Henry Cooper



Some of the good old fashioned British heroes who are no longer with us. Henry Cooper was someone I remember distinctly from my childhood in the 60s decade. There were many like him and I suppose there are many new ones today.

I just like grabbing a memory of these bygone sports heroes. Among many I can remember are:

Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Lillian Board, Emlyn Hughs, Alan Ball, Bobby Moore, George Best, Donald Campbell and others who echo still, in my memory, from the 1960s and 1970s decades.

One of the things that always rings out for Henry Cooper was his fight against the greatest boxer Cassius Clay AKA (Muhammad Ali.) I don't think the gallant Henry Cooper was going to win once his eye was cut, but he did put 'The Greatest down.' Not many can boast such a thing when Clay AKA (Ali) was in his prime. Henry Cooper did it and maybe; 'The Greatest' might not have lasted 10 seconds. He was down with just two seconds of the round left. Many say the bell saved the great American boxer. I'm not sure if that is true because he did get up and walk to his corner.

Still, it can't be taken away from our Henry. He did put Clay AKA (Ali) down in his prime. For me, as a little kid, I was awe struck when people told me Cooper had put Cassius Clay down in a boxing match. I thought no one could defeat Clay. Well, no one could, but our Henry did do ever so well.

(I know Muhammad Ali is the name now but this is Retro Memory when the Greatest was still called Cassius Clay. I don't mean any offense, I'm just living in the past for a moment)

I can't help being bias with my adulation of these particular people because they have special places in my kiddie memory - a time that I often enjoy strolling through. Today the world has changed so much and probably for the better, though I can't help clinging to that old retro time of my childhood. I thought these people would live forever. Perhaps they do somewhere else?