CLAY TRAINING; CAMERAMEN; DOWNES WITH CLAY; FARR WITH CLAY.




Initials GEM/V/JH/SGM


SPORT: BOXING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION CLAY -- OR MUHAMMAD ALI AS HE CALLS HIMSELF -- IS WELL INTO HIS TRAINING IN LONDON FOR HIS TITLE FIGHT ON 21 MAY AGAINST HENRY COOPER, THE BRITISH HEAVY WEIGHT CHAMPION.

CLAY FIRST MET COOPER IN LONDON IN A NON-TITLE BOUT IN 1963. CLAY WON IN THE FIFTH ROUND, BUT ONLY AFTER COOPER HAD KNOCKED HIM DOWN WITH A LEFT HOOK. THE BRITISH CHAMPION IS ONE OF THE ONLY TWO MEN EVER TO HAVE FLOORED CLAY.

THE WORLD CHAMPION SAID RECENTLY THAT COOPER HAD HIT HIM HARDER THAN ANY OTHER MAN, AND THAT HE WOULD TRAIN VERY HARD FOR THE FIGHT. TODAY (THURSDAY) HIS TRAINING WAS WELL UNDER WAY AT A LONDON DRILL HALL.

AS HE WORKED OUT IN THE RING WITH A PUNCH BAG, CLAY WAS WATCHED BY CAMERAMEN AND TOW FORMER STARS OF BOXING, TOMMY FARR AND TERRY DOWNES. DOWNES WAS THE WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION IN 1961.

THE AUTHORITATIVE "RING MAGAZINE" IN ITS APRIL ISSUE LISTED COOPER AS SIXTH IN THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT RATINGS AFTER FOUR AMERICAN BOXERS AND A WEST GERMAN. BRITISH BOOKMAKERS ARE CERTAINLY FAVOURING CLAY AT 5 - 1 ON, WITH COOPER 7 - 2 AGAINST.

IT'S MORE THAN 50 YEARS SINCE A WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP WAS STAGED IN LONDON, AND COOPER HAS BEEN SWAMPED WITH FAN MAIL FROM ALL OVER BRITAIN AS WELL AS RECEIVING MANY LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM EUROPE. WHEN CLAY ARRIVED IN BRITAIN HE WAS GIVEN A ROUSING WELCOME OUTSIDE HIS HOTEL BY A BIG CROWD OF LONDONERS.