How the hell did Henry Cooper nearly stop Ali?

Simple.

Anybody can be nearly stopped by a punch that they don't see coming.

All part of the learning curve.

 

I guess they did not call it Henry's Hammer for nothing. Although maybe he could not get his best shots in all the time to do that to Ali takes serious power.

You say he was only 13 stone, well I remember some years back in the all star game they have a red seat where skinny Ted Williams hit the ball and they were showing Mo Vaughn who was a top power hitter in his time and was built like a tank and probably around 250 at least, he just looked at where Ted Williams hit it and was lost for words.

 

he threw a punch and it landed

 

A fighter can do plenty of damage even when weighing in the 180s and going up against a guy who weighs over 200 pounds. Plenty of guys have proved it over the years - Bob Fitzsimmons, Tommy Burns, Sam Langford, Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano, etc. When a true puncher catches you right, I don't care how big you are, you can go.

 

Let's not forget, he was as big as Jack Dempsey, or Rocky Marciano.

Why shouldn't he hit like a truck?

 

This is always one of the best examples to use for the 'size uber alles' brigade. Little 180-pound Cooper hurt Ali more with that one shot than the huge Foreman did with hundreds of punches. Same for Lyle, Shavers etc.
Timing and accuracy goes a long way...

 

He hit Ali with a left hook which Ali tried to pull back from. No "learning" to that curve because Ali never learned to pick up his right glove and turn his body to block a hook.

 

Bottom line is anything can happen in boxing. That's why this "so and so could NEVER beat so and so" is so stupid.

Also why Floyds 48-0 does not make him TBE. If you fight enough, someone will get you. Cooper didn't beat Ali, but this shows you how it could happen. It is why many people see, say, 145-16-3 as better than 48-0. If Floyd fought 150-200 fights, hed get beat. Record is only one tool to rate fighters.

I got a lil off subject. Like I said, anything can happen.

 

Cooper's success against Ali gets a bit overblown. He put him down for a two count and Ali got up, walked back to the corner and TKO'd him in the following round. I wouldn't say Cooper nearly stopped him.

But it's boxing. One punch can change everything.

 

Ali was always vulnerable to the left hook - its why he had so much trouble dealing with Frazier. Two out four of Ali's career knockdowns were from left hooks - the other two were flash knockdowns.

 

This is why Tyson would walk through him.

 

Yeah but Ali was out on his feet. During the break he even stood up off his stool for no reason.
Ali may have gotten up quickly but he was out of it.
It's just lucky for him his powers of recovery were second to none.

 

Cooper has 29kos in 40 wins do you think he hit significantly softer than say Walcott of Moore?

 

Cooper's success isn't overblown it's actually minimized by the silly split glove theory, which overshadows the fact Ali illegally received smelling salts in between rounds to be revived. That fight could easily have been ruled a DQ loss for Ali or a no contest. Had Ali not received those salts who knows what shape he comes out in the next round. Plenty of fighters have been hurt at the end of the round and the one minute interval is insufficient for full recovery. Look at Tua Rahman.