Henry Cooper, 1934-2011 - Robert Edwards

The story of Britain's greatest boxing hero and his famous left hook

Henry Cooper is best remembered for the night when he nearly changed the course of boxing history. On July 19, 1963, he fought the up-and-coming Cassius Clay, later to become Muhammad Ali, and his famous left hook, "Henry's Hammer," dumped Clay on the canvas, raising "the biggest cheer in boxing history." Henry went on to record many notable victories. Arguably Britain's greatest ever heavyweight fighter, he won 40 of his 55 professional fights, beating most of the true boxing greats. His story also includes the legendary names of boxing: Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, and, of course, Ali. Boxing was not the end of Henry's time in the public eye. He was the ideal elder statesman of the sport, and a successful media career followed his retirement in 1971. Disaster hit, however, when his innocent involvement in the scandal of the Lloyd's Names meant that he lost heavily, and had to sell off his unique collection of three Lonsdale belts to pay his bills. This is the biography of a fascinating man, but even more, an insight into an age now lost to us.