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Henry Cooper at Minehead's Carousel Leisure Centre

Heavyweight boxing champion Henry Cooper splashes it all over the Carousel Leisure Centre in Minehead

News 1980 Silent

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Overview

Heavyweight boxing champion, Henry Cooper spalshes it all over the Carousel Leisure Centre in Minehead. Known for 'Enry's 'Ammer due to his impressive left hook and with 40 career wins, Henry held the British, Commonwealth and European Heavyweight Championship titles. He is also known for almost beating Muhammed Ali, the then Cassius Clay whom he faced twice. Henry Cooper also won matches against heavyweights Zora Folley, Billy Walker, Roy Harris and Brian London.

Henry Cooper started his boxing career in 1949 with his twin brother George ‘Jim’ Cooper. Awarded an OBE in 1969, a Papal Knighthood in 1978 and knighted in 2000, Cooper retired in 1971 to become a TV and radio commentator and sports personality. In his later career, Cooper claimed he had ‘become disillusioned with the boxing of today’. He won BBC Sports Personality of the Year twice in 1967 and 1970 and alongside Welsh Rugby star Cliff Morgan was the first team captain of BBC's 'A Question of Sport' from 1970 until 1979. He became a household name when advertising Brut Aftershave with his advice to "Splash it all ova".