Towering Cooper is Cannock’s pro hope

Ollie Cooper…set to fight in his home town on June 22

IN the middleweight division, Ollie Cooper stands head and shoulders above the rest.

We’re talking physically: the southpaw stands 6ft 5ins in his socks. It must take some graft to squeeze that long body into the 11-and-a-half stone division, yet, surprisingly, Ollie had his eyes on the light-middle (11st) division when signing pro forms.

Cooper, from Cannock, looks a very useful addition to the pro game. Last Friday, at the Hangar, Wolverhampton, Ollie peeled off his fifth straight win, taking every round from tough Lithuanian Genadij Krajevskij.

Trained by Richie Carter, he’s still on a learning curve: all his wins have been over the apprentice four round distance, all on points.

On June 22, Ollie – who works for a car parts manufacturer – has the first fight in his hometown. He’s scheduled to step through the ropes at Cannock’s Excelsior Sporting Club.

Away from the ring, Ollie is level headed and, in interview, steered clear from the “I’m a future world champ” made by a number of newcomers.

He told me: “I’m in the game to go as far as I can. Another two fights, then I want to challenge for a Midlands title. After that, the sky’s the limit.”

As an amateur, Ollie boxed for Great Wyrley and Rugeley, won 18 of 26 and collected three Midlands titles.

“I was bored with the amateurs,” he said of the decision to go pro. “I realised it had nothing to give me any more. I prefer the pros because it’s a bit slower, the amateurs were a bit ‘bull at a gate’.

“The aim was to compete at super-welter (light-middle). When I turned over we realised it wasn’t possible to keep doing it (the weight) over a long period of time. As I fill out, I’ll probably make the transition to super-middle (12st).”

To date, Ollie has faced a string of tough veterans, including Kevin McCauley, a veteran of over 250 fights, and Lewis van Poetsch, who has 170 bouts to his name.

“I think my performances have all been bang on,” said Ollie. “I’ve proved I’m not out of place. I know I have the ability to stop people, but these tough journeymen know how to shell-up for four rounds. It’s hard to get your shots off.”

Cooper puts his punches together well, has a good following and seems destined for a busy and significant year. He assures me the power is there.

He could be the man to put the pit town of Cannock on the modern boxing map.