Henry Cooper

Sir Henry Cooper OBE KSG (3 May 1934 – 1 May 2011) was a British heavyweight boxer, best remembered internationally for a 1963 fight in which he knocked down a young Cassius Clay before the fight was stopped because of a cut eye from Clay's punches. Cooper was undefeated in British and Commonwealth heavyweight championship contests for twelve years, and held the European heavyweight title for three years. In 1966 he fought Clay again, by then world heavyweight champion, and again lost with an eye injury. Henry was twice voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and after retiring in 1971 following a controversial loss remained a popular public figure. He is the only boxer in the UK to have been awarded a knighthood.