Henry Cooper


Sir Henry Cooper was a British heavyweight boxer. Cooper held the British, Commonwealth, and European heavyweight titles several times throughout his career, and unsuccessfully challenged Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight championship in 1966.
Following his retirement from the sport, Cooper continued his career as a television and radio personality; he was the first to twice win the public vote for BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award and is one of the boxers to be awarded a knighthood including Frank Bruno MBE one of the Orders of the British Empire.

Biography

Cooper was born on 3 May 1934 in Lambeth, London to Henry and Lily Cooper. With identical twin brother, George, and elder brother Bern, he grew up in a council house on Farmstead Road on the Bellingham Estate in South East London. During the Second World War they were evacuated to Lancing on the Sussex coast.
Life was tough in the latter years of the Second World War, and London life especially brought many dangers during the blackout. Henry took up many jobs, including a paper round before school and made money out of recycling golf balls to the clubhouse on the Beckenham course. All three of the Cooper brothers excelled in sport, with George and Henry exercising talents particularly in football and also cricket.
George Cooper, Henry's twin, who boxed as Jim Cooper, died on 11 April 2010 at the age of 75.
Henry Cooper served his National Service in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps as Private #22486464, where he was recruited for his boxing ability.
Cooper died on 1 May 2011 at his son's house near the border of Limpsfield and Oxted, Surrey, after a long illness, 2 days before his 77th birthday.

Boxing career

Style

Although Cooper was left-handed, he used the "orthodox" stance, with his left hand and foot forward, rather than the reversed "southpaw" stance more usually adopted by a left-handed boxer. Opponents were thus hit hardest with left handed punches which Cooper could throw from his front hand, closest to the opponent. At its most effective, the so-called left hook had an upward uppercut-like trajectory. A formidable left jab completed his attacking repertoire. He generally tried to force the action in his bouts. After developing a left shoulder problem in the latter half of his career, Cooper adjusted to put more stress on right-handed punches which he had hitherto neglected.

Early bouts

Cooper was affectionately known in the UK as "Our 'Enery". 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. Henry and his twin brother, George turned professional together under the management of Jim Wicks. Wicks never allowed his boxer to be the victim of a mis-match. When promoters were trying to match Cooper with Sonny Liston, Wicks said: "I would not allow 'Enery into the same room as him, let alone the same ring."

1952 Olympic results

Henry Cooper represented Great Britain as a light heavyweight boxer at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. His results were: Round of 32-bye, Round of 16-lost to Anatoly Perov by decision, 1-2.
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, Ingemar Johansson for the European belt, and Joe Erskine for the British and Commonwealth. He then won on points over 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 fight for Floyd Patterson's heavyweight title, but Cooper turned down the chance; London fought instead and was knocked out by Patterson in May 1959. Cooper continued to defend his British and Commonwealth belts against all comers, including Dick Richardson, Joe Erskine, Johnny Prescott, and Brian London again, although he lost a rematch with Folley by a second-round KO.

Muhammad Ali

Cooper twice fought Muhammad Ali, firstly in a non-title fight in 1963 at Wembley Stadium, Wembley Park. Ali's mobility, fast reflexes, and unorthodox defensive tactic of pulling back from punches made him a frustratingly elusive opponent.
In the final seconds of the fourth round, Cooper felled Ali with an upward angled version of his trademark left hook, "Enry's 'Ammer".
Ali stood up and started towards Angelo Dundee who guided him into the corner. At first Dundee talked and slapped Ali's legs, but after Ali misunderstood and tried to get off the stool, Dundee used smelling salts. The use of smelling salts was prohibited in boxing, and their use would have led to disqualification if the offence had been caught, ceding victory to Cooper by default. Dundee has since claimed to have opened a small tear in one of Ali's gloves and told the referee that his fighter needed a new pair of gloves, thus delaying the start of the 5th round. Cooper insisted that this delay lasted anywhere from three to five seconds according to the footage and that this did not deny him the chance to try to knock Ali out while he was still dazed. Tapes of the fight show that Ali received only an extra six seconds, and the gloves were ultimately not replaced. Cooper started the 5th round aggressively, attempting to make good on his advantage, but a recovered Ali effectively countered and Cooper was hit high on the face with a hard right which opened a severe cut under his eye. Referee Tommy Little was forced to stop the fight, and thus Ali defeated Cooper by technical knockout.
After this fight, a spare pair of gloves was always required at ringside. On the 40th anniversary of the fight, Ali telephoned Cooper to reminisce. In 1966 Cooper fought Ali, now world heavyweight champion, for a second time at Arsenal Stadium, Highbury. However, Ali was now alert to the danger posed by Cooper's left and more cautious than he had been in the previous contest; he held Cooper in a vice-like grip during clinches, and when told to break leapt backward several feet. Accumulated scar tissue around Cooper's eyes made him more vulnerable than in the previous meeting and a serious cut was opened by Ali, which led to the fight being stopped, Cooper again losing to Ali via technical knockout.

