- Title: UK: HENRY COOPER TRAINS FOR WORLD TITLE FIGHT AGAINST CASSIUS CLAY.
- Date: 29th April 1966
- Summary: HENRY COOPER TRAINING -- THERE IS NATURAL SOUND ON MOST OF THE STORY. Initials AA/V/WH/EEH SPORT: BOXING Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 14th May 1966 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA65YF8NYFUSEK18D7TH2X55G45
- Story Text: IN JUST OVER THREE WEEKS TIME -- ON MAY 21ST, HENRY COOPER, THE BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION WILL BE CHALLENGING CASSIUS CLAY - OR MUHAMMAD ALI AS THE CHAMPION CALLS HIMSELF - FOR THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN. CLAY LAST MET COOPER IN A NON-TITLE BOUT IN LONDON IN JUNE 1963, BEATING HIM IN THE FIFTH ROUND. BUT COOPER PUT CLAY DOWN WITH A LEFT HOOK DURING THE FIGHT -- ONE OF ONLY TWO MEN TO DO SO. CLAY SAID RECENTLY THAT COOPER HAD HIT HIM HARDER THAN ANY OTHER MAN AND THAT HE WOULD TRAIN VERY HARD FOR THE FIGHT. FOR COOPER IT'S PERHAPS THE GREATEST FIGHT OF HIS LIFE AND HE IS IN FULL TRAINING FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT.
IT IS OVER 50 YEARS SINCE A FIGHT BILLED AS FOR THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP WAS HELD IN BRITAIN AND COOPER HAS BEEN SWAMPED WITH FAN MAIL FROM ALL OVER BRITAIN, AS WELL AS MANY WELL-WISHING LETTERS FROM EUROPE.
THIS MONTH HENRY COOPER WAS LISTED SIXTH AMONG THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT RATINGS IN THE AUTHORITATIVE "RING MAGAZINE". IT LISTS COOPER BEHIND FOUR AMERICAN BOXERS AND WEST GERMANY KARL MILDENBERGER. CERTAINLY THE BOOKMAKERS ARE FAVOURING CLAY -- HE'S 5-1 ON, WITH COOPER AT 7-2 AGAINST.
COOPER WILL BE 32 YEARS OLD WHEN HE MEETS CLAY IN THESE WEEKS' TIME. HE'S GIVING AGE BUT HE'S GOT THE EXPERIENCE AND THE LEFT HOOK WHICH MIGHT WIN HIM THE HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN.
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