“Nowadays it's not a matter of winning, but how you win to capture the attention of certain people,” said Charlton. “There is no doubt about him winning and it won't be a surprise if he wins by a stoppage; I would like him to knock Brandon out. I hope he puts up a good show.”
Promoter Rodney Berman described Koopman as a definite future world champion. Berman's Golden Gloves will stage this fight with the main attraction of the event dubbed Abanqobi — The Conquerors.
“Victory will earn him a spot in the WBA’s top 10 and reckoning as a world-class fighter on his way to the big time,” said Berman, who expects Cook to provide Koopman with the much-needed test that will stand him in good stead in the future.
The undercard looks good with Brandon “Fast Guns” Thysse taking on Nkhensahosi Junior Makondo for the vacant national middleweight belt, was vacated by Koopman in August.
Thysse is a pressure fighter who hardly takes a step back in a match while Makondo is naturally a slow starter who gets into the groove as a fight progresses.
The competition here could bring back memories of the Fire and Ice bout between Phillip “Time Bomb” Ndou and Cassius “Hitman” Baloyi that was staged by Berman in Brakpan in 2001.
Ndou's style was similar to that of Thysse, and he packed power on both hands while Baloyi was a class-act boxer whose skills were second to none. Ndou won that energy-sapping bout on points.
Also on the undercard, Ntethelelo “Baby G” Nkosi will fight for the first successful defence of the SA junior-welterweight against Sanele Msimang.
Dean Promnick and Morgan Hunter will meet in a super-middleweight bout that should be fast and furious while heavyweight newcomer Juan Alberts will be aiming for his second victory when he takes on Pieter Breytenbach.
Action will begin at 7pm, and all bouts will televised live by SuperSport Variety 4.
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Victory against Cook will earn Koopman the recognition he needs
‘It’s not a matter of winning, but how you win to capture the attention of certain people’
Image: James Gradidge
It will boil down to how IBO All Africa champ Shervantaigh “SK” Koopman fights against Canadian ring veteran Brandon Cook to earn the attention of world sanctioning boxing bodies' ratings committees.
Koopman will take on Cook for the WBA Intercontinental title at Emperors Palace on Saturday night.
This was Charlton Koopman's response to what the future holds for his son regarding getting recognition from world sanctioning boxing bodies' ratings committees.
Charlton is involved in his son's career — the former SA junior-middleweight champion, who is not included in the list of IBO's top 100 ratings in the division where Koopman holds its All Africa title.
Koopman is undefeated after 14 fights with nine knockouts. Victory against Cook, 38, who has been around for 13 years as a professional boxer with 18 knockouts in 26 wins against two losses, will earn Koopman recognition by the WBA.
Koopman is trained by Vusi Mtolo, who is assisted by Charlton at Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy in Edenvale.
“Nowadays it's not a matter of winning, but how you win to capture the attention of certain people,” said Charlton. “There is no doubt about him winning and it won't be a surprise if he wins by a stoppage; I would like him to knock Brandon out. I hope he puts up a good show.”
Promoter Rodney Berman described Koopman as a definite future world champion. Berman's Golden Gloves will stage this fight with the main attraction of the event dubbed Abanqobi — The Conquerors.
“Victory will earn him a spot in the WBA’s top 10 and reckoning as a world-class fighter on his way to the big time,” said Berman, who expects Cook to provide Koopman with the much-needed test that will stand him in good stead in the future.
The undercard looks good with Brandon “Fast Guns” Thysse taking on Nkhensahosi Junior Makondo for the vacant national middleweight belt, was vacated by Koopman in August.
Thysse is a pressure fighter who hardly takes a step back in a match while Makondo is naturally a slow starter who gets into the groove as a fight progresses.
The competition here could bring back memories of the Fire and Ice bout between Phillip “Time Bomb” Ndou and Cassius “Hitman” Baloyi that was staged by Berman in Brakpan in 2001.
Ndou's style was similar to that of Thysse, and he packed power on both hands while Baloyi was a class-act boxer whose skills were second to none. Ndou won that energy-sapping bout on points.
Also on the undercard, Ntethelelo “Baby G” Nkosi will fight for the first successful defence of the SA junior-welterweight against Sanele Msimang.
Dean Promnick and Morgan Hunter will meet in a super-middleweight bout that should be fast and furious while heavyweight newcomer Juan Alberts will be aiming for his second victory when he takes on Pieter Breytenbach.
Action will begin at 7pm, and all bouts will televised live by SuperSport Variety 4.
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