1992 Fight Night Faces - Henry Cooper. I love this set. I don't think they used a specific photo for the image on this card, but it reminds me of an image of Cooper at the end of the fight with Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) in 1963. Henry Cooper was notorious for cutting easily and being a bleeder. This is a savage image.
During that fight in 1963, Henry Cooper dropped Muhammad Ali with 'Enry's 'Ammer, his famous left hook, at the end of round 4 and had Ali hurt bad. Controversy followed as Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee, deliberately widened a tear in Ali's glove or stalled for time, giving Ali extra recovery seconds before the fifth round. Cooper often noted that if he had landed the punch just 10 to 15 seconds earlier—while they were in the middle of the ring instead of right near the bell—he likely would have finished the fight and become a world champion. Given extra time to recover in the corner due to the disputed split glove, Ali came back in the fifth round and stopped a bleeding Cooper via technical knockout, fulfilling his own prediction of a fifth-round win.
Henry Cooper was a fascinating fighter, that brutal left hook of his made him extremely dangerous. Here are some more photos of the Ali knockdown in 1963 and you can see it in Ali's eyes in that last photo, the cobwebs.
I can see the powers that be have changed the layout of the forum back the old format, thank you, this is so much better, the place feels comfortable again. 👍
Muhammad Ali stated that Henry Cooper's left hook in 1963 hit him so hard that "his ancestors back in Africa felt it". Ali acknowledged that Cooper shook him up and hit him harder than anyone ever had before. He regarded it as the hardest knockdown of his entire career. The moment scared Ali enough that he stopped publicly predicting the exact round in which he would stop his opponent.
"I was a bleeder. I’d come to expect cuts. They were part of every fight for me. It’s a shame, really. If I’d had flatter rounder features, who knows. But the worst cut I ever had was against Cassius Clay. I could feel the warm blood dripping on my chest. Of course, I think about the torn glove and the extra time it brought. There’s no bitterness; I’m content with the way my life has worked out."
The rematch between Henry Cooper and Muhammad Ali took place in 1966 and the scare of the knockdown from 1963 was still on Ali's mind, he took no chances, he was clinical and once again the blood began to flow, Cooper suffered a cut over his left eye that created a waterfall of blood. It resulted in some of the most spectacular boxing photos ever taken. Cooper was a savage, to him the bleeding was just something that came with the job.
Wicked image of Henry Cooper staring at referee Tommy Little in 1963 as Little stops the fight in round five. If looks could kill. Cooper was a warrior.
This is one of my favorite photos of Henry Cooper. With a cut and swollen eye and battered face, Henry Cooper hears he has just become the new British and Empire heavyweight champion by outpointing Brian London at Earls Court, London on January 12, 1959. I love the savage expression on his face. His twin brother George, who was also a fighter, is standing behind him.
"Look at this photo.
That’s Henry Cooper, British heavyweight champion from the 1950s through the 70s sitting with his mother Lily and his twin brother George after a fight.
Still got the bruises on his face. Still smiling. And his mum right there next to him, holding him like only a mother can after watching her son take punches for a living.
There’s something about old boxing photos like this one that hits different. No entourage. No cameras following him everywhere. No social media.
Just a champion, his family, and a small living room full of trophies in the background.
Henry Cooper wasn’t just a great fighter. He was the kind of man British boxing was built on.
Humble, tough, from the streets, with a left hook ”‘Enry’s ’Ammer” they called it that put Muhammad Ali on the canvas in 1963. Yes. Ali. On the canvas.
He never won the world title. But he held the British and European heavyweight titles for years, and he earned the respect of every single person who ever watched him fight.
And through it all, the family stayed close. That’s the real picture here."
Henry Cooper with his mother Lily after winning the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles. Babalabrute Boxing is right, these photos hit different, such a brutal line of work but parents are always going to be there.
1999 JF Sporting Collectibles - World Heavyweight Championship Contenders - Henry Cooper. This is actually my favorite Henry Cooper card. I like the close-up image of his face on the card.
1977 Aurora Snooker - Henry Cooper. Ok, I'm reaching with this one, but it's getting frustrating that the photos that match up with a few of his cards just aren't available.
And now it's time for my failures, the cards I couldn't find the photos to match up with. First up, his rookie card, the 1954-55 A&BC Chewing Gum - All Sport Series - Henry Cooper. Disappointed that the photo for this one isn't available, it's a young Henry Cooper during his amateur days.
