61 years ago
Cassius Clay vs Henry Cooper
Date: 18th June 1963
Venue: Wembley Stadium, Wembley, London
Title: 10 Round Heavyweight Contest
Referee: Tommy Little
Tv: Closed Circuit Television
Cassius Clay
(
18
-
0
-
0
)
Weight: 207 lbs
Henry Cooper
(
27
-
8
-
1
)
Weight: 185½ lbs
On June 18, 1963, Cassius Clay stepped into the ring at Wembley Stadium in London to face British heavyweight Henry Cooper in a highly anticipated 10-round contest. With a world title shot against Sonny Liston on the horizon, Clay's brash personality and self-confidence were already making waves on both sides of the Atlantic. The American, at 207 pounds, towered over the lighter Cooper, who weighed in at 185½ pounds. The fight was overseen by referee Tommy Little and broadcast via closed-circuit television, drawing attention from fans around the globe.
In the buildup to the fight, Clay had confidently predicted, "It ain't no jive, Henry Cooper will go in five!" Cooper, however, had earned the respect of the British public with his grit, power, and famed left hook, which he called "Enry's 'Ammer." The fight began with Clay showcasing his superior footwork and speed, keeping Cooper at range with his jab while taunting and showboating in his signature style.
For the first three rounds, Clay controlled the tempo, landing sharp punches while evading Cooper's heavy swings. However, Cooper remained focused and determined, biding his time and looking for an opening. As the fourth round unfolded, Cooper found what he was looking for. Nearing the end of the round, Cooper unleashed his devastating left hook, catching Clay flush on the jaw. The impact lifted Clay off his feet and sent him stumbling backward into the ropes, where he sagged down to the canvas. The bell rang almost simultaneously, ending the round and giving Clay precious seconds to recover.
In the corner, trainer Angelo Dundee quickly realized the gravity of the situation. Spotting a tear in Clay's right glove, Dundee reportedly exaggerated the damage, poking his finger into the split and alerting the referee. Whether or not this act bought Clay additional recovery time remains a point of debate, but by the time the fifth round began, Clay appeared rejuvenated.
Clay opened the fifth round with a ferocity that hadn't been present earlier in the fight. His punches were sharper, his movement more precise, and he targeted Cooper's face with surgical precision. Cooper, already carrying the scars of his past wars, suffered deep cuts around his eyes from Clay's rapid combinations. Blood streamed down Cooper's face, impairing his vision and leaving the referee with no choice but to stop the contest at 2:15 of the fifth round.
The stoppage handed Clay a technical knockout victory, but the drama of the fourth round would become the defining moment of the fight. Cooper, though defeated, earned widespread respect for nearly derailing Clay's march toward the world title. For Clay, the victory reinforced his reputation as an unshakable force in the division, but it also served as a rare glimpse of his vulnerability.
In the aftermath, Clay dismissed the knockdown with his usual bravado, claiming he was never in real danger. Cooper, for his part, would tell the tale of his famous left hook for the rest of his life, a story that became part of British boxing folklore.
The encounter remains one of the most talked-about fights in heavyweight history—not because of Clay's eventual victory, but because of the fleeting moment in the fourth round when Henry Cooper came tantalizingly close to altering the trajectory of one of boxing's greatest careers.
Cassius Clay vs Henry Cooper on YouTube
