JOE COOPER VS LUKASZ BARABASZ FULL FIGHT HD
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00:00all set to get it rolling here back in Liverpool on a Queensbury show for the first time I make
00:05it in eight years a whole new generation of boxing talent has come through here on Merseyside
00:12and here's an addition tonight an 18 year old from Essex Joe Cooper heard some good things Richie I
00:19know he was gently led into the pro game in Belfast in the summer but there's a lot more apparently
00:25that Joe Gallagher thinks he can get out of this kid than he showed on that occasion
00:29and my first observation he must be one of the very youngest pros in the game in Britain right
00:35now absolutely so a big future ahead of him only lots of skills so be interesting to see how he
00:42goes here against a fairly awkward and tough opponent Barabas you know a tough Polish boxer
00:48he's only been stopped once in the 13 defeats that he's had so he's a bit of a tough cookie
00:53so this will be a test for the young Cooper who as you said Paul very young indeed and the
00:59whole of his career in front of him so yeah let's have a look how he goes here
01:05four rounds it went against the Colombian John Henry Mosquera on his professional debut
01:15fairly big show isn't it Rich to be coming into fight number two that can work both ways of
01:21course it can give a young fighter the thrill as the smell of it if you like for the future
01:28very much so Paul here just just Barabas the way he's coming in probably needs a right uppercut
01:34in this contest a young Joe Cooper here but he's working well now you see Barabas is fairly
01:40dangerous when he gets up close he whips those right hands over the top so Cooper's just got
01:44to watch out for that because he's got a fairly low lead hand working well with his jab there but
01:49like I say maybe the right uppercuts need you see there's the right hand from Barabas he whips it
01:53over the top certainly knows his way around only actually had 17 pro fights before tonight but he
01:59is 35 years of age I understand he didn't turn pro until he was in his 30s but he's been packing
02:05them in since the man from Poland and he didn't need sat-nav to get him back to Merseyside because
02:12he fought in Highton elsewhere in this locality in the summer of John Hinahan that went six rounds
02:29keep those punches nice and straight and keep the distance between himself and Barabas
02:35does come over that strong foot and just closes that gap a little bit that's when you've got to
02:40bring the right uppercut into play but better boxing now he's trying to find his range you
02:44see behind that jab is Cooper
02:50certainly made to work every minute of this first round so far as Joe Cooper
02:57showstopper on his tracks we've got the showman Henry Turner later on the show tonight against
03:03Jack Rafferty what could be a ferocious British and Commonwealth title fight
03:07one of the supporting contests
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03:37so
03:48welcome back everybody we're setting in for a great night of action here on TNT sports from the
03:51MNS arena right on the banks of the Great River Mersey previously known as the Liverpool Echo
04:00arena and among the many big names in the house Tyson Fury he's got a family connection elsewhere
04:08on the card tonight he's looking pretty sleek Richie isn't he yeah indeed and obviously we're
04:12all looking forward to that return with Alexander Usyk in December and I'm sure he's preparing for
04:17that so our opener for the evening in the yellow and red trunks Joe Cooper from Essex he's a Joe
04:28stable mate at this moment Lukasz Barabasz is there to give him rounds and maybe a little bit
04:33of a test tonight from Poland at middleweight Barabasz has won four in his 17 pro fights before
04:42this one and the key really seems to be Richie with Barabasz if he's on weight his mind is right
04:52and he'll go and give whoever he's fighting a good test there have been one or two nights when
04:56he's been way above his best weight yeah most definitely you know he's fairly dangerous see
05:00there's that right hand again there so it's really important that Cooper doesn't take things for
05:05granted here keeps the punches nice and straight and keeps that maintains that gap between himself
05:10and Barabasz Barabasz on the other hand he's got to keep moving that head and what he's got to get
05:17up close and whip the shots over the top and he's been successful with a couple of them and that's
05:22why it's important for Cooper with the movement for keeping the punches straight and as I say as
05:27a last resort that right that's a right of his I think would pay dividends also some really good
05:35work in flashes he's actually been quite tested in another sense early on as young Cooper much
05:42more so than on the opening night in Belfast because he has taken a few here Richie yeah
05:47exactly so it's a real good test for him in Barabasz who's strong who's tough who's awkward
