Sir Henry Cooper

SIR Henry Cooper, who has died aged 76, was a boxer and one of the best-loved British sportsmen of all time. He came within seconds of defeating the great Muhammad Ali during a career in which he won no global honours but earned incredible goodwill and public support.

Armed with his legendary left hook, dubbed ’Enry’s ’Ammer, a fighter’s heart, solid skills and a winning personality, the respectful Londoner was as popular for his character outside the ring as his achievements inside it.

A former British, European and Commonwealth heavyweight champion, Cooper was the first to win two BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards – in 1967 and 1970 – and reigned at home and in Europe without managing to conquer the world.

Cooper stood at just 6ft but carried genuine heavyweight power, as witnessed by young American upstart Cassius Clay, who before becoming Ali, found himself floored and floundering at the hands of his British host at Wembley in June, 1963.

With Clay knocked down, his senses scrambled, the Louisville Lip barely got to his feet before being saved by the bell at the end of the fourth round. An extended break before the fight’s resumption after a rip conveniently appeared in Clay’s gloves essentially saved the future champion as he collected himself and proceeded to open up decisive cuts around Cooper’s notoriously tender eyes.

The fight was stopped in that very round.

While it was a non-title affair, it was Cooper’s big chance. Though defeated, it remained his big night and Ali later said Cooper “had hit him so hard that his ancestors in Africa felt it”.

Three years later, a wiser Ali – having changed his name and won the world heavyweight championship – returned to London and staged a masterclass to effectively take care of unfinished business, boxing his way to another cuts stoppage.

The second Ali bout was refereed by former Leith Victoria amateur champion, George Smith, who recalled: “On first seeing how bad Henry’s cut eye was, some of his corner shouted about a butt but Cooper instantly said it had been a punch, which I thought spoke volumes for his sportsmanship.”

Some commentators believed he was too light to fight at heavyweight, and in today’s world he could have dominated the cruiserweight division.

But despite enjoying a successful career – won 40, lost 14, drawn one – he never won a world title and in 1971 lost to the up-and-coming Joe Bugner, trained by Glaswegian Andy Smith, in hugely controversial circumstances.

Bugner claimed the British, European and Commonwealth belts by a quarter of a point, thanks to referee Harry Gibbs in a verdict poorly received by fans and which led BBC commentator Harry Carpenter to ask: “How can they take away the man’s titles like this?” Cooper announced his retirement shortly after the defeat.

Born in 1934, Cooper and his identical twin brother George grew up in a council house on the Bellingham Estate on Farmstead Road, south-east London, before they were evacuated to the Sussex coast. He was nine when he began to show an interest in boxing and he started his amateur career in 1949 with the Eltham Amateur Boxing Club, where he won 73 of 84 contests.

He soon rose through the ranks and went on to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games in 1952. In order to qualify for the Olympics he had to defeat Burntisland amateur John McLean in the British ABA final, whom Cooper beat on points. Years later they would meet occasionally at boxing events. McLean recalled: “What impressed me was that I was by then a fairly obscure local government official in Fife while Cooper had become an international celebrity.

“But there was no side with him – he made me feel important and was more interested in learning about my life, family and career since our 1952 fight than trumpeting his own considerable personal achievements.’’

Cooper, who became the first man ever to win three Lonsdale belts, remained a firm favourite with a mainstream appeal few sportsman have ever achieved or are likely to again.

He lived a full life after boxing and was a frequent TV guest and appeared alongside Kevin Keegan in adverts for Brut, “the deodorant with muscle”, and for Shredded Wheat.

He was knighted in 2000 – becoming the first boxer to receive the honour.

His Italian-born wife Albina, 71, who was married to the former UK heavyweight champion for 47 years, suffered a heart attack at the age of 71 and died in 2008. Cooper took the loss badly and this was compounded by the death of his twin last year. He is survived by his two sons, Henry Marco and John Pietro.