Muhammad Ali vs Henry Cooper I & II : The Left Hook That Almost Changed History

A look back at Muhammad Ali's two fights against Henry Cooper.

[@melvinpartridge688]

My father was there, found ticket stub when sorting his affairs, r.i.p. miss you.

[@TheNelster72]

Amazing. For the first fight or the second?

[@melvinpartridge688]

Second

[@frankpaya690]

@@melvinpartridge688 It can be like getting to know someone all over again, after they've passed and you go through all their belongings.

[@soleknight3212]

G-d bless you. I also had to sort my late fathers affairs and funnily enough he was a HUGE Ali fan (white working class Jewish guy from the UK). He met Ali 3 times. I knew of this of course as was brought up with 'Ali this and Ali that' haha! Had lots of Ali memorabilia amongst his stuff. RIP to them all.

[@soleknight3212]

I'm a huge Ali fan, but Cooper is underrated, No bum. Really quick and powerful, even by today's standards (if a bit light at the weight). I've seen it before, but watching it again with fresh eyes really shows the talent on display from both guys. Great doc. Thank you

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Sole Knight.

[@James-th7wb]

There is a lie/myth that many people still believe that the fight was stopped for minutes as someone went back to retrieve a replacement glove from the dressing room. In reality, the fight was only delayed by roughly 6-7 seconds in total and no glove was replaced.

[@DavidUKesb]

Even before the knockdown you could see Cooper had some serious heat on that left hook.

[@matthew-jy5jp]

I have to say Rich you do some really great documentaries. I honestly wish they were more channels on KZbin that were as respectful to boxing and the fighters and their stories As You Are

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

I appreciate that Matthew, thank you.

[@u4ea70]

Rich knows when to talk and when to let the footage speak for itself. And he makes the fighters all the more human with his research into them, making you pay attention to the person and not just the athlete.

[@michaelcannon5789]

Henry coopers statue was unveiled last Saturday in Bellingham which to be fair was overdue by most of his fans, Our Enry was a national treasure to fight fans in Great Britain nice documentary Richard

[@cityside75]

It's pretty shocking to watch just how rocked Ali was from that knockdown punch. He hit the ground hard and was clearly disoriented in his corner. Those closeups on his face just before the bell for the next round are some of the most worried expressions I've ever seen Ali wear. Imagine if Cooper had landed that punch with a minute left in the round instead of 2 seconds. Crazy.

[@oncall21]

Certainly a very interesting fight for boxing at the time with that knockdown before the bell. But in many ways Ali must give credit to a very clever trainer in Angelo Dundee. Roughing up the split glove made the difference between a win a or a loss. Great presentation and commentary as always Rich. Many thanks for sharing!

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, oncall21

[@teaincrumpets8456]

Been waiting for this From someone for a long time 👍

[@zfid]

Thanks Rich...great to hear Harry Carpenter's commentary

[@doseloverstar1183]

RIP 'Enry Cooper The 🦋 Angelo Dundee Another Great Piece Rich Keep Rocking

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Dose.

[@AwestruckOffRoadingAudioHertz]

Professional level documentary pieces Rich. These are better than any main stream production. Keep it up

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

I appreciate that, A A H, thank you.

[@hairyjohn5825]

That was some fight. Thanks👍

[@buskingkarma2503]

I got my jaw broke by a plasterer,on a building sight in the 90s!😆,hardest hit of my life!👊👌

[@alpha_trooper8187]

Great stuff Rich, whatever you're taking or doing to keep up this production quality and quantity, keep doing it brother. Cooper may have not been a world Champion but his left hook definitely had the quality of one. Some fan mail: Had a question, was wondering what your thoughts are on the narrative that old fighter (i.e 1920, 1930, 1950, etc) could not compete with the likes of today's boxers? I've noticed on sites such r/boxing on reddit that there is such a vindictiveness towards older generation fighters such as Harry Greb, Henry Armstrong, and Joe Louis. The Word bum is often disgracefully used to describe them and I was wondering what your thoughts were on this where you think this vindictiveness towards older fighter came from in this generation?

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Alpha_trooper. Regarding the disrespect of older generation fighters....I'd have to read some of it first hand to get a feel of what they're talking about. My guess is that they don't know what it is they're looking at when viewing the old-time fight techniques. Marciano and Cooney get the most hate on my channel. The offenders are typically race-baiters or a know-nothing parroting someone else's opinion.