05:55throws punches from different angles and whips them over the top see there's another one there
05:59isn't too far away so it's a good learning fight against a tough opponent Cooper's a
06:05cousin of Billy Joe Saunders another bloodline much like the Furies
06:09surely one of the most talented fighters over the last 20 years in Britain Richie I would think
06:27definitely talented man indeed
06:35Barabasz just lets the pace drop really for the first time 30 seconds left in this second round
06:41and that's all the invitation Cooper needs to show a little bit of Saunders-like class yeah
06:46absolutely it was lovely shot there from Cooper Barabasz just just pausing a little and probably
06:53slowing his feet down and just allowing Cooper just to maintain that gap another
06:57uppercut went in there you see from Cooper so now he's starting to find his range a lot
07:01better because the feet have slowed from Barabasz that's actually suiting Cooper
07:07so
07:14you never forget your first
07:18then one becomes two and two becomes something else entirely there's the one that gets you noticed
07:28and the one that got away it's only a matter of time buy sell and exchange authentic pre-owned
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07:49up close in the Lukasz Barabasz corner between the round second about to give way to round three
07:55here in our opener on tnt sports from the mns arena in liverpool i didn't hear the word extra
08:02extra in that corner from the polish second normally when a polish fighter is going well
08:06you hear a lot of extra extra your polish is good then paul no it's a very very sporadic indeed richie
08:16Steve Gray just steps in for a moment Cooper started to take control quite impressively
08:28actually in that second round yeah it's just about concentration paul as well
08:34if there's a lapse in concentration just allow the opponent to get a little bit closer that's
08:37when you can walk onto a shot but while he's using that jab speed and accuracy
08:44and he's just keeping Barabasz at bay and it's more difficult than Barabasz to close that gap
08:48down because he's got to get past that shot but it's all about concentration because
08:54in professional boxing paul against this type of opponent you can come unstuck you can get
09:00complacent it can become too easy at times and this type of opponent then could just whip one
09:06over they're tough they're strong i see there's that uppercut that we spoke about yeah stops him
09:10right in his tracks and then follows it up with the jab good boxer
09:25Barabasz stopped only once
09:28and he went six fairly hard rounds with Sean Noakes the brother of the triple champion at
09:35lightweight Sam Noakes Sean Noakes that was a fight at Wembley he's now the English champion
09:42Sean in September 2023 and with a performance like that Richie he just inks his name doesn't he
09:48into the list of potential phone calls from the promoter when the job opportunity's on the line
09:56yeah they know they're going to get a good nice work out of their opponent don't they when they
10:01book him because he's strong and he's tough and like i say he's awkward
10:05and he lands the odd shot here and there so he's always in a contest so he's he's fairly dangerous
10:11isn't he look look and look at that for for an unorthodox way of throwing a punch there just
10:16change his feet round to a safe ball then whips that left hand over so he's fairly dangerous
10:21isn't he and competitive i think that's the that's the word for he's competitive
10:26that's what comes with the know-how of a batter bash though Richie isn't it you know he perhaps
10:32felt in that second round i'm just letting this kid think he can showboat here i won't i won't
10:35stand for that tonight probably needs a little bit more head movement that's a little bit better
10:42from him you know throwing shots like that just hoping to land one and like i said he's fairly
10:50awkward isn't he and that's where Cooper doesn't need to be on those ropes
10:55he has to get back into that center ring
11:12so Joe Cooper pleasing opener from him tonight so much excitement later on this card it goes deep
11:18and it's not all about Merseyside by any means tonight and a rising star is also part of this
11:26tonight Haider Herrera he's a Cuban he could have become one of their great Olympians we're told but
11:31he decided to go pro early and he has been blitzing through the early stage of his pro career huge
11:37excitement in Liverpool about him arriving and also of course we mentioned the Fury connection
11:43and Walter Fury is also going to be featuring on the card a little bit later
11:52with the family in attendance
11:59and Dennis Domenes is in the middle of it as well as there
12:06there's another exciting prospect as well
12:08McCann
12:16seeking to close the range right at the start of this fourth and final round and Cooper was ready
12:23i think we're going to see an all-out barrage for a minute or so here from Badabash
