Henry Cooper v Herbie Hide

Was Hide ever better than the younger Cassius Clay that Cooper practically knocked out?

I don’t think he was. Hide hit harder than Clay, but his chin was no better than Coopers. I think even in the first round Cooper landed more left hooks on Clays chin than Hide could ever have hoped to cope with.

you have to remember Cooper would approach the Hide style of fighter the same way he did the young Clay. And he didn’t exactly give him the room he needed for that leaning back dancing style. He kept trapping Clay and he would trap Hide too. Cooper attacked cassius with a fast double jab. It would restrict Hide just as much.

I would never rule Hide out, sure Cooper cut. Sure Cooper got knocked out. But he fought and lost to a much better level of fighters than Hide.

Sure Cooper can’t beat Vitali and Bowe either ....but come on!

Hide never beat anyone any good. Washed up Tony Tucker who never beat a good fighter for years? 12 fight novice Micheal Bentt? Who else is there?

Herbie didn’t beat fighters as good as Erskine, Mildenburger or Foley. I don’t think Hide beat anybody better than Billy Walker, Bygraves, Richardson Roy Harris or Brian London.

unless somebody can make a stronger case for the men Hide actually beat at the time he fought them ...I don’t think Henry Cooper can be ruled out in this match at all.

 

I picked Hide, but a great post.