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On June 18, 1963, Cassius Clay (quickly to be Muhammad Ali) stopped gallant British champion Henry Cooper in 5 rounds at Wembley Stadium in London. The official time was 2:15.
Clay survived a brutal left hook knockdown on the finish of the fourth to complete the combat with a savage assault within the very subsequent spherical. A horrible lower over Cooper’s proper eye – over two inches lengthy – nearly produced extra of a downpour than the heavy rain that lined upset ringsiders that night time.
The combat elicits extra myths than another in British boxing historical past, however the controversy stays plain.
Delusion
“Our ‘Enry ought to have been heavyweight champion of the world that night time!”
Actuality
Cassius Clay versus Henry Cooper (1963) was a 10-round non-title combat.
Delusion
“If Ali didn’t have his glove changed, Cooper would have knocked him out.”
Actuality
No one changed the glove.
Delusion
“Ali had 5 minutes of additional time to recuperate between rounds 4 and 5.”
Actuality
Ringside timekeeper Stan Courtney later acknowledged, “My watch confirmed that the interval between rounds had in truth been 1:40.” The unique BBC broadcast of the combat exhibits simply seven seconds of additional time.
IN SUMMARY
What can’t be denied is that legendary coach Angelo Dundee – by his personal admission years later – made a small tear in Clay’s left glove worse. That well timed and shrewd intervention purchased his fighter further time, whatever the period. In one other unlawful act, assistant coach Chickie Ferrara may be seen breaking an ammonia file below Clay’s nostril.
Additionally forgotten is simply how good Cooper was that night time, exterior of the knockdown. Within the opening spherical, the savvy Londoner thumped Clay with the jab, nailed him with left hooks and bloodied his nostril. Clay’s respectful faucet to Cooper’s shoulder on the finish of the spherical is a transparent indication that respect had been earned.
Clay’s fundamental drawback was that he misplaced focus. Having lower Cooper within the third, the self-styled Biggest figured that the combat was already gained. He postured all through the rest of that spherical and appeared disinterested within the fourth. Having predicted a fifth-round knockout win, the super-confident 21-year-old was biding his time and nearly ran out of luck.
In his very subsequent combat, on February 25, 1964, Clay would dethrone Sonny Liston. He then formally modified his title to Muhammad Ali. In his forth protection, Ali gained a rematch with Cooper, once more on cuts, stopping the proud Englishman in six. This time round, there was no controversy.
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