I think the only footage I have seen of Henry Cooper is when he dropped Cassius Clay. Other than that all I really know about him is that he fought Joe Bugner and they fell out after their fight. I heard recently that if Cooper was around today he would be a CW. How would he do against Britain's recent CW's such as Dunstan, Nelson, Hide, Haye and Maccarinelli? A few of those I have mentioned are known as being a bit chinny. If Cooper could drop the young Cassius Clay surely he could spark a few of these.:think
Prime for prime he def. beats Dunstan, Macc, MAYBE Hide and Nelson but I think Haye is a bad matchup stylisically and physically.
I don't believe that Cooper could beat David Haye. However he would definitely beat Nelson, and he would probably beat Maccarinelli and Hide. Cooper was not a bad fighter...he was a sound technical boxer and a dangerous stand-up boxer/puncher. His left jab was excellent, and everyone knows he had a devastating left hook. The downside to Cooper was that he was kind of mechanical, he didn't take a big punch very well, and of course he was easy to cut. If Cooper were fighting today he would probably pick up a CW world title belt.
Cooper was a solid British level fighter, but his weak chin and skin would mean in this day and age he simply would not be able to compete with World class operators even in a weak cruiserweight division.
I disagree, because Cooper was able to maintain a top 10 rating at heavyweight during the 1960s. Cooper would not be able to beat the exceptionally good cruisers of today, such as Hayes, but he would beat most of the rest of them.
Cooper kept a top 10 world rating post 1963 on the strength of being British. It was considered good form to always rate the European Champion, despite the fact Cooper was losing to journeymen Americans by the mid 60s.... Also it is a myth Cooper lost fights on cuts. Post 1957, he only lost fights on cuts against Ali (Clay). But in this day and age he would lose even more, as referees (quite rightly IMO) stop fights quicker.
