RIP Henry Cooper

[Acker79]

If that's a criticism of Acker, then let's not forget why the thread went awry in the first place.

I assumed he had just posted in he wrong thread and edited the content of the post quickly.

 

[Pavilionaire]

RIP Henry, a man that inspired many successful British boxers for generations to come.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Cooper should have been a cruiserweight not a heavie. In those days, the weight limits were different and Henry beat everybody in Britain, Europe and the Commonwealth but lost to the top Americans...Ali ( twice ) Floyd Patterson and Zora Folley. He also lost to the Swede Ingemar Johannson, who went on to be world heavy weight champion.
He was part of my childhood...listening to his fights on a small transistor in the bedroom. The noise when he knocked down Clay was unbelievable...London, Walker, Bodell, Prescott...he beat them all....three Lonsdale belts.....and then the finale, the Bugner fight...his final fight...when he wanted to retire, with all his belts intact.
I was in London that night for a football match and coming back through Town, everybody, I mean everybody was listening to a radio. It gripped the nation. The old champion and war-horse against the young pretender. We kept getting progress reports on our route home and at Victoria, people were delaying their journeys to listen to the commentary...and everone was willing Henry on...he had to win...Joe Bugner would have his time.
The commentator said it was Henry's fight..we all thought he had won...but Harry Gibbs lifted Bugner's hand...we were gutted for him...he was a national treasure. Bugner never recovered from that...the public never forgave him.
Henry was loved and admired....as much a part of the fabric of our country as fish and chips and a cup of tea.
The fact that me and my mates travelled home in silence that night was a tribute to the man....he was just so popular....very few become so revered....in British sport, just Henry and Bobby Charlton and in entertainment, Gracie Fields, Vera Lynn, Eric and Ernie and Tommy Cooper.
The big man with the gentle touch. A man of the people. From a fruit and veg stall to national celebrity, he was always our ' Enery
RIP

 

[NMH]

One of the greatest British gentlemen.

Respect, may he rest in peace

 

[generation x]

Cooper should have been a cruiserweight not a heavie. In those days, the weight limits were different and Henry beat everybody in Britain, Europe and the Commonwealth but lost to the top Americans...Ali ( twice ) Floyd Patterson and Zora Folley. He also lost to the Swede Ingemar Johannson, who went on to be world heavy weight champion.
He was part of my childhood...listening to his fights on a small transistor in the bedroom. The noise when he knocked down Clay was unbelievable...London, Walker, Bodell, Prescott...he beat them all....three Lonsdale belts.....and then the finale, the Bugner fight...his final fight...when he wanted to retire, with all his belts intact.
I was in London that night for a football match and coming back through Town, everybody, I mean everybody was listening to a radio. It gripped the nation. The old champion and war-horse against the young pretender. We kept getting progress reports on our route home and at Victoria, people were delaying their journeys to listen to the commentary...and everone was willing Henry on...he had to win...Joe Bugner would have his time.
The commentator said it was Henry's fight..we all thought he had won...but Harry Gibbs lifted Bugner's hand...we were gutted for him...he was a national treasure. Bugner never recovered from that...the public never forgave him.
Henry was loved and admired....as much a part of the fabric of our country as fish and chips and a cup of tea.
The fact that me and my mates travelled home in silence that night was a tribute to the man....he was just so popular....very few become so revered....in British sport, just Henry and Bobby Charlton and in entertainment, Gracie Fields, Vera Lynn, Eric and Ernie and Tommy Cooper.
The big man with the gentle touch. A man of the people. From a fruit and veg stall to national celebrity, he was always our ' Enery
RIP

Thank you for this. I was going to post something similar about the great man when I got home this afternoon. Your post says it all.

 

[BensGrandad]

Cooper should have been a cruiserweight not a heavie. In those days, the weight limits were different

At todays limits he would be but it must be remembered that the Cruiserweight limit now is 205lb 14st 9lb. Heavy weights like Cooper, Marciano etc weighed in at around 13st and even Ali who was said to be huge fought at 15st on one occassion, most times he was lighter than that.

Now heavyweights are never under 17st except David Haye who sometimes comes in at slightly less.

 

[Nottseagull]

His death means that only Margaret Thatcher remains of all the people named in the Norwegian football rant when England lost in Oslo in the World Cup.

Didn't he mention Bobby Charlton? If not he should have done, far more famous than Lord Beaverbrook IMHO!

 

[Muhammed - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

does this mean that audley harrison has gone up one place in the world rankings

 

[Frutos]

Apparently there will be a 10-bell salute to Our 'Enery before the Shane Mosley vs. Manny Pacquiao fight in the early hours of tomorrow morning.