Step back in time.........Muhammad Ali versus Henry Cooper

Dear Friends
kind regards
Today we continue our Step back in time series.
Muhammad Ali (who was known as Cassius Clay) fought Henry Cooper in June 1963 at Wembley.
Here is the match up for your viewing pleasure.

[yt]Di4uErQBRKM[/yt]

Henry Cooper's career highlight was in this match, when he put Muhammad Ali on the canvas.
However, Ali won a TKO victory on cuts in round 5.
I met Henry Cooper a few years back and we discussed this match up briefly.
What are your opinions on this match?
If you could get back to me A.S.A.P I'd appreciate it.
yours thankfully
John

 

well they say ali was so dazed that his corner cut his glove, to give him more of a chance to recover.

 

Dear roly
kind regards
Well if the corner used that trick and got away with it, then that is the fault of the referee.
Clay's corner obviously used their brain and it paid off.
yours thankfully
John

 

agreed 100%

I wish more people saw these things this way

Unless the ref is unfairly biased, then anything that can turn the fight in your advantage is to the credit of the fighter and in this case his team

 

so pepper on gloves, horseshoes in gloves they're are ok as well. why bother having rules in that case.

cutting the glove with a razor blade to buy time if true is pretty blatant cheating.

 

I haven't time right now to watch the video you have provided MoralMan, but I have seen many times the famous left hook Cooper drops Clay with.

 

point taken.

 

i honestly think he would have been fine anyway. Ali later proved his ability to survive when hurt.

 

It wasn't till the 5th round, the round in which Clay predicted his victory, that he started to throw the right hand that often. The fight was made close because until that round, Clay was having fun.

 

Dear roly
kind regards
I think that Ali's corner bent the rules by cutting the glove rather than outright breaking them.
The referee should have spotted the trick and put a stop to it.
The most blatant fouling always gets noticed anyway.
I am sure that Ali would have been okay anyway even if he didn't have the extra time.
yours thankfully
John

 

actually it is a bit of a myth that ali got a lot of extra time,it was only about 5 seconds.what has almost been lost in all of the hullabaloo concerning this is the quality of coopers left hook,it was a magnificent punch.he might not have been a real top notcher,but he threw a mighty left hook,it was no fluke.

 

great punch

 

Henry cooper was an excellent fighter, but was so vulnerable to cuts it was untrue! There was no way he would have been allowed to continue had the bell not gone, he was in Disneyland for some time. It was only a few extra seconds though. He has spoken about it on occasions and has always maintained that he isn't bitter, and almost conceded that he would have done the same. He can say he was the only man to have Ali in trouble in his prime, and in modern rules, would have got the kayo win

 

Dear ron u.k
kind regards
I agree with your analysis.
Henry Cooper was reputed to have a mean left hook.
The greatest moment of Cooper's career was when he knocked down Ali, he will always be remembered for that.
I will soon be creating a Henry Cooper 10 match Fantasy warfare special.
I hope that you will contribute to these threads.
yours thankfully
John

 

Perfect example of how a guy with a really good chin can still be hurt if caught right.