[@shadowsnake8989]

I remember reading an article saying that the use of smelling salts in British boxing was illegal at the time with water being the only stimulant allowed. So would Ali have been disqualified for his teams use of them? Would he have recovered fully with the 60 seconds allowed? It was clear he didn't have all his senses yet when he tried to stand back up. And Cooper wouldn't have wasted any time once the next round began. Guess it's just one of those things we'll never really know.

[@jessearias2863]

Another great job Rich two great fights a lot of action thanks for the compilation.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Jesse.

[@markchapman2585]

Thanks Rich my Dad told me about Cooper and thanks again for making a video about him. Lot's of channels always talk about Mike Tyson or Ali like there they were the only boxers who ever lived.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Mark. Cooper had a helluva left hook.

[@Lcowand1]

Watching this fight beginning to end for the first time and boy was Cooper a dangerous fighter. Fast hands and aggressive. If only he had just a bit of defense.

[@ronofficial5958]

Good stuff, Rich! Hit the LIKE button people!

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Hey thanks, Ron.

[@johnpittsii7524]

Thanks for the amazing video Rich

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, John.

[@bennyadler5882]

(According to Ali "auto-biographer) "I was looking down at Elizabeth Taylor screaming for Henry to knock me out and got distracted". Liz Taylor there ringside with boyfriend Richard Burton. I'm guessing had the bust line on Ms Taylor's dress been any lower, Clay gets KO'd. All that aside, fascinating first fight by such a workmanlike strong Henry Cooper displaying phenomenal coordination/technique/torque in that left hook while (sadly) leaving himself open for the quick right hand leads. I don't blame the Brits for hating Joe Bugner so much for winning, Cooper was an "everyman" type of fighter one could never dislike. Fascinating match-up. I'm guessing Henry's trainers studied whatever tape they could find from the Clay/Sonny Banks match-up from 62'. Enjoyed this very much Rich!

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

haha, if that is the case we'll cut the Greatest some slack as Liz was a knockout back then.

[@bennyadler5882]

@@RichtheFightHistorian Ali's own observations (Liz Taylor), probably thinking to himself "why is this American movie star rooting against me"???? And yes, Richard Burton had great taste.

[@davidrenner4291]

Rich, I’ve had the opportunity to watch most of your videos & they’re all super awesome.! Appreciate ya :-) David

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thank you, David.

[@bareknuckles2u]

Another top notch video. I love your videos. I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday season. You have given all of us boxing fans so many hours of great viewing.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thank you, bareknuckles2u, I wish you a great holiday season as well

[@garychapman4294]

Great video as always

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thank you, Gary.

[@shadicalplayz8932]

7:45 “And Cooper Flings Him Off” Harry Carpenter

[@MREGGGOD1]

Loved this 👍🥊👍

[@nickharmer3049]

Excellent stuff Rich. Our 'Enry's fights happened when I was a youngster unfortunately, so I only got replays here in England, shown frequently as Cooper was a national treasure, mainly as he was the only boxer to win the Lonsdale belt 3 times outright, a belt that meant so much back then & you had to win it 3 times to keep it. I only saw his last fight live. Great work buddy. Bless up 👊

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Nick.

[@johnjuarez8005]

Hey Rich any truth to the story of Dundee slitting Ali's glove to switch out gloves or gather more time to recuperate.? I have heard many stories, yet no video proof or documentation on it. In your video the announcer mentioned that Ali's glove was"torn ."

[@Stout_Krout_Columbia_MD]

Yes it was intentional, but no other gloves were available ringside to be changed. Because of what happened extra gloves became mandatory at ringside.

[@johnjuarez8005]

@@Stout_Krout_Columbia_MD Thanks. I suspect that. How much longer you think Clay has to recuperate based on Dundee devious action??

[@kerrymandanny8135]

In alis book Dundee claims it bought ali about a minute but in real time it was under 20 seconds. Cooper was cut bad so his corner was only happy to have more time to staunch the bleeding.

[@johnniethepom7545]

@@johnjuarez8005 you can see Dundee administering smelling salts quite clearly . He waves something under Ali's nose and the effect on Ali is instant . 8:20 . Dundee admitted tearing the glove and the smelling salts decades later . Same sense of fair play as the Australian Cricket Team , cheats pure and simple .

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

@@kerrymandanny8135 It was only six seconds.

[@byzinski]

🙋🏻‍♂️🍀 great video Thank you 😊 I liked & subscribed Portland Oregon USA 🇺🇸

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Brandon.