That's an awesome image of Henry Cooper with his Lonsdale belts. One of his belts sold for 80,000 British pounds last year.
£80,000 NEW WORLD RECORD FOR HENRY COOPER’S LONSDALE BELT
By: Julian Roup
Published Sep 11, 2025
Boxing legend, Sir Henry Cooper’s heavyweight title lonsdale boxing belt made a new world record at BUDDS Sporting Memorabilia auction on 9th September.
This fabled 9ct gold and enamel Heavyweight Lonsdale Belt won by Henry Cooper twice in 1959 and again in 1961, has just made a new world record for a Henry Cooper boxing belt at £80,000 with BUDDS auctioneer. The company sold it a decade ago for £49,000 another world record at the time.
Henry Cooper was knighted in the year 2000 for his distinguished career and popularity in the UK.
David Convery of Budds, said after the sale: “This sale is another indication of the love, respect and affection that Henry Cooper generated throughout his life and after his death. BUDDS was honoured to sell it for a record price a second time in ten years.” The belt was purchased by a private UK collector.
Made by Mappin and Webb, Sheffield 1936, the large central enamel portrait panel depicting Lord Lonsdale and inscribed Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain. The reverse inscribed THIS BELT IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF HENRY COOPER who won the heavyweight championship of Great Britain three times.
It is flanked by hinged strap work and four oval medallions cast with emblems of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and two enamel plaques of boxers in action.
Henry Cooper was undefeated in British championship contests for twelve years and held the European heavyweight title for three years. In a 1963 fight against a young Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali), he knocked Clay down in round four, before the fight was stopped by the referee, Tommy Little, in round five because of a cut to Cooper's left eye caused by Clay. The much loved boxer was known as ’Our Enry’ by his league of fans.
1998 Futera Platinum - Boxing Legends #/1,250 - Henry Cooper. I can't believe the photo for the image on this card isn't available, famous and controversial fight between Henry Cooper and Joe Bugner in 1971. It was also the last fight of Henry's career.
There are a lot of really cool photos of Henry Cooper, so many to choose from, I'm just going to post a few of them. Henry was always in phenomenal physical condition, he really put himself through hell with training.
Henry Cooper runs his greengrocer's shop on Wembley High Road during the height of his boxing career, 1965. He operated the fruit and vegetable shop alongside his twin brother, George. A personalized Ford Transit van for the business was famously branded with the inscription: "Henry Cooper of Wembley – Fruiterer of Distinction. He could often be found there working behind the counter and helping customers, many whom were fans.
Henry Cooper trained underneath a pub, The Ship Inn, Bellingham. Pictured, Henry behind the bar of his training HQ pub, pulling half pints of bitter for customers on February 4th, 1964.
“As far as I was concerned I used to throw my favourite left hook as much by instinct as anything. I didn't stop to think about it. It would be impossible for me to explain how to throw a punch with the sort of force I used to be able to muster. Obviously I developed and improved the punch over the years but the raw power was there to begin with and came to me quite naturally. It amuses me when I see instruction books including chapters on how to become a knockout puncher. If it could be taught, the boxing world would be full of knockout specialists.”
July 8, 1964 - The Beatles receive an award from Henry Cooper at the Radio Luxembourg studio in London after the band had been voted 'Best Group' by listeners of the show 'Battle of the Giants'.
Comments
1997 A Question of Sport - Famous Sporting Faces - Henry Cooper.
1991 Victoria Gallery - Boxing Champions - Black Back - Henry Cooper.
1992 Fight Night Faces - Henry Cooper. I love this set. I don't think they used a specific photo for the image on this card, but it reminds me of an image of Cooper at the end of the fight with Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) in 1963. Henry Cooper was notorious for cutting easily and being a bleeder. This is a savage image.
!
During that fight in 1963, Henry Cooper dropped Muhammad Ali with 'Enry's 'Ammer, his famous left hook, at the end of round 4 and had Ali hurt bad. Controversy followed as Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee, deliberately widened a tear in Ali's glove or stalled for time, giving Ali extra recovery seconds before the fifth round. Cooper often noted that if he had landed the punch just 10 to 15 seconds earlier—while they were in the middle of the ring instead of right near the bell—he likely would have finished the fight and become a world champion. Given extra time to recover in the corner due to the disputed split glove, Ali came back in the fifth round and stopped a bleeding Cooper via technical knockout, fulfilling his own prediction of a fifth-round win.
Henry Cooper was a fascinating fighter, that brutal left hook of his made him extremely dangerous. Here are some more photos of the Ali knockdown in 1963 and you can see it in Ali's eyes in that last photo, the cobwebs.
