Bert Cooper passes

[Old bones Ian]

Bert Cooper dies aged only 53 years old from cancer.
Bert came within a punch of winning a heavyweight title not once but twice, he got a last minute shot at Holyfield and almost knocked him out in the 3rd round , but Holyfield recovered to stop Bert in the 7th.
Against Michael Moorer it looked like Bert had stopped him in the 1st but the ref gave Moorer a count as he said the ropes held him up, in an all time great heavyweight fight it went back and forth before Moorer knocked out Bert in the 5th.

Bert Cooper started out at cruiserweight being part of Joe Frazier’s team, Bert won a regional title but never got a chance at a world title at cruiser, at the time I felt he would of won a title there, but no champion was going to risk against such a big puncher.
Bert at heavyweight fought a range of contenders and champions , losing more than winning, and having problems outside the ring as well. He even got matched against the British bare knuckle champion Joe Savage, and Bert showed what happens with gloves on knocking out Savage in the 1st.

So R.I.P Bert one of the nearly men of boxing, who on his day could compete with the best.

[GlobalBox]

Remember the Holyfield fight he came so close only to find Evander doing what he did to many men when hurt, hang on in there and come back in the same round himself.

So so young, it's a very sad loss, he should have been telling stories to generations of young fight fans for many years to come to remind them of the past precious memories of this sport we love and the part he played in it.

God Bless Bert, Rest In Peace

[TheLeprechaun]

Great fighter, rip

[orbtastic]

His stoppage of de Wit was brutal.

Not that their careers particularly overlapped at cruiser but a match with Sellers would have been a complete shoot-out.

[rubberneck]

Great fighter, rip

I’d imagine that most domestic heavyweights at that time could’ve handled that bare knuckle chap. Putting him in the ring with a puncher like Bert was pretty much suicide.

Cooper’s stoppage of Cecil Coffee is one of the nastiest uppercut stoppages I’ve seen.
Stoppage at 6.55

https://youtu.be/tA22XVAtpxs

RIP Mr Cooper

[MasterG]

That's sad to hear. Bert was a trier. Gave Holyfield a good go.

[handsofstone]

RIP to an excting Heavyweight

[bigjack]

I’d imagine that most domestic heavyweights at that time could’ve handled that bare knuckle chap. Putting him in the ring with a puncher like Bert was pretty much suicide.

Cooper’s stoppage of Cecil Coffee is one of the nastiest uppercut stoppages I’ve seen.
Stoppage at 6.55

https://youtu.be/tA22XVAtpxs

RIP Mr Cooper

You don't see many nose bleeds like that,great uppercut.

[chrisnew86]

The guy had some chin .

RIP

[keithmoonhangover]

I met Bert, a lovely guy with a great sense of humour and a toothy smile. RIP champ.

[Onetimeonly]

His best fight might have been Mercer. That was a slugfest.

[dr_devious]

RIP Bert Cooper

[Old bones Ian]

His stoppage of de Wit was brutal.

Not that their careers particularly overlapped at cruiser but a match with Sellers would have been a complete shoot-out.

I just watched the De Witt fight, didn’t realise Cooper was only 21 years old then

[chinarich]

His best fight might have been Mercer. That was a slugfest.

Funnily enough I watched that on YouTube last week, it’s rare to see workrate like that from heavyweights today...

[Onetimeonly]

Funnily enough I watched that on YouTube last week, it’s rare to see workrate like that from heavyweights today...

Rare to see work rate like that at 130 now!

[SticknMove]

Rare to see work rate like that at 130 now!

boxing is now a power based game huh?

[Onetimeonly]

boxing is now a power based game huh?

I think it's just an inferior product. Guys aren't as well trained and tough.

[SticknMove]

I think it's just an inferior product. Guys aren't as well trained and tough.

I think the sport has changed with the widespread use of PEDS. They are just as tough as any before but with a chemical or psychological edge. the training should take care of itself.

[SticknMove]

BTW RIP Bert Cooper

[bennie]

I remember when I read that the unbeaten Willie de Wit was facing Bert in 1987, I knew straightaway Bert would win. It was just a stupid fight to take, much as when Shawn O'Sullivan - another Canadian ex-amateur star - had faced Simon Brown a year earlier. Cooper could hurt anyone and de Wit was right there to be tagged.

[Onetimeonly]

I think the sport has changed with the widespread use of PEDS. They are just as tough as any before but with a chemical or psychological edge. the training should take care of itself.

People aren't nearly as tough, neither are fighters.

[JimStone]

I agree that people aren't as tough now. No requirement for it at the moment in general.

[chinarich]

Quite a nice obit, of sorts, here:

https://www.BS.com/bert-cooper ... ro--138966

From everything I’ve read previously and since he passed it seems like he was a genuinely nice chap. Of course I never met him, I just go by what I’ve read in interviews and articles...

Chauncy Welliver posts on here sometimes and he fought Cooper in 2012, I would like to hear if he has any personal recollections he is willing to share at all, or maybe he didn’t really know him.