[@LMatters1]

Rich you are correct that left hook almost changed the course of boxing history. Clay was badly hurt and Dundee knew it. What Dundee got up to between rounds is still the subject of much conjecture, but the glove looked ok at the end of the round from what could be seen on the TV. Cooper was a very good finisher, Clay was straight to his feet (no eight count then) and it would have been BINGO...all over. IMO the bell saved Clay. Had it not it is unlikely that Clay would challenged Liston the following year (if ever).

[@clevelandwilliams5922]

This is why Clays fighting team wanted no part of Cleveland Williams

[@Dennis-yb7jw]

​@@clevelandwilliams5922 why would you say that

[@clevelandwilliams5922]

@@Dennis-yb7jw Yet again 3/4 small intestines, kidney removed & bullet lodged in the hip bone causing atrophy to occur. Then to loose 60 to 90 lbs which was entirely muscle. Now I will say this if Muhammad Ali greatest performance is against Cleveland Williams then Holmes should be afforded the same standard. So Holmes to me greatest performance is against Ali. Now let’s look at some timely events. Ali team refuse to defend against their No. 1 contender who was Cleveland Williams. He decides to give Liston a title re-match. Let’s look at that closely, the title fight between Clay v Liston 1 had no rematch clause inbuilt, unlike Patterson v Johansson series. Ali team & management went again convention and decided for rematch. This rematch was to take affect in Boston by 18th of Nov. 1964. Then all of a sudden Ali found himself with a hernia, which was never proved by medical. It was taken verbally and then the rematch was cancelled. On 28th of Nov 1964. Cleveland “The Big Cat” Williams was on track to fight a title WBA belt against Ernie Terrell found himself shot by a Texan Police Officer using a .357 magnum at point blank range. This was supposed to eliminate Williams as a Contender and become potential Champion. That was their fear, why because they couldn’t have The Big Cat Champion and beat Clay, when Liston dismantled this man after a barrage of power punches. What would that have said about the fix. Liston was going to take the dive in Boston as he did in Mayne, their issue was Williams was not about to play dirty for the fraternity. So come in Bud Adams who was joint manager, he encouraged Williams to go against the advice of Hugh Benbow and go out and celebrate. It just happened the police were on the tail of the vehicle of Williams just by coincidence by the way (yeah many can be fooled, not me). Then he was stopped and the officers weapon was drawn in the struggle, there was no need. Williams was defending himself and pushed nozzle of firearm down, to when the pistol was discharged and caused all the mess, damage & health issues, mentioned earlier. Williams was left on the street to die and they made or hoped he would’ve lost enough blood to die. But Good Lord was on Williams corner and kept him alive with the limited blood he had left in the system. Not only that the man when they took him to hospital was part of the setup so it looked and appeared legitimate. He survived and underwent life saving surgeries as a result. The surgeon even said himself he never saw a human specimen like Williams before or after, his abdominal muscles alone were 6 inches thick. Without that layer of muscle, it wouldn’t have cushioned the explosion of bullet. Now let’s get to the meat of this, Williams regained his physical conditioning, muscle weight & health to come back to the ring. Why “The man was virtually homeless” Boxing was his only way to get himself out of poverty. So he won 4 fights & 2 by Knockout, especially agains top flight contender Todd Herring in August. The win meant he Cleveland “The Big Cat” Williams was now a top 10 heavyweight. Because Ali didn’t fight Williams that was the sticking point between Ali v Terrell fight taking place. As Terrell beat Williams in his Prime in Chicago of 1963. It was that loss to Williams & win to Terrell that means Williams could not fight Clay to determine Liston logical challenger. When Clay got hit by a picture perfect and timed left hook by Cooper and was knocked out of the ring. If it wasn’t for ring ropes. Clay was going to the third row. That’s why the events I have mentioned needed to take place for protecting their paper big mouth champion or at that time champion in waiting. So Terrell fight was fixed because it happened on Terrell’s backyard and why was their a rematch when in 1962 he was knocked out by Williams in 7th round. Then the night of the fight Bud Adams shows up knowing Williams isn’t going to go down, does the thing and sends Williams a letter garnishing his winnings for the fight before he was to fight for the title. Williams just walked around shocked and made Ali look awesome that night and lost by 3rd Round Technical Knockout. Then a Ali v Terrell fight could eventuate in 1967. But Terrell was part of protection racket. All his fights were boring and even clinched his opponents down, which meant they couldn’t fight. But for some weird reason Terrell just walked around with hands up and ate leather from Ali. They did not want Ali to fight Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Zora Folley or even Doug Jones. To me he was meant to obtain WBA heavyweight title so Ali could masquerade as Champion and not have to face up to dangerous & or capable challengers.

