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Bad Boy Olympian Damien “Super” Hooper turns pro, signs with Xcite management. Hatton Promotions beckon?

By LEE NEWTON (@LiloNewt)

Australian amateur sensation Damien “Super” Hooper has confirmed he's turning professional after a stellar amateur career. Hooper has inked a management agreement with Matt Clark, Brendan Bourke and Philippe Fondu. “I’m delighted to be turning pro” stated Hooper, “I can’t wait to get into the ring and I couldn't be more happy with my new management team and my trainer Gareth Williams". When asked was the decision to turn pro a difficult one, Hooper replied: “Not at all. I gave the amateurs a good run and now it’s time to turn pro and shake up the Light Heavyweight division.”

Talent

20 year old Hooper has had a successful, explosive amateur career; in 2010 he won Gold at the Youth Olympics, Silver at the Youth Worlds and represented Australia in Delhi at the Commonwealth Games. A solid 2011 meant big punching Hooper qualified for the London Olympics as world number 2, where he reached the quarter finals losing to eventual gold medalist Egor Mekhontsev.

Character

Despite his fantastic amateur achievements controversy has never been far behind Hooper. Incidents at the Commonwealth games and a pre-Olympic training camp resulted in him leaving the Australian team earlier than planned. Rumours of alleged rifts with trainers and officials were rife but it was the honourable flouting of Olympic rules in London which caused the most interest. Hooper, a fighter who is fiercely proud of his Indigenous Australian heritage broke, in the eyes of the AOC (Australian Olympic Committee), the Olympic Charter by wearing a t-shirt showing the Aboriginal flag. Hooper was forced to make a public apology but said at the time “I was just representing my people and I was proud to do that.”

Team

Hooper will be moving from Toowoomba to Brisbane to join up with new coach Gareth Williams who is also the trainer of Hooper’s Australian teammate Cameron Hammond and “Irish” Paddy Murphy. Manager Matt Clark said of the signing “I'm excited to be working with someone with as much potential as Damien and I know that under the tutelage of Gareth Williams he'll go as far as possible in the sport.”

Promoter

As of yet a promoter has not been confirmed but if one was to read between the lines; Hooper’s new training partner Cameron Hammond is managed by Matt Clark and Brendan Rourke, is trained by Gareth Williams and is promoted by Ricky Hatton’s HPAP branch. Is it jumping the gun to think that Hooper will follow his Olympic teammate to Hong Kong? One thing is for sure, we don’t have long too wait.

A great signing by Matty Clark and Brendan Bourke.

Great news

IMO he should have been pulled up and sent home - he broke the rules.

He says something about representing his people - isnt that all Australians.

"If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have got you labeled a radical 60 years ago, a liberal 30 years ago and a racist today" Thomas Sowell

Ross wrote:"If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have got you labeled a radical 60 years ago, a liberal 30 years ago and a racist today" Thomas Sowell

This is great!

Thanks, thought I would put it in before I got labeled a racist - which I am definitely not !

Nice Ross 100% agree

I have no issue with him trying recognise his race on the world stage.
We seem to have trouble as a country recognising our indigenous people. I think NZ do it a lot better with reecognition of Maori people, but hey. To each their own.

Anyway, I think the focus of the post is on the fact that his turning pro as a boxer. I hope he does well, it would be great to have another aussie to support.

Best of luck to Hooper. I hope he can stay focused and fulfil his potential.

hooper. just another grub..

CHAMPION boxer Damien Hooper has been charged with seriously assaulting a police officer after a weekend incident outside a nightclub in Dalby.

The 20-year-old, who lives in Toowoomba, was an Olympian last year but did not make it through to the quarter-finals.

His Olympic campaign was marred by a run-in with authorities when he showed up to a match wearing a T-shirt with an Aboriginal flag on it. He later apologised for breaching protocol.

Police were called just after 2am yesterday to the Mirage nightclub in Dalby. Hopper allegedly dropped his pants and exposed himself to officers and spat in a male officer's face as police struggled to load him into a car and take him away.

www.news.com.au

Hope he gets his shit sorted out. I've heard people talk about this guy for a while now, some strong praise from people who's opinions I respect. Sounds like he has a lot of potential, would hate to see it go to waste

Olympic boxer Damien Hooper has been charged with exposing himself to police and spitting on an officer at a Queensland nightclub.






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The incident happened about 2am (AEST) on Sunday at Dalby, west of Brisbane.

Hooper, 20, of Toowoomba, has been charged with wilful exposure, obstructing police, and serious assault of a police officer.

He's due to face the Dalby Magistrates Court on February 19.

Hooper got into hot water with Olympic officials in London last year, when he strode to the ring wearing a T-shirt with the Aboriginal flag on it.

His action contravened the International Olympic Committee's charter, which prevents political statements at the Games.

Hooper was forced to apologise to Australian team boss Nick Green, but later said he didn't regret his actions which also breached an athletes' agreement.

"I was proud that I did it, I don't regret doing it," Hooper said at the time.

"We are two cultures living in one nation.

"Aboriginal, non-Aboriginal people (were) supporting me as well, just happy with what I was doing and the cause I was doing it for."

Hooper failed to make it beyond the second round at the Olympics, going down to Russian Egor Mekhontcev 19-11.




Here is more to the story,

thunderfromdownunder wrote:Hope he gets his shit sorted out. I've heard people talk about this guy for a while now, some strong praise from people who's opinions I respect. Sounds like he has a lot of potential, would hate to see it go to waste

From what he has shown of his character to date I dont he will make it

popeye1 wrote:hooper. just another grub..

CHAMPION boxer Damien Hooper has been charged with seriously assaulting a police officer after a weekend incident outside a nightclub in Dalby.

The 20-year-old, who lives in Toowoomba, was an Olympian last year but did not make it through to the quarter-finals.

His Olympic campaign was marred by a run-in with authorities when he showed up to a match wearing a T-shirt with an Aboriginal flag on it. He later apologised for breaching protocol.

Police were called just after 2am yesterday to the Mirage nightclub in Dalby. Hopper allegedly dropped his pants and exposed himself to officers and spat in a male officer's face as police struggled to load him into a car and take him away.

http://www.news.com.au

agree

every time he goes home to dalby he gets locked up,he is gunna be a handful for whoever trains him, to be honest i dont think he will go much further than domestic level (if he stays out of jail long enough)

Hope it all goes well for damion. We was over in brisbane with his coach gareth williams in september very helpfull nd nice man. All the best from the smiths at the steel city gym , sheffield, england.