson then bombed him out. Joe Erskine then outscored him for the British title. Henry began to turn things around late in 1958 with a stoppage over Dick Richardson and a point win over respected American Zora Folley.

He finally won the British and Empire titles by decision over Brian London in 1959. He halted Gawie de Klerk in an Empire defense and defended both titles by a fifth round stoppage of Joe Erskine. In 1960, Henry scored important decision victories of Roy Harris and Alex Miteff. He again defended his titles by a fifth round stoppage of Erskine in March of 1961. On December 5, 1961, Henry suffered a major setback when Folley kayoed him in the second round of their rematch. He came back to again stop Erskine in 1962 and Dick Richardson in 1963 setting the stage for a match with the undefeated Olympian, Cassius Clay. The facts of Cooper's first bout with Clay are well documented. His left hook knocked Clay down at the end of round four. A torn glove gave Clay time to recover. Cassius then coming back to cut and stop Henry in round five. He came back to beat Brian London again also winning the vacant European title in the process. Six months later, he was stripped of the European title due to an injury.

Henry would win five of his next seven bouts setting up a title shot and rematch against Clay (Muhammad Ali). The rematch was anti-climatic. Henry tried hard but Ali's punches again ripped the tender skin above Cooper's eye forcing a stoppage. Four months later, ex-title holder Floyd Patterson felled Henry. It was again time to rebuild. Henry went back to retaining his British and Empire titles defeating Jack Bodell and Billy Walker. He then regained the European title winning on a disqualification from Karl Mildenberger. In 1969, Henry was to be matched with World Boxing Association champion Jimmy Ellis. The fight fell through because the British Boxing Board refused to recognize it as a world title fight. In a huff, Henry gave up the British and Empire titles. Later Henry relinquished the European crown due to an injury. Again in 1970 the Amazing 'Enry came back to regain the British and Empire titles from Jack Bodell. Later he regained the European crown by stopping Jose Urtain. On March 16, 1971, Henry met upcoming Joe Bugner with all three titles at stake.

After fifteen well contested rounds, Bugner was awarded a very close and controversial decision much to the dismay of Henry. Cooper never boxed again. I hope that Sir Henry is slated to be a guest at the Boxing Hall of Fame this year. His popularity has crossed the Atlantic. A tribute to this fine fighter and even finer gentleman. Jim Amato can be reached at jimsboxing@zoominternet.net 2004-10-26 The Boxing Glove: Henry Cooper: The Tale of Enry’s Ammer Henry Cooper: The Tale of Enry’s Ammer Remembering…Henry Cooper May 3, 1934 - May 1, 2011 The Tale of Enry’s Ammer By Peter Silkov Few British sportsmen have enjoyed the popularity that Henry Cooper gained during his career. “Our Enry” as Cooper was affectionately known by boxing fans, managed to transcend boxing and achieve the kind of lasting recognition and popularity that few other British fighters have come close to emulating, either before or since.

Cooper was one of only three people to win the BBC Sports personality of the year award twice (in 1967 and 1970.) He was also awarded an OBE in 1970, and in 2000, became the only boxer ever to receive a Knighthood. In terms of the popularity and recognition, which Cooper brought to the sport, and especially the domestic heavyweight division, few fighters have done more for the sport in this country during their careers. On pure ability, Cooper may not have been our greatest heavyweight ever, but he was actually a lot better than some people give him credit for being. Style-wise, Cooper was a boxer-puncher, aggressive, with a crowd-pleasing mix of good boxing skill, and dynamite punching. Cooper was left-handed, which usually would have made him a southpaw boxer (meaning that he would fight with his right foot forward and leading with the right hand), but Southpaws were generally frowned upon in Copper’s era, especially heavyweight southpaws, so Copper was ’converted’ to an orthodox fighter. This resulted in Cooper developing a very formidable left jab and hook.

His trademark punch was his left-hook, which he would fire in vicious uppercut-like swings. Cooper’s left-hook became known amongst his supporters as “Enry’s Ammer.” At around 185 to 190 pounds at his best, Cooper was never a very big heavyweight, but he compensated for this with good mobility and fast hands. He often had to give away weight during his career. Henry Cooper was born on May 3, 1934, (along with his twin brother George) in Lambeth, London. Cooper excelled at sport and was soon learning to box along with his twin brother George. During an amateur career at Eltham Amateur Boxing Club, Cooper compiled a record of 73-11 and won the ABA light-heavyweight championship in 1952 and 1953, before turning professional in 1954, along with George (who fought under the name of Jim, as there was already a George Cooper boxing at heavyweight.) Managed by the wily Jim Wicks, the Cooper's gained publicity early in their professional careers due to them being fighting twins. It soon became clear that of the two, Henry was the one with the most talent.

