Cooper Still Champion After Eight Years

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31522, 9 November 1967, Page 17

Cooper Still Champion After Eight Years

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON. Henry Cooper retained the British and Empire heavyweight boxing titles at Wembley on Tuesday when his 15-round fight against Billy Walker was stopped in the sixth round because of a cut over Walker’s eye.

Walker, who had been given no chance of winning by the critics, gave the champion plenty of trouble. He wo.i two of the five rounds which Mere completed and had Cooper wilting under a barrage of body blows. By his victory, Cooper became the first British boxer to win a Lonsdale Belt four successive times. It is given to a champion who successfully defends his title twice. It was the 33-year-old London greengrocer’s eighth defence of the title he first won in January, 1959.

Cooper won the first round; comfortably, landing a number of his famed left hooks, but it looked ominous when in the second round, after a clash of heads, blood was seen to be trickling from his suspect left eye. Walker, boxing better in round three than he had ever done before, landed a tremendous left to the champion’s body, causing Cooper to wilt momentarily. Walker made the most of this opportunity and undoubtedly got the verdict for this round. Landing right crosses to the jaw and lefts to the body, he also took round four and there was nothing much in it as round five started. Cooper decided that a rally was called L,r, and with three fierce left hooks to the challenger’s face he bloodied

I Walker’s right eye and took the round to go ahead. BIG GASH OPENED Round six had barely started when another left hook from the champion cut a big gash in Walker’s right eye. The Scottish referee, Mr G. Smith, inspected the damage and told Walker it was too bad for him to continue. The question now is what decisions the two contestants will make about their future. Boxing writers felt that Cooper could still continue in the ring until defeated, but thought that Walker might retire to his lucrative restaurant business. However, Walker fought so much better than in the past that he may well feel like having another crack at winning the title.