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- 1963 Henry Cooper fight worn gloves v Cassius Clay
1963 Henry Cooper fight worn gloves v Cassius Clay
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£100,000.00
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BoxArt are proud to offer the highly coveted gloves worn by Sir Henry Cooper during his first fight with Muhammad Ali - then boxing as Cassius Clay - in 1963. The red leather gloves were manufactured by Baily's of Glastonbury and come presented in a showcase with plaques reading "THE GLOVES THAT DID NOT SPLIT - USED BY HENRY COOPER IN HIS FIGHT WITH CASSIUS CLAY. HENRY IS THE FIRST MAN TO PUT CLAY DOWN. WEMBLEY STADIUM 17-6-63". Please note that the creator of the plaque mistakenly listed the fight date as the 17th June, rather than the 18th.
Cooper and Clay met at Wembley Stadium, London on the 18th June 1963 in what was billed as "An eliminating contest for the Heavyweight Championship of the World". In the final moments of the fourth round Cooper famously dropped Clay with his trademark left hook, known as "Enry's 'Ammer". Unfortunately for Cooper, his opponent's armpit caught in the ropes going down, which prevented his head from striking the canvas covered boards which made up the floor of the ring (something which could easily have knocked him unconscious). Clay stood up and started slowly towards Angelo Dundee who – in violation of the rules – guided him into the corner. At first Dundee talked and slapped Clay's legs, but after a still-dazed Clay misunderstood and tried to get off the stool Dundee used smelling salts in a serious violation of the rules. (British rules did not allow any stimulant but water.) Dundee has since claimed to have opened a small tear in one of Clay's gloves and told the referee that his fighter needed a new pair of gloves, thus delaying the start of the 5th round. Cooper always insisted that this delay lasted anywhere from 3–5 minutes and denied him the chance to try to knock Clay out while he was still dazed, although tapes of the fight suggest it only gained Clay a few extra seconds. Cooper started the 5th round aggressively, attempting to make good his advantage, but a recovered Clay effectively countered and Cooper was hit high on the face with a hard right which opened a severe cut under his eye. Referee Tommy Little was ultimately forced to stop the fight due to Cooper's excessive bleeding, with Clay declared the winner by TKO.
Cooper and Clay met at Wembley Stadium, London on the 18th June 1963 in what was billed as "An eliminating contest for the Heavyweight Championship of the World". In the final moments of the fourth round Cooper famously dropped Clay with his trademark left hook, known as "Enry's 'Ammer". Unfortunately for Cooper, his opponent's armpit caught in the ropes going down, which prevented his head from striking the canvas covered boards which made up the floor of the ring (something which could easily have knocked him unconscious). Clay stood up and started slowly towards Angelo Dundee who – in violation of the rules – guided him into the corner. At first Dundee talked and slapped Clay's legs, but after a still-dazed Clay misunderstood and tried to get off the stool Dundee used smelling salts in a serious violation of the rules. (British rules did not allow any stimulant but water.) Dundee has since claimed to have opened a small tear in one of Clay's gloves and told the referee that his fighter needed a new pair of gloves, thus delaying the start of the 5th round. Cooper always insisted that this delay lasted anywhere from 3–5 minutes and denied him the chance to try to knock Clay out while he was still dazed, although tapes of the fight suggest it only gained Clay a few extra seconds. Cooper started the 5th round aggressively, attempting to make good his advantage, but a recovered Clay effectively countered and Cooper was hit high on the face with a hard right which opened a severe cut under his eye. Referee Tommy Little was ultimately forced to stop the fight due to Cooper's excessive bleeding, with Clay declared the winner by TKO.
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The gloves come with impeccable provenance. They were displayed in the Thomas A Becket pub on the Old Kent Road for many years. On the first floor of the building was a gym where Henry used to train for six days a week. Beryl Cameron-Gibbons was Europe's only female boxing promoter and landlady of the Thomas A Becket for sixteen years until 1983. In 1984 the pub license was taken over by ex boxer/manager/promoter Gary Davidson. He also turned the pub into a museum and boxing hall of fame, housing an array of boxing memorabilia including the Cooper gloves. The pub was later taken over by Billy Aird, who consigned the boxing collection to Phillips auctioneers (sold on the 11th May 1996). The Cooper gloves were purchased by the Sunday Express Newspaper and were then offered as a prize in a reader's competition the following month, being personally presented to the winner by Henry Cooper. The gloves were proudly kept by the winner of the competition until October 2015 when they were consigned to auction. They come with copies of the original letters sent to the winner of the competition in 1996 by the Sunday Express. As well as a photo of Henry handing the gloves over to the winner in a presentation box. The gloves remain in and are sold with this original presentation box. There is also a scan of a newspaper article about the gloves from the time of the competition, and a signed letter from the original owner confirming the facts outlined above. Included is a Phillips Auction catalogue from the May 1996 sale which features a description and photo of the gloves and the rest of the Billy Aird collection. Additionally the gloves have been photo matched to multiple images from the contest and have large amounts of blood staining in the correct places (old blood stains turn grey on certain materials), most noticeably around the wrists. The gloves are museum worthy and undoubtedly one of the most important pieces of 20th century British sporting memorabilia. Please contact us to discuss any points in more detail, including price and payment methods.
Note: Henry Cooper was the first to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award twice (in 1967 and 1970) and one of only three two-time winners in the award's history. Cooper was given the award in 1967 for going unbeaten throughout the year. His second award came in 1970, when Cooper had become the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight champion, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest post-war British boxers. He is the only British boxer to win three Lonsdale Belts outright. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1969, awarded a Papal Knighthood in 1978, and was knighted in 2000.
Note: Henry Cooper was the first to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award twice (in 1967 and 1970) and one of only three two-time winners in the award's history. Cooper was given the award in 1967 for going unbeaten throughout the year. His second award came in 1970, when Cooper had become the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight champion, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest post-war British boxers. He is the only British boxer to win three Lonsdale Belts outright. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1969, awarded a Papal Knighthood in 1978, and was knighted in 2000.