Henry Cooper

When Sir Henry Cooper died in May 2011, the depth of affection in the tributes was a testament to his remarkable popularity. Put simply, Henry Cooper was the nation's favourite boxer: a gentleman and a great sportsman of whom Muhammad Ali - famously floored by Enery's 'Ammer in 1963 - remarked, 'Henry Cooper hit me so hard my ancestors in Africa felt it.' Sir Henry's popularity transcended boxing and he became an even bigger national hero in the years after his retirement from the ring in 1971,