George would suffer from cuts to an even greater degree than Henry, and he would never come close to achieving the success of his brother inside the ring. Success would not come easy to Henry either. Following a promising start, where he went 14-2 in his first 2 years as a professional, Cooper went 1-5-1 in seven fights between late 1956 and early 1958. Included in this run of mostly defeats was three title fights in a row; all of which Cooper lost. On September 7, 1956, Peter Bates stopped Henry in the 5th round, due to a badly cut eyebrow. Cuts for Henry would prove to be his Achilles heel for the duration of his career. Five months after his loss to Bates, Cooper challenged Joe Bygraves for the Commonwealth heavyweight championship, and was knocked in the 9th round. 3 months later, Cooper took on Ingemar Johansson for the European heavyweight title and was knocked out in the 5th round. Four months after the loss to Johansson, on September 17, 1957, Cooper faced Joe Eskine and was out-pointed over 15 rounds.

Cooper was then 1-1-1 in his next three fights, including a disqualification defeat to Erich Schoppener. Such a run of defeats, especially at championship level would have been enough to finish many fighters, or at least reduce their championship ambitions. Henry, however, bounced back with some of the best wins of his career, beating Dick Richardson and Zora Folley in late 1958. Cooper’s point’s victory over Folley on October 14, 1958, was one of the best results of his career, with Folley being one of the top heavyweights in the world, who at the time was being avoided by many of the other top heavyweights, including the world champion Floyd Patterson. The victories over Richardson and Folley catapulted Henry right back into title contention, and on January 12, 1959, Cooper won the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, when he beat Brian London on points after a bloody and brutal classic brawl. It was the beginning of Henry Cooper’s record breaking reign as British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion.

He would defend the British title a record 10 times in the next 12 years, winning 3 Lonsdale belts in the process. In this time Cooper would also make 11 defences of the Commonwealth title, and win the European championship 3 times. Coopers exciting defences during the 60s brought a level of popularity and recognition to Britain’s domestic heavyweight scene, seldom seen before, or since. Cooper defended his titles against Joe Erskine, Dick Richardson, Brian London, Johnny Prescott, Jack Bodell, Karl Mildenberger, Jose Manuel Urtain, and Billy Walker. During this time, Cooper also took part in a number of non-title fights, suffering a set back in late 1961when he was knocked out in the 2nd round in a rematch with Zora Folley. Cooper, however, gained wins over Wayne Bethea, Roy Harris, and Alex Miteff. On June 18, 1963, Cooper took on the rising star and future World heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (then still Cassius Clay), at Wembly Stadium, London.

In what has become an iconic contest in British boxing folklore, Cooper floored Ali at the end of round 4, only to see the American saved by the bell. The fight was then ended in the next round when Ali launched a furious attack upon Cooper, forcing the referee to stop the contest due to Cooper badly cut left eye. Ever since it has been wondered what would have happened had Enry’s Ammer floored Ali earlier in the 4th round, rather than near the end of it? Certainly Cooper had Ali more hurt than just about anytime during his career, aside from his first fight with Joe Frazier when he was floored in the 15th and final round. Cooper faced Ali for a second time, on June 21, 1966, at the Arsenal Football stadium, watched by a crowd of over 46,000. This time round, Ali boxed cautiously until he opened a cut over Cooper’s left eye in the 6th round, which led to the almost immediate stoppage of the fight, as Cooper’s eye gushed blood at an alarming rate. Henry’s fights with Ali cemented his popularity with the public and gained for him widespread respect within the boxing world.

On March 16, 1971, Cooper was controversially out-pointed by a young Joe Bugner, in a fight that still raises controversy today. Cooper had said before the fight that he would retire after it, win, lose, or draw. After a very close contest, the referee Harry Gibbs gave the fight to Bugner, and Cooper had lost his British, European, and Commonwealth heavyweight title. Cooper never did fight again, retiring with a final record of 40(27koes)-14-1.In his retirement, Cooper remained as popular as ever, often appearing as a pundit on boxing shows, as well as being involved in many other sporting and celebrity events, such as cricket and golf. Henry Cooper died on May 1, 2011. Copyright © 2015 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to and Posted by

Question: Henry Cooper controversially lost his British Heavyweight title in 1971, to which boxer?
Answer: JOE BUGNER