Ollie clears way to a Midlands title fight

Cooper has his hand raised in victory over Byles

OLLIE Cooper now has clear daylight on the road to a Midlands middleweight title after widely outscoring Mikey Byles in an entertaining, rough and tumble Sunday scrap.

He and trainer Richie Carter got the tactics spot on against a granite tough individual who appears near impervious to pain.

On Scott Murray’s public show at the Premier Suite, Cooper kept it long – at 6ft 5ins Ollie has a lot of reach, refused to be drawn into a scrap and caught Byles with some heavy straight rights and uppercuts.

Warwick’s Byles, on the comeback trail after a near eight year break from the business, took them all, smiled, showboated and, in the dying seconds, dropped his hand contemptuously. Ollie, fighting in his hometown, made him pay with three flush shots.

The 36-year-old has astonishing resilience. Through sheer belligerence, he made Cooper work for his eighth straight victory and played his part in a cracking main event.

Byles, with 1980s contender Chris Sanigar in his corner, is one tough cookie. He always looked to hit back, always looked to make it uncomfortable for Cooper.

The criticism was he didn’t sustain attacks or keep the punches coming. He fought in bursts.

Byles did take a round from the 23-year-old, presumably the fourth when Copper copped some clumping hooks to the ribs.

Referee Peter McCormack scored the six rounder 59-55.

“He was a tough test,” Ollie said afterwards. “I said before the fight my skills would overwhelm him. There were a couple of shots, but nothing he threw really bothered me.

“I’m fighting at the Excelsior Club (Cannock) in May, then the plan is to meet the winner of Liam O’Hare and Tom Brennan who fights for the Midlands (middleweight title) on June 1.”

Trainer Carter said: “I thought Ollie done great. He started fast and he kept it up. I’m pleased. He has everything, he has all the tools in the box.”

Cooper (11st 13lbs), who circled in the first, landed a meaty right down the pipe in the second, only to see Byles (11st 9lbs) respond with a right of his own to the ribs.

After both were told to tidy it up in the third, Ollie connected with a crunching uppercut. When Byles dropped his guard to complain about a punch that appeared to land on the ear, Cooper struck with two unanswered shots.

Byles had his best moments in the fourth as Ollie’s workrate dipped, yet still soaked up a big uppercut.

He turned southpaw in the fifth and in the sixth Cooper was given time to recover after being caught by a hook well below the belt. Mikey ended the bruising clash with his black gumshield bared in a grin.

Byles is certainly a value-for-money warrior who has faced a string of unbeaten opponents since returning to the ring.

“My training wasn’t what it should have been,” he admitted afterwards. “I’d just come off holiday and did, maybe, two full weeks.

“He caught me in the second, but nothing I couldn’t deal with. I’ve been out for seven years and I’m still finding my timing and fitness.

“I thought I looked better than last time, I’m happy. I’ve given myself five fights to find my feet.”

“It was a good, tough fight,” Chris Sanigar said. “He could’ve done another four rounds at the finish, which is not what you want. He needs to put more into the rounds.”

He added: “Mikey does not have to be so brave.”

But he is- and that makes him a real crowd-pleaser.