SIR HENRY COOPER

[dalcumly]

I don't think anyone who is younger than 50 reading this will fully appreciate just how popular Henry was in the 1960's . If the younger ones ask themselves who , currently , is Britains most popular football player maybe the candidates would be Rooney , Gerrard , Terry or even Beckham . ( I haven't mentioned any Scots because we don't have any football players anymore !! )
None of these suggestions would come anywhere near the all round esteem in which Cooper was considered . Three times Sports personality of the year meant that even the housewives who voted liked him . He was just an all round decent guy . You got what you saw .I don't recall any scandal surrounding him . He was always superbly fit and gave a hundred percent . He never criticised opponents . We all felt that he was simply one of us . And boy , could he punch with that left hand . I have a number of his fights on video and I used to study them to see if I could catch him throwing a RIGHT hand and , trust me , that is a difficult exercise . I read that the strength of his left hook came from the fact that he was a plasterer to trade , and held the hod in his left mitt and spread out the plaster with his right . I also believe that the plaster mix in those days was particularly heavy .
Great article in the Boxing News and makes up slightly for how Henry was basically overlooked when the ' 100 YEARS OF BOXING NEWS ' came out last winter .
Being 76 and still healthy is testament to the life he has led . Keep punching ,Henry .

[taffytoon]

Have met him loads of times and hopefully meet him for a long time to come. I really enjoy his company and he is a real gentleman

[Ketchel]

I don't think anyone who is younger than 50 reading this will fully appreciate just how popular Henry was in the 1960's . If the younger ones ask themselves who , currently , is Britains most popular football player maybe the candidates would be Rooney , Gerrard , Terry or even Beckham . ( I haven't mentioned any Scots because we don't have any football players anymore !! )
None of these suggestions would come anywhere near the all round esteem in which Cooper was considered . Three times Sports personality of the year meant that even the housewives who voted liked him . He was just an all round decent guy . You got what you saw .I don't recall any scandal surrounding him . He was always superbly fit and gave a hundred percent . He never criticised opponents . We all felt that he was simply one of us . And boy , could he punch with that left hand . I have a number of his fights on video and I used to study them to see if I could catch him throwing a RIGHT hand and , trust me , that is a difficult exercise . I read that the strength of his left hook came from the fact that he was a plasterer to trade , and held the hod in his left mitt and spread out the plaster with his right . I also believe that the plaster mix in those days was particularly heavy .
Great article in the Boxing News and makes up slightly for how Henry was basically overlooked when the ' 100 YEARS OF BOXING NEWS ' came out last winter .
Being 76 and still healthy is testament to the life he has led . Keep punching ,Henry .

The most right hands I ever saw him throw on video was in the second Ali fight. I think he threw more rights to confuse Ali so that he could sneak a left in. I have Cooper's original autobiography that appears to be one big paragraph! A fantastic, honest read that shows more of the man than most biographies do. A clas act all round and a man who should be celebrated more.

[SteveDow]

Nice guy and decent boxer but have never been able to understand why he was knighted. He never won a world title and whilst he floored Ali this surely doesn't warrant a knighthood.

[SteveDow]

Nice guy and decent boxer but have never been able to understand why he was knighted. He never won a world title and whilst he floored Ali this surely doesn't warrant a knighthood.

Two reasons: firstly, he was at the top of his sport nationally for many years (three Lonsdale belts, British, Commonwealth and European champion in an era of great competition and a world title challenger, albeit an unsuccessful one); secondly, his popularity transcended boxing and even sport in general. Henry Cooper was a household name and celebrity - from the days when celebrities had to earn that status, unlike nowadays. Basically, the nation loved him.

But as far as I am aware he was not actually knighted until 1999. If you are going to knight people like Henry Cooper then how on earth is someone like Lennox Lewis not knighted? A man who unified the heavyweight division and beat every man he ever fought.

[hurlock]

do you splash on brute D

[SteveO]

Another reason Henry's left hook was great is the fact that although he boxed in the orthodox style he is actually left handed.
I believe Henry also did a lot of charity work which helped towards his knighthood.

[hurlock]

wasnt enry murder for hitting on the break?

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

But as far as I am aware he was not actually knighted until 1999. If you are going to knight people like Henry Cooper then how on earth is someone like Lennox Lewis not knighted? A man who unified the heavyweight division and beat every man he ever fought.

There is an unspoken agreement between the British and Canadian government's not to knight Canadian citizens. He might have an OBE but it was cause a bit of a kerfuffle if he was given a knighthood. The British knighted some Canadian bloke a few years ago and the Canadians were very angry about it. Unless Lennox has given up his Canadian citizenship, then the British won't probably knight him.

[bennie]

Henry would almost certainly have beaten Jimmy Ellis for the WBA heavyweight title, but the stuffy old Board did not recognise the WBA and threatened to pull his licence if he went through with the fight. The one that got away.

[dondada]

One of my favourite Cooper retirement moments was when Claire Balding interviewed him before the Grand National some years ago.

'Enry had been taking advantage of the hospitality tents. Good lad

[overhand_right]

Henry would almost certainly have beaten Jimmy Ellis for the WBA heavyweight title, but the stuffy old Board did not recognise the WBA and threatened to pull his licence if he went through with the fight. The one that got away.

