Muhammad Ali leads tributes to Cooper

Legendary heavyweight Muhammad Ali led the tributes to his “old friend” Sir Henry Cooper, who died late Sunday, describing him as “a great fighter and a gentleman”.

Cooper passed away at his son’s house in Surrey just two days before his 77th birthday.

Arguably Cooper’s most famous fight was a non-title contest against Ali in London in 1963, when he knocked down the man then known as Cassius Clay in the fourth round with a terrific left hook, only for the bout to be stopped a round later because of cuts around Cooper’s eyes.

The two men fought again three years later, with Ali again victorious, and shared a mutual affection and respect for one another.

Three-time world heavyweight champion Ali said in a statement: “I am at a loss for words over the death of my friend, Henry Cooper. I was not aware he was ill.

“I visited him two summers ago during a brief visit to Windsor as part of the Equestrian Games being held there. He was in good humour and looked quite fit.

“Henry always had a smile for me; a warm and embracing smile. It was always a pleasure being in Henry’s company.

“I will miss my old friend. He was a great fighter and a gentleman. My family and I extend our heartfelt sympathies to his family and loved ones.”

Current WBA world heavyweight champion David Haye insisted former Commonwealth champion Cooper had been a hugely positive influence on his own career.

Haye said: “He was at all the charity dinners and we’d talk to each other and he’d give me advice and wish me luck, give me his opinion on what he thought I should do and it was always sound advice.”

WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan remembers Coo-per, who was knighted in 2000, as someone far removed from the needle which marks the build-up to so many modern fights – with Haye’s upcoming showdown with Wladi-mir Klitschko a case in point.

“Nowadays you get a lot of trash talking,” said Khan.

“But Henry was known for one thing, and that was when he was inside the ring he was like an animal, but when he was outside the ring he had a lot of respect for his opponents and for his fans.”

Cooper was involved in 55 professional fights from 1954 to 1971, before going on to be a popular and well-respected summariser on the sport he loved.