Smelling Salts In Boxing?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/bo...-Muhammad-Alis-legendary-trainer-dies-90.html

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cooper

http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/3439784

http://www.boxing247.com/weblog/news.php?p=17028&more=1

These sources as well as many others all cite that the smelling salts were illegal. I know Wikipedia can be edited by anyone and is not a reputable source. I'm also aware that even though these other links are reputable websites and news organizations they are not first hand reports. If they were legal during this time why do all these sites have it wrong. I hope it is not true as I hate believing this victory is tainted. I have heard for many years in many difference circles that smelling salts were already banned in England during this fight. Did Dundee ever speak on the matter? Maybe smelling salts being illegal is just a myth created by Cooper supporters? If it is this is one good hoax to have taken such root in so many publications. I will try to investigate hopefully someone on other side of the pond can look into it as well as the info should be more readily available. I read in a chat room England outlawed them in the late 50's but that could be someone's conjecture.

 

I think he is saying that smelling salts were made illegal later (say late '60's, early '70's) and people retroactively applied those standards. It's possible; I had an argument with turbotime about this and I tried to find when they were outlawed and couldn't place a date. The sports illustrated report doesn't mention the smelling salts, or the glove tear for that matter making me think the reporter didn't consider either a big deal. But I wouldn't go against the prevailing opinion without more evidence. I think they might mention something in the lead up to the rematch but I could be wrong.

 

ALI recovered without salts that time because he was able to prove he was not as stung when he got up against Banks. After the banks knockdown Ali did not sleep walk to that corner as he had against Cooper but rested his arms on the ropes in a relaxed way to await the standing count. At that point his eyes were clear and he was alert. ALI did not look as alert after the Cooper knockdown until the salts were administered to him in the corner.

This is a good point but there is no history of results in Britain changing after the event. The referee decision is final. Since it was not picked up the fight continued and Cooper was legitimately stopped in the very next round that's all that counted. Most that could have happened was a rematch, there was no title at stake. I believe that the opinion at the time would have been It had to have been picked up at that moment otherwise the result stood. Results of contests do not get interfered with after the event in England. That's not to say home fighters don't get favoured over there, they do, but not to that extent.

 

Yes but why then was there no public lambasting for years afterwards? The fact that you hear nothing about any smelling salts controversy is curious; which either leads to the conclusion that they weren't illegal then or they simply never bothered to watch the films carefully.

 

The answer is I don't know but for years it has been common knowledge that there was illegal use of smelling salts. Like I say I think it is because it is just accepted over here that you can't over turn anything after the event. There certainly never was any complaining from Cooper. Maybe thats why? Also Ali has always been extremely popular and accepted in England.

The film is well known. But for many years after the original broadcast and before the home video explosion whenever it was repeated only short clips and highlights televised without showing too much of anything.

Dundee excused the "smelling salts" he used as "poppers" in one interview rather than actual salts. So maybe he knew he needed a cover for using them?

 

Clearly Cooper's own manager was concerned about the use of illegal substances, which he claimed were used on Ali in their first fight. He discussed it before their rematch, saying that only water was allowed. Great catch choklab.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...cassius+clay+smelling+salts+plain+water&hl=en

If true, then perhaps although some give Dundee credit for breaking the rules and getting away with it, I am not one of them. I think breaking the rules risked disqualification, could have derailed the title shot, put a blemish on his record, and also could have tarnished Ali's legacy (and perhaps does) . Ali had the right to be allowed to show that he could recover without such illegal assistance.

I note that Cooper was a left handed man fighting in the orthodox stance, giving his left hook a great deal of power. James J. Jeffries was the same. Some have said Frazier might have been left handed. I'm not sure. Some even suspected Tyson of being a lefty given how powerful his hook was. I think he was ambidextrous, or as he might say, ambivalent.

 

Great find. Finally a source from the era and from an authorative voice on the matter. This is damning evidence.

 

One thing to remember is that not every breach of local rules is grounds for disqualification. As this article describes, Jose Napoles' manager was found using smelling salts in a bout in London in 1972 and they were just taken away from him (he was furious).

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...q5YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UvcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3337,4665981

 

Ali needed reviving, whether it was illegal or not is immaterial; Henry Cooper damn nearly knocked him out!!

Stop skating around the issue; Ali was rescued by sleight of hand!

 

I think this proves that Clay would lose to Marciano.