BoxRec

jessi wrote:

Darcy Delaney wrote:i read somewhere that he was the only fighter to win the Lonsdale belt outright 3 times ?? was this true

RIP HENRY COOPER

as far as im aware yes

King Geedorah wrote:RIP. My local library was chock full of his self-penned boxing books. They taught me about the fights, fighters, techniques and shenanigans of boxing at an early age. His Top 100 Boxers was a mixture of past fighters, current champion, Michael Nunn was undefeated at the time and included, and Cooper's opinions on each and every boxer. His claim that 'Thomas Hearns had everything needed to be the greatest boxer of all time apart from an iron chin' is one that I've always agreed with.

Link to his titles is below if anyone wants to track them down, his boxing manuals taught me a lot about the game. His book on great fights included his world title tilt against Ali. I recall him talking about spending time with his family, having a quiet meal and then travelling to Highbury only to find that Ali had improved and would grip his arms in a 'vice like' grip whenever he got close enough to let go with a left hook.

Cooper wrote with great pride about the fact that Ali had clearly learned a few things from fight one, he also wrote with some sadness about the feelings that swept over him when the blood flowed and the ref stepped into pull the plug on his world title dream.

His next fight was against Floyd Patterson for the right to contest it once more. Tough ask. Years before Cooper had been offered to Liston for the belt. His manager Jim Wicks allegedly turned it down as he knew Liston was wrong for his charge, many handlers may have been tempted to throw him in and pocket the dough. Both Cooper and Wicks did great work in the wake of that fight with Clay, whipping up a storm to lay the groundwork for a rematch.

Henry Cooper's boxing books

Darcy Delaney wrote:

jessi wrote:

Darcy Delaney wrote:i read somewhere that he was the only fighter to win the Lonsdale belt outright 3 times ?? was this true

RIP HENRY COOPER

as far as im aware yes

i just look at Bombadier Billy Wells and he had 14 British title wins would he have got 3 belts aswell ??

stujones wrote:Would he have ever beaten Jimmy Ellis for the WBC world title in 1968 - it would have been a very interesting one thats for sure.

bennie wrote:

Darcy Delaney wrote:

jessi wrote:as far as im aware yes

i just look at Bombadier Billy Wells and he had 14 British title wins would he have got 3 belts aswell ??

Nope, Darcy, because Bombardier Billy fought in the days prior to the advent of the Board and the Lonsdale Belt. The Board was formed in 1936.

King Geedorah wrote:

stujones wrote:

King Geedorah wrote:RIP. My local library was chock full of his self-penned boxing books. They taught me about the fights, fighters, techniques and shenanigans of boxing at an early age. His Top 100 Boxers was a mixture of past fighters, current champion, Michael Nunn was undefeated at the time and included, and Cooper's opinions on each and every boxer. His claim that 'Thomas Hearns had everything needed to be the greatest boxer of all time apart from an iron chin' is one that I've always agreed with.

Link to his titles is below if anyone wants to track them down, his boxing manuals taught me a lot about the game. His book on great fights included his world title tilt against Ali. I recall him talking about spending time with his family, having a quiet meal and then travelling to Highbury only to find that Ali had improved and would grip his arms in a 'vice like' grip whenever he got close enough to let go with a left hook.

Cooper wrote with great pride about the fact that Ali had clearly learned a few things from fight one, he also wrote with some sadness about the feelings that swept over him when the blood flowed and the ref stepped into pull the plug on his world title dream.

His next fight was against Floyd Patterson for the right to contest it once more. Tough ask. Years before Cooper had been offered to Liston for the belt. His manager Jim Wicks allegedly turned it down as he knew Liston was wrong for his charge, many handlers may have been tempted to throw him in and pocket the dough. Both Cooper and Wicks did great work in the wake of that fight with Clay, whipping up a storm to lay the groundwork for a rematch.

Henry Cooper's boxing books

His 100 greatest boxers books is a lovely little read. The list is probably bias for the British fighters, but given its date of publication he actually predicts alot of things. If I remember rightly he expressed doubts that Tyson would ever capture is old form (he had just lost the title to Douglas).

Yeah, he also put a question mark over Nunn if I recall correctly. His boxing instruction manual was always on my library card in the days before I got to the gym. Cooper used stills of Hagler etc and one of himself landing a weird right hand whilst ducking down, he used this as proof that unorthodox punches can work.

I tried this myself when I was allowed to go to the local boxing gym, throwing daft shots and doing other little things I'd been taught in that book. My coach asked me what I was doing and then showed me a few things. I turned around and said, "This isn't how it was done in Henry Cooper's book", and got a right earful.

Looking back, the books are a bit ropey but the 100 Greatest Fights one included Ali-Cooper and a nice description of what Henry did on the day of the biggest night of his life. Spent time with the wife, his twin and had a quiet meal before journeying to Wembley for the big one. Recall him saying that Ali gripped his wrists when they were in-close to avoid that left hook.

Cooper's a weird one, some overrate based on the Clay fight, which he was never going to win even if they hadn't had the glove issue, but underrate him in general as he was a decent fighter.

Fat Git wrote:

King Geedorah wrote:

stujones wrote: His 100 greatest boxers books is a lovely little read. The list is probably bias for the British fighters, but given its date of publication he actually predicts alot of things. If I remember rightly he expressed doubts that Tyson would ever capture is old form (he had just lost the title to Douglas).

Yeah, he also put a question mark over Nunn if I recall correctly. His boxing instruction manual was always on my library card in the days before I got to the gym. Cooper used stills of Hagler etc and one of himself landing a weird right hand whilst ducking down, he used this as proof that unorthodox punches can work.

I tried this myself when I was allowed to go to the local boxing gym, throwing daft shots and doing other little things I'd been taught in that book. My coach asked me what I was doing and then showed me a few things. I turned around and said, "This isn't how it was done in Henry Cooper's book", and got a right earful.

Looking back, the books are a bit ropey but the 100 Greatest Fights one included Ali-Cooper and a nice description of what Henry did on the day of the biggest night of his life. Spent time with the wife, his twin and had a quiet meal before journeying to Wembley for the big one. Recall him saying that Ali gripped his wrists when they were in-close to avoid that left hook.

Cooper's a weird one, some overrate based on the Clay fight, which he was never going to win even if they hadn't had the glove issue, but underrate him in general as he was a decent fighter.

My dad bought me one of Henry Cooper's boxing books called 'The Great Heavyweights' and it was his views on Jack Johnson,
Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali and there was a chapter on Walcott/Charles and himself - excellent read - as a 10 year old reading about Joe Louis for the first time in that book was something I will never forget.