[@Dennis-yb7jw]

@@clevelandwilliams5922 😆 almost everybody had an excuse when they got whooped by ali. Liston pulled a muscle in his shoulder. Patterson threw his back out. Terel was seeing double. What was Ali's excuse for lossing to Holmes? Oh that's right he had none because he knew he lost to Holmes fair and square

[@clevelandwilliams5922]

@@Dennis-yb7jw that’s what you like to think

[@qalamkaar1984]

hi Rich, what a beautiful presentation & strong content, keep it up for us, i'm from Pakistan 🇵🇰 God bless you and your family 💓…

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Likewise online, thank you.

[@matthew-jy5jp]

Muhammad Ali was a beautiful fighter. the things he could do as a heavy weight are just unbelievable. I don't see how people compare Muhammad Ali's footwork to that oaf Tyson Fury

[@Stout_Krout_Columbia_MD]

Fury is a titan amongst mere mortals. Generations of dna forged to create the perfect Super Heavyweight boxer. I'm so grateful i get to see it in my lifetime. A focused Fury is boxing evolved to it's highest state ever. 277 lbs of brutal jabs, slick head movement, great footwork, granite chin, snappy punches, relaxed stamina, and great intelligence.

[@Stout_Krout_Columbia_MD]

Why is everyone so afraid to expose or even question over-hyped Ali? Wanna know why? Because cancel culture is real. Just try to remove Ali from #1 and watch what happens! Who did he actually beat? Many claim little 188 lb Doug Jones beat him. Little 188 lb Copper slapped him silly. Little 205 lb Norton snapped his jaw. Little 205 lb Frazier knocked him goofy. Old man Liston quit and took-a-dive. Williams was already gut-shot. Foreman panicked and punched himself out during the extreme humidity. Ali actually lost 9 fights (Norton II & lll, Shavers, Young) not 5, and his faculties were permanently damaged because too many used him for target practice. The 70s is so overrated it's laughable. The 90s walks through the 70s like a hot spoon going through butter. Just my opinion. Cheers.

[@slaphead8835]

I kind of agree with you. There is no comparison as far as I can see. I love Fury and he has brought a lot of respect back to the heavyweight division. But as talented as Ali? No way. I thought Fury/Wilder III was an awesome fight. But very sloppy boxing for the most part from both of them.

[@Stout_Krout_Columbia_MD]

​@@gi7685 At least 50% of King Fury's opponents were not light heavyweights and tiny cruiserweights,, HA HA HA HA 😃 Cheers.

[@johnjuarez8005]

People compare is because Fury is a giant. No huge man like Fury could ever move like him. Ali at 602 and 200 lbs could move unlike any one over 200 lbs. But the comparison is valid.

[@johnjuarez8005]

Cosell had hair then.

[@Kidgavilan700]

Thanks Rich I well remember watching this on TV For young fans, watch films of Clay/ Ali. If you had a dollar for every body punch he threw you would be broke. Ali had many flaws but an iron chin. Long time NYC matchmaker, at MSG for years, Teddy Brenner said it best “ Ali couldn’t box and he couldn’t punch but he sure could fight “

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, James.

[@triplejunction7073]

I don’t think the extra six seconds would have changed the fight . It was a hard knockdown but Ali still had the legs to pop up almost immediately . I think the Brit “ homer” announcers were overplaying how badly he was hurt. Ali was one of boxing’s ultimate survivors. He would have found a way , he always did.

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

Ali came out for the fifth round raring to go. He was fully recovered. If the break after the fourth round hadn't been extended, Ali could have just danced around for those six seconds (in the unlikely event that he needed them) to let his head clear and then he would have gone after Cooper. I'm British and I like Henry Cooper but this first fight with Ali has been mythologised to the extent that even Cooper claimed that Ali had an extra couple of minutes to recover rather than the six seconds it actually was.

[@ronofficial5958]

@@ppuh6tfrz646 jolly good...

[@My2sense427]

I disagree if you have ever been knocked out when you come out of that your vonurable...