If Ellis could handle Oscar Bonavena, Leotis Martin, Jerry Quarry and box a close tough one with Floyd Patterson, he could of handled Henry Cooper.

I like Sir Henry a lot, but, come on! Ellis would of done what Patterson or Folley did to Cooper.

[Darling]

Henry would almost certainly have beaten Jimmy Ellis for the WBA heavyweight title, but the stuffy old Board did not recognise the WBA and threatened to pull his licence if he went through with the fight. The one that got away.

If Ellis could handle Oscar Bonavena, Leotis Martin, Jerry Quarry and box a close tough one with Floyd Patterson, he could of handled Henry Cooper.

I like Sir Henry a lot, but, come on! Ellis would of done what Patterson or Folley did to Cooper.

Yep.

[hurlock]

Henry would almost certainly have beaten Jimmy Ellis for the WBA heavyweight title, but the stuffy old Board did not recognise the WBA and threatened to pull his licence if he went through with the fight. The one that got away.

If Ellis could handle Oscar Bonavena, Leotis Martin, Jerry Quarry and box a close tough one with Floyd Patterson, he could of handled Henry Cooper.

I like Sir Henry a lot, but, come on! Ellis would of done what Patterson or Folley did to Cooper.

got to agree :!:

it would be like getting carried away with kevin lueshings left hook.

[bennie]

Henry would almost certainly have beaten Jimmy Ellis for the WBA heavyweight title, but the stuffy old Board did not recognise the WBA and threatened to pull his licence if he went through with the fight. The one that got away.

If Ellis could handle Oscar Bonavena, Leotis Martin, Jerry Quarry and box a close tough one with Floyd Patterson, he could of handled Henry Cooper.

I like Sir Henry a lot, but, come on! Ellis would of done what Patterson or Folley did to Cooper.

got to agree :!:

it would be like getting carried away with kevin lueshings left hook.

Ellis was a blown-up middleweight who found a decent streak of form in the 1968 tournament to succeed Ali but had "nothing" on his punches, to quote the man who subsequently walked through him for the undisputed title, and I cannot see him destroying Cooper, who fancied the job and was probably at his peak in 1969. In Stockholm, I would have given Cooper a great chance. This is Jimmy Ellis we are talking about.
As for Hurlock's horribly ignorant post, well, just stay away from anything to do with boxing before 2008.

[Wales]

Unfortuanatly father-time and perhaps too many blows to the ehad have really caught up with the antional treasure. During talks on the cruise ship he would often slur his words, but more worryingly start the same story again around 5 mins after telling it. Had it not been the well respected Cooper many wouldve walked out of the auditorium, groans of discontent ran through but a they were met with "shhhhh".

Goold old 'enry - britain loves a nearly man.

[bennie]

Unfortuanatly father-time and perhaps too many blows to the ehad have really caught up with the antional treasure. During talks on the cruise ship he would often slur his words, but more worryingly start the same story again around 5 mins after telling it. Had it not been the well respected Cooper many wouldve walked out of the auditorium, groans of discontent ran through but a they were met with "shhhhh".

Goold old 'enry - britain loves a nearly man.

You've mentioned this before, and it leads me to believe that Henry sparked too many Welshmen for your liking. Frankly, I don't believe this cobblers.

[Loynesy]

Bennie - I saw him speak at a do very recently, and sadly, it is bang on true.

[SteveO]

Henry was on TV recently taking part in a celebrity 'Bargain Hunt' programme and he seemed fine.

[orbtastic]

He still seems incredibly bitter too, even in the last interview it came across.

He seems to still be trading on that glove incident, which has been dispelled time and time again now.

[Ezzard]

Anyone remember Henry Cooper's Golden Belt TV show?

Absolutely loved it.

Humming the theme tune right now.

[Wales]

Unfortuanatly father-time and perhaps too many blows to the ehad have really caught up with the antional treasure. During talks on the cruise ship he would often slur his words, but more worryingly start the same story again around 5 mins after telling it. Had it not been the well respected Cooper many wouldve walked out of the auditorium, groans of discontent ran through but a they were met with "shhhhh".

Goold old 'enry - britain loves a nearly man.

You've mentioned this before, and it leads me to believe that Henry sparked too many Welshmen for your liking. Frankly, I don't believe this cobblers.

Yes Bennie, my goal in life is to come on a boxing forum and bad mouth a 79 year old without rhyme or reason....

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

I go with Ellis also I am afraid Bennie. Ellis beat some damn good heavyweights and though Cooper could have struck gold with his left hook, I think Ellis would have cut him up enough for the fight to be stopped around the 12th-13th round and with Cooper trailing on points after a bright start.

[hurlock]

i think cooper mug's himself off when he talk's about them taking five minutes with the glove when on the tape recorder it run's past 15 second's or somthing ridiculous.

wasnt it rumored ali treated it as an exhibition & wasnt in great shape. i mean once ali got dropped it was a wake up call.

[boxer70]

Anyone remember Henry Cooper's Golden Belt TV show?

Absolutely loved it.

Humming the theme tune right now.

Yes i remember this also. Did any of the kids that boxed on this show go on to make a name for themselves in the ring, amatuer or pro ?

Cant remember the theme tune though!