I can see the powers that be have changed the layout of the forum back the old format, thank you, this is so much better, the place feels comfortable again. 👍
Muhammad Ali stated that Henry Cooper's left hook in 1963 hit him so hard that "his ancestors back in Africa felt it". Ali acknowledged that Cooper shook him up and hit him harder than anyone ever had before. He regarded it as the hardest knockdown of his entire career. The moment scared Ali enough that he stopped publicly predicting the exact round in which he would stop his opponent.
"I was a bleeder. I’d come to expect cuts. They were part of every fight for me. It’s a shame, really. If I’d had flatter rounder features, who knows. But the worst cut I ever had was against Cassius Clay. I could feel the warm blood dripping on my chest. Of course, I think about the torn glove and the extra time it brought. There’s no bitterness; I’m content with the way my life has worked out."
The rematch between Henry Cooper and Muhammad Ali took place in 1966 and the scare of the knockdown from 1963 was still on Ali's mind, he took no chances, he was clinical and once again the blood began to flow, Cooper suffered a cut over his left eye that created a waterfall of blood. It resulted in some of the most spectacular boxing photos ever taken. Cooper was a savage, to him the bleeding was just something that came with the job.
Wicked image of Henry Cooper staring at referee Tommy Little in 1963 as Little stops the fight in round five. If looks could kill. Cooper was a warrior.
The famous split glove from the 1963 Ali-Cooper fight.
These are photos of Henry Cooper speaking to the press after the Ali fight in 1966, you can see the bandages over the cut to his left eye.
Henry Cooper after his fight with Richard Dunn in 1959.
Henry Cooper cut easily, but it didn't stop him from becoming a boxing legend.
Henry Cooper with the battle scars, having a cup of tea. The British love their tea.
Fight Night Faces.
This is one of my favorite photos of Henry Cooper. With a cut and swollen eye and battered face, Henry Cooper hears he has just become the new British and Empire heavyweight champion by outpointing Brian London at Earls Court, London on January 12, 1959. I love the savage expression on his face. His twin brother George, who was also a fighter, is standing behind him.
Great post from Babalabrute Boxing on Facebook.
"Look at this photo.
That’s Henry Cooper, British heavyweight champion from the 1950s through the 70s sitting with his mother Lily and his twin brother George after a fight.
Still got the bruises on his face. Still smiling. And his mum right there next to him, holding him like only a mother can after watching her son take punches for a living.
There’s something about old boxing photos like this one that hits different. No entourage. No cameras following him everywhere. No social media.
Just a champion, his family, and a small living room full of trophies in the background.
Henry Cooper wasn’t just a great fighter. He was the kind of man British boxing was built on.
Humble, tough, from the streets, with a left hook ”‘Enry’s ’Ammer” they called it that put Muhammad Ali on the canvas in 1963. Yes. Ali. On the canvas.
He never won the world title. But he held the British and European heavyweight titles for years, and he earned the respect of every single person who ever watched him fight.
And through it all, the family stayed close. That’s the real picture here."
Another great photo of Henry Cooper with his twin brother George and mother Lily.
Henry Cooper with his mother Lily after winning the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles. Babalabrute Boxing is right, these photos hit different, such a brutal line of work but parents are always going to be there.
Henry Cooper with his mother Lily and father Henry.
Henry Cooper looking down at his first Lonsdale belt after winning it in 1959. This is a bada$$ image, the battle scars on his face, the taped hands.
1999 JF Sporting Collectibles - World Heavyweight Championship Contenders - Henry Cooper. This is actually my favorite Henry Cooper card. I like the close-up image of his face on the card.
This could actually be the photo they used for the 1992 Fight Night Faces - Henry Cooper.
2011 Ringside Boxing Round Two - Battles - Silver Version - Henry Cooper/Muhammad Ali.
1977 Aurora Snooker - Henry Cooper. Ok, I'm reaching with this one, but it's getting frustrating that the photos that match up with a few of his cards just aren't available.
This is really cool, the Aurora Knockout Snooker game with Sir Henry Cooper on the front of the box.
And now it's time for my failures, the cards I couldn't find the photos to match up with. First up, his rookie card, the 1954-55 A&BC Chewing Gum - All Sport Series - Henry Cooper. Disappointed that the photo for this one isn't available, it's a young Henry Cooper during his amateur days.
