R.I.P. Sir Henry Cooper

[oggbashan]

Sir Henry Cooper, "Our 'Enery" died yesterday.

Our 'Enery was a European and British Champion Heavyweight boxer, famous for knocking down Cassius Clay (as he then was), for ridiculous adverts for Brut, and a genuine 'diamond geezer'.

One of my favourite memories is of spending an afternoon escorting him around a County Fair. He was very popular and very approachable, with a real rapport with people. His progress around the fair was very slow because he was constantly being stopped for photographs, autographs and just a handshake.

Behind the scenes Our 'Enery was exactly the same as his public persona - an affable, friendly bloke who enjoyed his fame with a real sense of self-parody.

He wasn't one of boxing's all-time greats but he was a real ambassador for the sport. One of his achievements was to win the BBC's Sports Personality of The Year - twice. If he had been entered again, he would probably have won a third time, because he was popular well beyond boxing fans and sports fans.

He will be missed.

Og

 

[estragon]

He will indeed be missed, a class act. Ogg, or anyone from the UK, please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't he known at one time as the "Battersea Bleeder", because he bled easily?

 

[oggbashan]

He will indeed be missed, a class act. Ogg, or anyone from the UK, please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't he known at one time as the "Battersea Bleeder", because he bled easily?

I'm not sure about that title, but his scarred eyebrows were targets for his opponents because he cut easily there.

Og

 

[Handley_Page]

At a timer when World Boxing was almost run by the USA, Henry Cooper raised our spirits and our hopes that England might make a bit of a stand.
When he put the young Cassius Clay on his backside, you could hear the cheers up and down the land.
It was indeed a pity that his forehead, round the eyes, were prone to bleeding, it was a magnet for almost any punch from an aggressive opponent.

I wish I'd met him, just to say 'thanks'. He will be missed.

 

[Tyro999]

Yer a ratfink, Og.

Bad enough that I'm old enough to have seen the pre-Ali Cassius Clay fight at all. Bad enough that I'm old enough to have seen the Cassius Clay Henry Cooper fight on TV at the time. As an adult. In the USMC at the time. Now you tell me Henry Cooper got a knighthood for knocking down Clay/Ali? Whooda thunk it?

Seriously, I did see that fight on TV, and remember the talk-ups prior to it (it was one of, if not Clay's last, his prelims before taking on Sonny Liston. There are people on this side of the pond who have not forgotten Henry Cooper.

 

[oggbashan]

... Now you tell me Henry Cooper got a knighthood for knocking down Clay/Ali? Whooda thunk it?

...

His knighthood was for services to sport and charities. Henry was always willing to help others, a great ambassador for boxing, and a friendly man.

He enjoyed the fame of knocking down Cassius Clay but he knew that he wasn't in the same class as a boxer.

Og

 

[elfin_odalisque]

His knighthood was for services to sport and charities. Henry was always willing to help others, a great ambassador for boxing, and a friendly man.

He enjoyed the fame of knocking down Cassius Clay but he knew that he wasn't in the same class as a boxer.

Og

Og, Ali always had a great respect and affection for 'Enery and, with the problems of anno domini, Sir Henry has probably done more to help CC than many others.

 

[Loring2]

Sir Cooper

A competant heavyweight he was too. I saw him fight in MSG once. Sorry to hear he's gone.