Last fights

After the loss to Ali, Cooper fought former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, but was knocked out in the fourth round. After that, he went undefeated until the final fight of his career, and made more defences of his British and Commonwealth titles against Jack Bodell and Billy Walker. 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 May 1971, a 36-year-old Cooper faced 21-year-old Joe Bugner, one of the biggest heavyweights in the world at the time, for the British, European, and Commonwealth belts. Referee Harry Gibbs awarded the fight to Bugner by the now abolished quarter of a point margin. An audience mainly composed of Cooper fans did not appreciate the innately cautious Bugner, and the decision was booed with commentator Harry Carpenter asking, "And how, in the world, can you take away the man's three titles, like that?" Cooper announced his retirement shortly afterwards. Cooper refused to speak to Gibbs for several years, but eventually agreed to shake his hand for charity six months before Gibbs died.

Opinion on modern boxers

In Cooper's later years, he retired from commentary on the sport as he became "disillusioned with boxing", wanting "straight, hard and fast boxing that he was used to from his times." While acknowledging that he was from a different era and would not be fighting as a heavyweight today, Cooper was nonetheless critical of the trend for heavyweights to bulk up as he thought it made for one-paced and less entertaining contests. In his final year, he said that he did not "think boxing is as good as it was", naming Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton, and Amir Khan as "the best of their era", but asserting that "if you match them up with the champions of thirty or forty years ago I don't think they're as good".

Life outside boxing

In the 1960s Henry appeared in several public information films concerning road safety, promoting the use of zebra crossings: such as "The Story of Elsie Billing"..
After his retirement from boxing, Henry Cooper maintained a public profile with appearances in the BBC quiz show A Question of Sport and various advertisements, most famously in those for Brut aftershave..He was also a frequent guest at charity fund-raising events. He appeared as boxer John Gully in the 1975 film Royal Flash and in his latter years featured in a series of UK public service announcements urging vulnerable groups to go to their doctors for vaccination against influenza called Get your Jab in First!
Cooper had become a "Name" at Lloyd's of London, and in the 1990s he was reportedly one of those who suffered enormous personal losses because of the unlimited liability which a "Name" was then responsible for, and he was forced to sell his Lonsdale belts. Subsequently, Cooper's popularity as an after dinner speaker provided a source of income, and he was in most respects a picture of contentment although becoming more subdued in the years following the death of his wife.
Considering his long career, Cooper had suffered relatively little boxing-related damage to his health apart from "a bit of arthritis", remaining, in the words of one journalist, "the living manifestation of an age of tuxedos in ringside seats, Harry Carpenter commentaries, sponge buckets and 'seconds out'". He lived in Hildenborough, Kent, and he was the president of Nizels Golf Club in the town until his death.
Cooper was married to Albina Genepri, an Italian Catholic, from 1960 until her death from a heart attack aged 71 in 2008. He converted to her faith. He was survived by their sons, Henry Marco and John Pietro, and two grandchildren. He left £747,098. In an interview published a few days after her death, Cooper described Albina, who "hated" his sport, as "an ideal wife for a boxer", never grumbling about his long absences before big fights and inviting journalists in for tea while they waited for Cooper to get out of bed the morning after bouts. They featured in an early 1970's advert for Bisto Gravy.