[@triplejunction7073]

Also got to remember that Cooper was badly cut. That extra time was beneficial to him as well. It gave his seconds more time to work on his cut..

[@kelliejohnson3050]

Never seen Ali that hurt fron a punch before I watched this video! Not from Norton, Frazier, Holmes , or Foreman! And he was Losing this fight before it was stopped!!

[@leonardcharles59]

The 1st fight? I thought the second was closer mostly because Ali discovered Cooper was a very dangerous puncher . He started later in the fight probably because Cooper earned his respect after the 1st fight and acknowledged how much damage cooper could really do if he caught him like he did in the first fight. Before then, Ali probably was never hit as hard by anyone than by that hook in the 5th.

[@garyhunt8067]

I must admit, Cooper did well with left hook.

[@bookah8787]

My birth mother met Henry cooper more than once years ago, r.i.p

[@bookah8787]

From the east end of London I think, and I'm sure I have visited the gym he once used , unpredictable area is that meat head gym now not wise to be filming yourself training lol I have seen you.

[@tsb7911]

Ali improved tremendously between these two fights. I think Ali would have won the first one even if he didn't get those extra 6 seconds.

[@frankpaya690]

You mean the extra minute 66 seconds.

[@tsb7911]

@@frankpaya690 Yes. Six extra seconds acc. to Fight Historian.

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

@@frankpaya690 You get sixty seconds between rounds. Ali got sixty six. He got six extra seconds.

[@ronofficial5958]

Completely agree. He was young and still growing in the first fight. Also, he seemed to not have his legs under him in the first fight. He was still a big, goofy kid then.

[@mongoslade277]

@@ppuh6tfrz646 You just don't get it. They bought him those 6 extra seconds bc he was out on his feet. He needed it. He would've been TKOd without those 6 Extra Seconds. If that punch landed with 14 seconds left in the round he would've been KOd

[@charlesrazo7246]

That was Ali in his prime not the 70s

[@shadicalplayz8932]

7:40 We can hear Muhammad And Henry Talking

[@luke125]

Ali flashing the Freemasonic triad claw in the thumbnail.

[@riccardodidomenico4596]

Un grandissimo match . Cooper orgoglio della White America di allora. Ali in conferenza stampa campione vero.

[@fartakiss9595]

This channel is so awesome. I remember a long time ago listening to Rogan talk about the glove controversy in this fight. Rogan couldn't find the actual footage of the fight (corner work), so he was making it sound like "they had to go back into the locker room to grab another pair of gloves", like there was this immense amount of time they gave Ali to recover... Still kinda dirty, but still less dirty then the way Cooper was fighting.

[@kerrymandanny8135]

Blueprints to beat ali are all here. As fraizer said you have to rush clay make fight at your pace and he will huff and puff.

[@leonardcharles59]

But, Frazier barely beat Ali anyway! Frazier beat a fighter who had been out the ring for 43months! Do you think hed have beaten him had he not been suspended? That's a long time for a former undefeated champion to sit around and not fight. Guys like Frazier were in the ring while Ali was in and out of court. It cant be proven, but when i think of how beat up Frazier was after that first fight at Madison Square Garden , which was made only 5 months after Ali's 1st fight in 3-1/2 years , its astonishing Ali lasted 15 rounds against frazier! Both got beat up, but the way Frazier looked after that fight was horrifying!

[@kerrymandanny8135]

@@leonardcharles59 it's hard to say I think fraizer style would always give ali problems. Ali was always open to the left hook even at his best he always had trouble with it and fraizer just so happened to have a left hook that could probably break bricks. Honestly i do think even prime ali would have alot of trouble with smoking joe. If you could get inside alis jab then you had a good chance as we saw with fraizer and Norton.

[@lukalazovic5244]

I wounder can you make a documentary on ali vs fraizer all 3 fights

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

I'll consider it.

[@zeebest1004]

It would have only “changed history” until the rematch. But Cooper would have at least gotten the money and respect he deserved…

[@youtoo2233]

No one's talking about their second fight, Ali is soooo much better as a fighter than the first fight

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Agreed.

[@sasa1982uk]

Did the torn glove scene get edited? I swear I seen a version where Ali got his gloved changed in the corner.

[@soleknight3212]

Nope. Have studied this very carefully on different films. There was no change of glove and Clay had around 3 seconds added on. Plus, Carpenters commentary reveals all - he would have talked about it during the fight!!

