Boxing legend Sir Henry Cooper dies aged 76

Boxing legend Sir Henry Cooper has passed away at the age of 76 at his son's house in Oxted, Surrey.



The former English, Commonwealth and European heavyweight champion fought 55 times and is revered for his knockdown of Muhammad Ali in 1963.

London-born Cooper, who won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award twice, was knighted in 2000.

Alongside Frank Bruno, Tommy Farr and Lennox Lewis, Cooper is considered as one of the great British heavyweights.

He also represented Britain at the 1952 Olympics - losing in the second round to Russian Anatoli Petrov.

Despite enjoying a hugely successful professional career, he never won a world title and retired in 1971 after losing to Joe Bugner.

Cooper, who began boxing professionally in 1954, is best remembered for his two famous clashes with Ali in the 1960s.



He floored the American in the fourth round with 'Enry's 'Ammer - his trademark left hook - but Ali eventually won the 1963 non-title fight at Wembley.

Ali later said on British television that Cooper "had hit him so hard that his ancestors in Africa felt it".

Ali triumphed again when they boxed three years later but Cooper remained a favourite with the British public.

Following his retirement Cooper pursued a successful career in television as a pundit and was also a published author.

Britain's world heavyweight champion David Haye used his Twitter feed to pay tribute to Cooper following his death.

"One of Britain's greatest sports man Sir Henry Cooper passed away today. A true warrior and great human being. Rest in Peace," Haye wrote.

Ireland's former world featherweight champion Barry McGuigan told the BBC: "He was a lovely fella, and I was a personal friend of him and his wife.

"It really is tragic news for the world of boxing, what a great man he was."

Heard this when I came home Sunday night. Henry was an inspiration to many of us kids, the man always came across as a true Gent.

Side note, I still use Brut! "Splash it on all over!"

RIP Henry