Awards and honours

Cooper was the first to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award twice and one of only four two-time winners in the award's history. Cooper was given the award in 1967 for going unbeaten throughout the year. His second award came in 1970, when Cooper had become the British, Commonwealth, and European heavyweight champion. He is the only British boxer to win three Lonsdale Belts outright.
Cooper was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1969, awarded a Papal Knighthood in 1978, and was knighted in 2000. He is also celebrated as one of the great Londoners in the "London Song" by Ray Davies on his 1998 album The Storyteller. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1970 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at Thames Television's Euston Road Studios.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
55Loss40–14–1 Joe BugnerPTS1516 Mar 1971 Empire Pool, London, EnglandLost British, Commonwealth, and European heavyweight titles
54Win40–13–1 Jose Manuel UrtainTKO9 10 Nov 1970 Empire Pool, London, EnglandRetained European heavyweight title
53Win39–13–1 Jack BodellPTS1524 Mar 1970 Empire Pool, London, EnglandRetained British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles
52Win38–13–1 Piero TomasoniKO5 13 Mar 1969 Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, ItalyRetained European heavyweight title
51Win37–13–1 Karl MildenbergerDQ8 18 Sep 1968 Empire Pool, London, EnglandWon European heavyweight title
50Win36–13–1 Billy WalkerKO6 7 Nov 1967 Empire Pool, London, EnglandRetained British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles
49Win35–13–1 Jack BodellTKO2, 2:1813 Jun 1967 Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, EnglandRetained British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles
48Win34–13–1 Boston JacobsPTS1017 Apr 1967 De Montfort Hall, Leicester, England
47Loss33–13–1 Floyd PattersonKO4, 2:1020 Sep 1966 Empire Pool, London, England
46Loss33–12–1 Muhammad AliTKO6, 1:3821 May 1966 Arsenal Stadium, London, EnglandFor WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles
45Win33–11–1 Jefferson DavisKO1, 1:4016 Feb 1966 Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, England
44Win32–11–1 Hubert HiltonTKO2, 1:2025 Jan 1966 London Olympia, London, England
43Loss31–11–1 Amos JohnsonPTS1019 Oct 1965 Empire Pool, London, England
42Win31–10–1 Johnny PrescottRTD10, 2:3415 Jun 1965 St Andrews Stadium, Birmingham, EnglandRetained British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles
41Win30–10–1 Matthew JohnsonKO1, 2:3420 Apr 1965 Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, England
40Win29–10–1 Dick WippermanTKO5 12 Jan 1965 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
39Loss28–10–1 Roger RischerPTS1016 Nov 1964 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
38Win28–9–1 Brian LondonPTS1524 Feb 1964 King's Hall, Manchester, EnglandRetained British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles;
Won vacant European heavyweight title
37Loss27–9–1 Muhammad AliKO5, 2:1518 Jun 1963 Wembley Stadium, London, England
36Win27–8–1 Dick RichardsonKO5 26 Mar 1963 Empire Pool, London, EnglandRetained British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles
35Win26–8–1 Joe ErskineTKO9 2 Apr 1962 Nottingham Ice Stadium, Nottingham, EnglandRetained British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles
34Win25–8–1 Wayne BetheaPTS1026 Feb 1962 King's Hall, Manchester, England
33Win24–8–1 Tony HughesRTD5 23 Jan 1962 Empire Pool, London, England
32Loss23–8–1 Zora FolleyKO2, 1:065 Dec 1961 Empire Pool, London, England
31Win23–7–1 Joe ErskineTKO5 21 Mar 1961 Empire Pool, London, EnglandRetained British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles
30Win22–7–1 Alex MiteffPTS106 Dec 1960 Empire Pool, London, England
29Win21–7–1 Roy HarrisPTS1013 Sep 1960 Empire Pool, London, England
28Win20–7–1 Joe ErskineTKO12 17 Nov 1959 Earls Court Arena, London, EnglandRetained British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles
27Win19–7–1 Gawie de KlerkTKO5 26 Aug 1959 Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Bridgend, WalesRetained Commonwealth heavyweight title
26Win18–7–1 Brian LondonPTS1512 Jan 1959 Earls Court Arena, London, EnglandWon British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles
25Win17–7–1 Zora FolleyPTS1014 Oct 1958 Empire Pool, London, England
24Win16–7–1 Dick RichardsonTKO5 3 Sep 1958 Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Bridgend, Wales
23Loss15–7–1 Erich SchoppnerDQ6 19 Apr 1958 Festhalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
22Draw15–6–1 Heinz NeuhausPTS1011 Jan 1958 Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, Germany
21Win15–6 Hans KalbfellPTS1016 Nov 1957 Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, Germany
20Loss14–6 Joe ErskinePTS1517 Sep 1957 Harringay Arena, London, EnglandFor British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles
19Loss14–5 Ingemar JohanssonKO5, 2:5719 May 1957 Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, SwedenFor European heavyweight title
18Loss14–4 Joe BygravesKO9 19 Feb 1957 Earls Court Arena, London, EnglandFor Commonwealth heavyweight title
17Loss14–3 Peter BatesTKO5, 1:017 Sep 1956 Belle Vue Zoological Gardens, Manchester, England
16Win14–2 Giannino Orlando LuiseTKO7 26 Jun 1956 Empire Pool, London, England
15Win13–2 Brian LondonTKO1 1 May 1956 Empress Hall, Earl's Court, London, England
14Win12–2 Maurice MolsTKO4 28 Feb 1956 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
13Loss11–2 Joe ErskinePTS1015 Nov 1955 Harringay Arena, London, England
12Win11–1 Uber BacilieriKO7 13 Sep 1955 White City Stadium, London, England
11Win10–0 Ron HarmanTKO7 6 Jun 1955 Nottingham Ice Stadium, Nottingham, England
10Loss9–1 Uber BacilieriTKO5 26 Apr 1955 Harringay Arena, London, England
9Win9–0 Joe BygravesPTS818 Apr 1955 Manor Place Baths, London, England
8Win8–0 Joe CrickmarTKO5 29 Mar 1955 Earls Court Arena, London, England
7Win7–0 Hugh FernsDQ2 8 Mar 1955 Earls Court Arena, London, England
6Win6–0 Cliff PurnellPTS68 Feb 1955 Harringay Arena, London, England
5Win5–0 Colin StrauchTKO1 27 Jan 1955 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
4Win4–0 Denny BallKO3 7 Dec 1954 Harringay Arena, London, England
3Win3–0 Eddie KeithTKO1 23 Nov 1954 Manor Place Baths, London, England
2Win2–0 Dinny Powell4 19 Oct 1954 Harringay Arena, London, England
1Win1–0 Harry Painter1 14 Sep 1954 Harringay Arena, London, England