Cooper’s my pick for champ of year belt

Ollie Cooper…a big 2026 beckons for super-middle titleholder

THE Midlands boxing awards beckon – and among the flood of awards handed out on Sunday, January 18, one stands out.

At Cannock’s Premier Suite one fighter will walk away with the belt for being Midland’s Area champion of 2025.

It’s an honour – won last year by Coventry’s Jess Barry – that will spark more debate than most other gongs up for grabs.

There’s no shortlist, it’s not bestowed on the boxer who has made the most defences. It’s judged on impact at local level.

There’s no shortage of contenders. Dudley’s featherweight champ Ryan Griffiths is the only boxer to defend his belt twice – both contests ending in a draw - and packed five fights into 2025, including an unsuccessful shot at the world youth title.

He’s got to be among the favourites.

In July, Northampton’s Carl Fail, now unbeaten in 11 and heading for big things, fought magnificently to take Amir Abubaker’s light-middleweight crown in eight. That was his only outing in 2025.

Minaaz Gurung, from Nuneaton, produced an explosive performance to blitz Joe Underwood Hughes for super-lightweight honours, Wolverhampton ticket-seller Brandon Bethell emerged as super-feather kingpin, but later relinquished, Ibraheem Sulaimaan underlined his glittering potential by landing the same title in a year that saw him register four wins.

Throw into the mix Tom Cowling’s thrilling victory over Aaron Bowen for the middleweight belt.

It’s a long, glorious list and one I’ve pondered for some days.

After careful consideration, my money is on tall super-middle Ollie Cooper, from Cannock and trained at Richie Carter’s Wolverhampton gym.

It’s a pick not really made on the three round demolition of Tom Ramsden in the 25-year-old’s sole defence of his super-middle belt: Cooper was considered a warm favourite to win that.

It’s more the strides Cooper has made in 2025. He’s won three, shone in all of them and emerged as a British title contender.

The real momentum began in 2024 when Ollie, now unbeaten in 12, uncorked a sixth round stoppage of Liam O’Hare to become champ.

The lad looks dangerous, hits with lights-out power and possesses exceptional punch variety. He’s improving with each outing.

Former pro Carter has, from the outset, told me Cooper’s something special. In all honesty, I had my doubts. He looked a little tentative in early bouts, appeared to feel the pace and, at 6ft 4ins, seemed destined for the light-heavyweight division.

“The difference winning the Midlands title has made has been massive,” Carter told me before the Ramsden win. “It’s taken Ollie to a new level. He’s mustard.

“Ollie is a more confident person. He needed a fight with someone who’d have a go at him and bring it out of him and Liam O’Hare is as tough as old boots.

“I know what Ollie can do, I know what he’s capable of. He’s a different fighter now. He’s confident, he really wants to do things.”

Given the breaks, 2026 may be the year when Cooper really does things – hopefully on an arena show.