Henry Cooper & the irate driver

[john garfield]

When I was in London years ago, Henry Cooper, the former British and European heavyweight king, told me a very funny story:

Cooper was training for Ali, and he and two of his huge sparring partners, Joe Bygraves and Joe Erskine, where in a lorry driving some place, and they were laughing and having such a good time, Cooper wasn't paying as close attention to traffic as he should have and he cut a driver off.

At the light, this scrawny little civil-servant type jumped out his car and raced over to Cooper’s window and screamed at him.

Cooper tried to apologize, but the guy was having none of it... and, suddenly, slapped Cooper in the face.

With that, the doors of the lorry flew open and Cooper and the two menacing sparring partners surrounded the little guy. He looked around a few times, then said to Cooper, "YOU'RE LUCKY YOU'RE WITH YOUR MATES!"

Cooper said they all exploded with laughter, got back in the Lorry and drove off.

[john garfield]

Typical of a nerdy civil servant to not recognise 'Enery. He deserved a clip behind the ear for that one

Spent a few drunken nights in a pub in London's East End, the Thomas A'Beckett in the late 80's. I know Frank Bruno trained there along with a few others. British guys, can you confirm that Henry trained there also?

My brain cells have taken a battering from too many drunken nights

bollocks,

I just happened to be in London on business and was in Cooper's company when he told that story. But, I don't know much more about him than he had a fearsome left hook, a twin brother, and he's endured as a beloved figure in Britain.

[theguvnor]

Spent a few drunken nights in a pub in London's East End, the Thomas A'Beckett in the late 80's. I know Frank Bruno trained there along with a few others. British guys, can you confirm that Henry trained there also?

Henry Cooper did train at the Thomas A;Beckett gym among other places in South London
Frank Brino may have trained there on occasion but His main training gym was Terry Lawless's gym, the Royal Oak, Canning town, East London

[Jeffsboxing]

I also heard a different, but about similar situation, trivia story of George Foreman. One day he, at time was holding the world haevyweight champion for the first period in his career, walked along a street. Someone robbed $30 from him. He decided to go to the nearest police station. The police officer recognized him as the famous world heavyweight champion, asked "You are a boxing heavyweight champion, why didn't you crush the man who robbed you into pieces?"

Calmly, George answered that he never fought any man for only $30.

Jeff