1971 Barratt & Co. LTD. - Famous Sportsmen - Henry Cooper.
1977-79 Sportscasters - Finnish Printing - Henry Cooper. This is as close as I could get to a match, very disappointing.
1977-79 - Sportscasters - Finnish Printing - Lonsdale vyo (Lonsdale belt).
That's an awesome image of Henry Cooper with his Lonsdale belts. One of his belts sold for 80,000 British pounds last year.
£80,000 NEW WORLD RECORD FOR HENRY COOPER’S LONSDALE BELT
By: Julian Roup
Published Sep 11, 2025
Boxing legend, Sir Henry Cooper’s heavyweight title lonsdale boxing belt made a new world record at BUDDS Sporting Memorabilia auction on 9th September.
This fabled 9ct gold and enamel Heavyweight Lonsdale Belt won by Henry Cooper twice in 1959 and again in 1961, has just made a new world record for a Henry Cooper boxing belt at £80,000 with BUDDS auctioneer. The company sold it a decade ago for £49,000 another world record at the time.
Henry Cooper was knighted in the year 2000 for his distinguished career and popularity in the UK.
David Convery of Budds, said after the sale: “This sale is another indication of the love, respect and affection that Henry Cooper generated throughout his life and after his death. BUDDS was honoured to sell it for a record price a second time in ten years.” The belt was purchased by a private UK collector.
Made by Mappin and Webb, Sheffield 1936, the large central enamel portrait panel depicting Lord Lonsdale and inscribed Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain. The reverse inscribed THIS BELT IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF HENRY COOPER who won the heavyweight championship of Great Britain three times.
It is flanked by hinged strap work and four oval medallions cast with emblems of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and two enamel plaques of boxers in action.
Henry Cooper was undefeated in British championship contests for twelve years and held the European heavyweight title for three years. In a 1963 fight against a young Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali), he knocked Clay down in round four, before the fight was stopped by the referee, Tommy Little, in round five because of a cut to Cooper's left eye caused by Clay. The much loved boxer was known as ’Our Enry’ by his league of fans.
1998 Futera Platinum - Boxing Legends #/1,250 - Henry Cooper. I can't believe the photo for the image on this card isn't available, famous and controversial fight between Henry Cooper and Joe Bugner in 1971. It was also the last fight of Henry's career.
2003 JF Sporting Collectibles - Ali: His Fights, His Opponents - Henry Cooper.
1956 Swedish Rekord Magasinet -Sportsmen - Panel - Roland Mattsson/Henry Cooper.
A few of my favorite photos of Sir Henry Cooper. This was taken after his fight with Muhammad Ali in 1963, notice he's holding up four fingers.
Love this half-colorized photo of the Ali knockdown, the blue trunks and red gloves, signed by Sir Henry himself in Gold.
Henry Cooper doing roadwork in the pitch dark.
Henry Cooper showing off the famous left hook.
A devastating weapon.
Henry Cooper - devastating left hooks.
There are a lot of really cool photos of Henry Cooper, so many to choose from, I'm just going to post a few of them. Henry was always in phenomenal physical condition, he really put himself through hell with training.
Sir Henry Cooper strengthens his neck muscles with a head brace with weights fixed.
Henry Cooper runs his greengrocer's shop on Wembley High Road during the height of his boxing career, 1965. He operated the fruit and vegetable shop alongside his twin brother, George. A personalized Ford Transit van for the business was famously branded with the inscription: "Henry Cooper of Wembley – Fruiterer of Distinction. He could often be found there working behind the counter and helping customers, many whom were fans.
Henry Cooper trained underneath a pub, The Ship Inn, Bellingham. Pictured, Henry behind the bar of his training HQ pub, pulling half pints of bitter for customers on February 4th, 1964.
Epic image of Henry Cooper squared up with Muhammad Ali, blood streaming down his face.
Henry's Hammer.
“As far as I was concerned I used to throw my favourite left hook as much by instinct as anything. I didn't stop to think about it. It would be impossible for me to explain how to throw a punch with the sort of force I used to be able to muster. Obviously I developed and improved the punch over the years but the raw power was there to begin with and came to me quite naturally. It amuses me when I see instruction books including chapters on how to become a knockout puncher. If it could be taught, the boxing world would be full of knockout specialists.”
July 8, 1964 - The Beatles receive an award from Henry Cooper at the Radio Luxembourg studio in London after the band had been voted 'Best Group' by listeners of the show 'Battle of the Giants'.
This is one of my favorite images of Henry Cooper, emerging from darkness.