One of boxing’s biggest feel-good stories is the hard-working fighter who receives an unexpected phone call offering them a life-changing opportunity.
When, not long ago, Owen Cooper answered his phone and heard the voice on the other end offering him a July 20 fight with former British and Commonwealth champion Ekow Essuman on Queensberry’s latest “Magnificent Seven” show, he didn’t exactly fall off his seat with shock, but the 23-year-old from Worcester, England, couldn’t say “yes” fast enough.
“It was a great call to get,” Cooper (10-0, 4 KOs) told BoxingScene. “We sort of had an idea because he was at the weigh-in for my last fight doing a bit of commentary, and then I think he was at the fight, too. After the fight, me and my coach were talking and both said how it was strange he was there. We wondered if he had something planned. By chance, it’s happened. Whether he already knew a while before, I don’t know, but it’s a great fight.”
Essuman represents a leap in quality for Cooper, but the latter has already proven that he is capable of rising to a challenge.
In March, Cooper was matched with the unbeaten, slick Ethan James for the vacant English welterweight title. The fight was a big step up in both opposition and occasion, but, impressively, he didn’t snatch at his chance.
The aggressive Cooper dropped James in the opening round, but rather than chasing a knockout and leaving himself open to James’ crisp, clean counterpunching, Cooper took his time and ratcheted up the pressure, eventually forcing James’ corner to withdraw him after nine rounds.
As good as Cooper’s performance was, the most impressive aspect of his showing might have been the way he was able to clearly think his way through the biggest night of his life.
“Once you settle into a fight, you start to see things,” he said. “I feel that with boxing, you’ve obviously got to be fit and all these other kinds of things, but I feel a lot of it is about who can hold their composure and stay the most relaxed. Once you’re relaxed, it’s like seeing everything in slow motion. You can see the openings and you see all the gaps.
“In my head, I just kept reminding myself that we’ve seen Ethan get put down before in the opening round and win the fight, so I knew I couldn’t go crazy. I had to stick to what I’d been told to do and I wouldn’t go far wrong. It was about staying calm and not trying to dust him out and end up gassing myself out.”
Essuman (19-1, 7 KOs) is renowned for working at a high pace himself, and earned his nickname of “The Engine” with a series of tireless performances during his rise to title level and a long reign as the British and Commonwealth champion. But he is now 35 and hasn’t boxed since suffering his first career defeat to Harry Scarff last November.
Essuman is readying himself for another assault on the welterweight division and will fight Cooper for the English title he first won six years ago.
Cooper is a fan of Essuman’s but is intent on making the older man regret his decision to start his rebuild against him.
“That’s one of the plans: Make him feel his age,” Cooper said. “He’s a great fighter and somebody who I’ve looked up to, but he’s had his time. He’s been up at that level and boxed well there for so long, but now it’s my time. I feel that I’ve got to take it to him and make him feel his age and think, ‘OK, I’m in here with someone like myself who’s fit and strong, but they’ve also got youth on their side.’”
Should he get past Essuman, Cooper has set his sights on emulating his run and moving straight into a British title shot.
“We thought that the winner of me and Ethan would have had the shot at the British title, but Liam Taylor got made mandatory challenger [to Scarff]. It’s swings and roundabouts isn’t it? There’s not much more to do at British level, apart from fight for the title. With a win over Ekow and hopefully after this fight, I’ll get my chance.”
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