12:27final flurry hasn't really made a mark on Cooper even if he has found him at times
12:33no he hasn't doesn't need to stay on that rope no he doesn't and you see and this is where he
12:37might pick up a head clash where he could get cut or anything Paul so you know it's risky business
12:43when you're allowing your man to close the gap down like that and just stick his head in your
12:46face and on your chest just keep your distance and box sensibly but like i said before Badabash
12:55he comes to compete and he comes to win it's a fair play he's given a good account of himself
13:00and now the tempo does drop didn't quite get the full minute
13:05Cooper reasserts from the outside very fetching color scheme isn't it this yellow and red and
13:12on the back of his trunks there's a little uh genuflection if you like a knob the words champs
13:18capped or emblazoned across the back of his trunks the old champ cap in Mossad in Manchester
13:27reopened by Joe Gallagher of course who's in the corner
13:32and if he can buy into any of that tradition it will really help him very well indeed
13:36yeah i remember the old coach Phil Morton the late Phil Morton the late great Phil Morton
13:41what a coach he was fantastic well yeah the old champs camp Manchester very famous indeed
13:47famous colors and uh Joe Cooper now is he's boxing boxing has seen this one out now but he's come
13:56and had a bit of a go Barabash in this last round so he's made it competitive and uh
14:00it's a good contest now well you can see flashes of skill from Cooper obviously with Barabash it's
14:06all industry it's work right coming onto his opponent but the flashes of skill from Cooper
14:12yeah excellent just got to maintain a gap against this tough man in front of him
14:27yes
14:29sometimes in situations like that the quote's opponent Richie will say go on do a bit of this
14:33for the last minute make a big finish for everybody absolutely that's because you lot
14:38have made a different stuff to the rest of us Richard yeah well i mean this fellow here
14:42Barabash fair play to him he's given everything in this last round Cooper i think's just enjoying
14:48it he's taking a few risks but nevertheless like i say flashes and glimpses of the skills that he's
14:52got Cooper but this is a good learning point takes a good shot there from Barabash and again
14:58so he's right to the end again he's happy to try to feel the rope on his back and then smart enough
15:05to move away from that potential middle minefield right at the end of it they let a few big ones go
15:10right to the bell and the crowd certainly enjoyed every moment of that but Barabash is going to need
15:17a little bit of time to fill his tank again he really did put it in that was a great last round
15:24wasn't it in great last 30 or 40 seconds Joe Cooper just stood and traded with his opponent
15:29there Barabash landed some good punches of his own and give it everything in that last round so i
15:34think it was a real good fight for Joe Cooper only his second contest a learning contest indeed
15:39but Barabash coming strong right at the end and called Cooper with a couple of good shots but
15:44Cooper just playing peekaboo here keeping that guard nice and i gets caught there with a shot
15:49and actually lands one of his own and knows he landed well fair play to Barabash he really went
15:54for it but it was a cracking last 30 seconds that was a fair test for anybody an 18 year old in a
15:59second professional fight definitely against someone who's 35 who's had what 17, 16, 17 contests
16:06it was a good experience only been stopped once yes it was a good learning fight a great workout
16:11and you'll have learned a lot from that
16:26ladies and gentlemen after four rounds of boxing our referee in charge Steve Gray scores the contest
16:3340 to 37 for your winner and still undefeated Joe the showstopper Cooper
16:48a very pleasing second throw outing from this young man the road ahead is very long indeed
16:56Laura but he looks to be a candidate potentially let's leave it at that for the moment
17:02okay there we go good win for him as he was saying there in his second pro fight
17:07quite new to this but actually quite an extensive amateur career how difficult is it for him if you
17:13go back to the fight before last when he's turning pro and he's been inactive for as long as he has
17:17how difficult is that to go pro after two years of that Laura do you know it's almost like starting
17:22again for Joe because he didn't have any senior bouts and i think as you can see with Joe he's
17:27got some lovely skills but he is still very much developing he's still he's a boy he's 18 years of
17:32age and i think you can see that a little bit in there he's got some lovely skills probably got
17:38clipped a little bit too much there but when it comes together with that maturity will be a
17:42prospect he has got some lovely moves and he was inactive so he's still sort of he's almost like