[@sasa1982uk]

@@soleknight3212 I swear it was an extra minute, the thumb of the glove was torn and they had to change the glove, I remember seeing one of his corner team putting the glove on

[@sasa1982uk]

@@soleknight3212 also I remember seeing an interview where one of the corner team admitted to getting his thumb in the stitching and tearing it. I look for it on KZbin.

[@soleknight3212]

@@sasa1982uk Yes bro, you are right on the cornerman (or someone commenting on it) saying that Angelo Dundee TRIED to buy extra time by making the tear worse. But the ref was not buying it. Here is the actual fight. Watch carefully from 12:40 to 14:00. Absolutely NO break in the action, perfect motion of the film, and you will see NOTHING happened! It's a myth :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpnan2WjprN8Z6s

[@JABARDELLI]

Rich … Thanks for posting this. However, parts of the rounds are missing which missing parts confirm what Angelo Dundee once said : “Muhammad’s weakness was his vulnerability to the left hook.” Recall, historically, Ali was dropped by left hooks thrown by Allen Hudson, Sonny Banks, Joe Frazier. This is not to denigrate Muhammed Ali as a great fighter in making the observation. It is confirmatory of what Dundee observed and my mind envisions those blazing left hooks that Frazier landed during their fights. In the full version of the fight, Henry Cooper, also, really landed some devastating left hooks which shook up and hurt Muhammed Ali prior to the knockdown left hook ending the fourth round. One other observation which is clear: Ali arose at the count of 4 simultaneously as the bell rang ending the round. At that point, the 60 seconds starts before the bell rings to start the fifth round. If this film is complete from the point of Ali arising as the bell rang, thereby ending the fourth round, precisely 60 seconds passed before the bell rings, again, commencing the fifth round. Ali was not benefitted by any time delay, torn glove, exchanging glove(s) 🥊, or all the fiction and hoopla we have been exposed to down through the years.

[@surrealistidealist]

Was it the first Cooper fight that Frazier said he watched and realized he could beat Ali?

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

I very much doubt it and I've certainly never heard that.

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

In the highly unlikely event that Cooper beat Ali in 1963 (even when you take into account Ali being knocked down), it would have done little to change boxing history. It would not have led to Cooper getting a world title shot because his manager publicly said that he would not let his fighter go near Sonny Liston and for obvious reasons: Liston would have *pulverised* Cooper. At the very most, a Cooper victory over Ali would have delayed Ali challenging Liston for perhaps a year and Ali would have become world champion in 1965.

[@TheNelster72]

The post fight interview was very interesting. Why did he thank the British prime minister and US government for allowing him to fight? What was the stress and strain he referred to?

[@triplejunction7073]

He was going through his troubles with the US Army draft board . He made extremely (at that time) controversial statements about the Vietnam War. Plus , he was getting massively dumped on for converting to Islam. He was most hated man in America before he became the most beloved.

[@maddogmcgruder5435]

I have a hunch that the team ali had surrounded him knew the ins and outs of the boxing world in other words split gloves,someone sitting in the locker room to view who was ahed on points....stuff like that,that kept ali afloat

[@joep8787]

If only Enry's Ammer had come earlier it might have been different. Ali was saved by the bell, and Dundee gave Ali more time with that BS about a cut on Ali's glove. That said, Cooper had known for a long time that those prominent eyebrow bones cut his skin from the inside whenever he got hit there. I wonder if Copper could have gotten some reconstructive surgery to smooth out those bones? Ali was not the only boxer who took advantage of Cooper's skull bones. Ali was vulnerable to a left hook. He lost his first fight to Joe Frazier due to Frazier's fabulous left hook. Unlike Cooper, Frazier's face was a mass of lumps and bruises, but no cuts. I believe Frazier lost a later fight with Ali precisely because his eyes were so swollen, he was having trouble seeing out of them. Ali may not have been the hardest hitter, but he hit you so many times that your face was a mess afterwards.

[@michaelcannon5789]

Reconstructive surgery in them days 😮

[@drankyodrank]

You should put his cooper wire boots to the weigh in and his true weight was around ~180 lbs

[@gianca60]

Ali always been prone to the left hook. Seems to me Doug Jones also floored whit that shot. Not to mention Joe Frazier.

[@youtoo2233]

No, not Doug Jones, but Sonny Banks

[@michaelcannon5789]

Cooper was from south London not the east end as mentioned

[@patricklondon962]

If Cooper had hit Ali 30 seconds earlier I think Cooper may have won the fight. Ali was out on his feet and I think Cooper would have put Ali down to stay.

