Murray to stage Ollie title fight in Cannock

Ollie Cooper…defence against Tom Ramsden. Pic: Manjit Narotra/BCB

SCOTT Murray has won the purse bids for Cannock super-middleweight champ Ollie Cooper’s first defence.

And the tall, unbeaten fighter, part of Richie Carter’s booming Wolverhampton gym, will face challenger Tom Ramsden in his hometown.

The 10 rounder is yet another championship battle on Scott’s big September 13 show at Cannock’s Chase Leisure Centre, the promoter said.

Ollie has to come through unscathed this Saturday, however: he’s on the big King’s Hall, Stoke, show topped by Nathan Heaney.

In Ramsden, the 24-year-old faces a Grimsby boxer – and, yes, Grimsby is part of the Midlands on the British Board of Control map – who has lost more than he’s won. The 35-year-old sports an 8-18-2 record, but has never failed to hear the final bell.

Southpaw Cooper is 10-0 and looked sensational in stopping champ Liam O’Hare for the title last November.

He’s a young man who needs a test to bring out the best in him, said Carter.

“The difference winning the Midlands title has made has been massive,” Carter recently told me. “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.

Carter added: “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.”

Tyler Rivers…may face Zach Evans in an absolute cracker

How about this for an absolute cracker – and it has also landed on the September 13 bill.

Nothing confirmed, but Murray has told me it’s “99 per cent certain” Cannock’s Zach Evans, unbeaten in 10, will fight Tyler Rivers in an English welterweight tile eliminator.

Leicester’s Rivers – a former fine amateur – has one loss in seven. That came on points against Jordan Grannum, one of the best – and most dangerous – journeymen in the business.

He bounced back from that setback in June by outpointing Nathan Darby.

Evans, a noted body-puncher, and Rivers is a real barnstormer.