[@shadicalplayz8932]

7:45

[@mwbright]

Cooper slips like Duran.

[@johnny5805]

Henry's twin brother was called 'George', not "Jim".

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

He fought under the name Jim Cooper.

[@drecool6976]

Ali .A true champion even outside of boxing.

[@darrylking2500]

Ali was the Greatest head hunter in boxing history

[@onuchinathaniel4367]

We have kept hearing about these couple seconds of advantage Ali had in this fight against Cooper; makes me laugh. This more than likely was going to make no single difference. Ali is much more superior all round. Cooper knocking him down was not enough. Ali demonstrated his resilience and athleticism throughout his career. It is absurd to me to see how much the British analysts have sustained this argument that it has become laughable. Ali came back and did exactly what he does. Boxing is more than a knock down. Look at the condition of Copper's face. The same with the battering Sonny Liston received. Meanwhile, there was even a second fight. Cooper had his time but came up against a superior boxer any day, any time, even in front his pub, on the streets; Ali will defeat him. In fact Ali was too confident looking at the first few rounds. Ali did the same against a beast like Sonny Liston for almost a whole round when it seemed something wrong with his eyes. He came into the round and floated all around the ring with Liston chasing him around and throwing missed punches. That took away a lot of energy off Liston. To do what Ali did as a heavy weight running around and getting hit sometimes is a rare kind of ability. When he got himself, we saw Liston getting battered again. Even an older and less mobile Ali in the 70s, managed George Foreman very well with his athleticism, took a lot punches on the ropes, but still came out tops with his speed. How come all the fuss about this particular fight against a less creative Copper? The continuous reference to the knock down and myth of delays is out of proportion looking at the harder opponents Ali overcame. Even an almost retired Ali still showed his greatness against another beast in Earnie Shavers. Copper had his great moments as top heavy weight, but this fantasy of merely knocking Ali down should remain in the minds of his fans, it was never the reality.

[@pavlovsdogman]

Jeez Henry was one of the most one armed fighters I've ever seen! Did he have some injury to his right hand? He seems allergic to throwing a straight right?

[@martinburke11]

He was a natural lefthander, a bit less ambidextrous than the average southpaw.

[@curtn7076]

Not a fan of Ali's antics and becoming a muslim to avoid the draft. He cheapened the overall prestige of boxing and sports in general. Cooper would have easily won the fight if he didn't bleed so easy.

[@mongoslade277]

Ali became a Muslim in 1963. Announced it in February 1964 the day after the 1st Liston fight. Went from 1Y to 1A with the draft board in 1966

[@jackson76724]

Ali could have finished it in the Second or Third Round but a bit too confident.

[@frankpaya690]

Muhammad Ali was NEVER known as a one punch knockout slugger, most of his wins were similar to this style. Muhammad Ali sure did get used by the Muslims as a propaganda tool.

[@mongoslade277]

FACTS

[@clevelandwilliams5922]

All British sports like Cricket, Rugby Union & League all promote on sportsmanship & fairness. Using smelling salts gave an unfair advantage to Clay as he was able to recover faster. Cooper deserved a win by knockout.

[@2C2521]

Ali definitely wasn't the greatest. So over-hyped his whole career. Lennox Lewis would have smoked him. Holyfied and Tyson, too.

[@2C2521]

Meant Holyfield.

[@2C2521]

Heck, even Razor Ruddock could have beaten Ali. Although different weight classes, Ali and Floyd Mayweather were very similar boxers: fast hands, great footwork, but not so great power, and couldn't handle power. Joe Frazier was superior to Ali, and it's also a shame somebody like Marvin Hagler wasn't around in Floyd's day to teach that fraud a lesson.

[@petefroud5308]

Henry was robbed.

[@melvinhouston6359]

Another gem from the archives Rich it's so ironic you pulled this up because Ali was always susceptible to the left hook he always dropped his right when he would jab if I'm not mistaken Joe Frazier's told him the same thing Angelo Dundee saved his skin the first time Ali saw the sun moon and stars at the same time the first time Ali was on queer street great work my fellow boxing aficionado can you dig up some Salavdor Sanchez fights he was heckuva fighter who died too soon 🥊🥊🥊

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Melvin. Yeah, I've had Sanchez on the to do list for awhile now..will get to him sometime next year.