Smokin' Bert Cooper, son of ...

You are not dealing with Kennedys here, Joe wasnt that shy about claiming his extracurricular offspring.

 

The boxing writer sounds like a piece of **** if he was "trying to prove" something like that.
It's really none of his business.

 

I have spoken with Bert several times, and have never heard this from him.

 

What was he like?

From the few times I heard him interviewed, he seemed like a nice enough guy, but not too bright of a bulb.

He had Frazier's style, but probably not his DNA.

Interestingly, he was better than pretty much all of the fighters who actually were related to Joe.

 

In spite of being a feared puncher who often welcomed 2 (or more) punches to land one, he was about as nice a guy as you could meet.
I met him several times, most notably after his fights against Joe Hipp and Michael Moorer. He was as gracious a guy in defeat as he was in victory. Very humble and approachable. His drug problems and poor management didn't due him any favors, but what a fighter when he was "on". I went to a post fight party that he attended in AC and saw no evidence of his drug problems. (although that is not exactly the kind of thing he would necessarily do publicly). Like many fighters I have met, very friendly and willing to shoot the ****.

 

Cooper had exciting style and scored some very good wins over top-prospects and contenders like Tillman, De Witt, Orlin Norris, Joe Hipp.

And his unforgettable wars vs Holy, Mercer and Moorer.

Did you ask Bert about his fights and career? Had he any regrets about his missed chances?

 

I've met many boxers as well and never had a bad experience.. Even though they make a living knocking people out, they are "usually" Mello guys and very chill outside the ring.

 

I've only talked to Kameel Odum, Darryl Tyson, Levander Johnson (RIP) and a stumblebum white guy who got kod by Maurice Blocker, then joined a bunch of us in the stands for a beer.

They were all cool, except Odum was a litter bitter.

Levander Johnson was especially cool. I gave him a fist pump as I left.

 

I read somewhere George Foreman sent a bunch of hookers with cocaine to Bert's training camp before they fought.

 

Well, sign me up as Foreman's next opponent!

spt

 

Not exactly. He was actually on a bit of a roll when I last spoke with him after the Moorer fight. (Even though he lost, his stock probably went up because the fight was so competitive and exciting). I didn't want to bum him out by talking about the Foreman debacle or the Nate Miller fight (which I was also at). I think Bert was one of those guys that didn't focus on regrets. He would just get back on the horse and fight whoever/whenever. ... A dangerous proposition without proper training camps, especially at heavyweight.

 

Bert Cooper was one of my all-time favourites. He was a natural born puncher and he came soooo close to winning it all. If only the gods looked favourably upon him that day..

Bert will always be one of my favourite fighters...

 

I never saw the Miller fight

This happened shortly before the Foreman debacle.

Bert also lost to Everett Martin around the same time

Since you saw the Miller fight live, do you think drugs/partying was the main cause of that loss, or was Miller just better.

In hindsight, I can kind of understand the loss to Miller, but I have trouble thinking a fully foucused Bert Cooper, who was at his prime age and weight, should ever lose to Everett Martin

 

Best I can figure, there must have been some element of partying involved. The Cooper - Miller fight was the first Bert Cooper fight I saw live when I was still in college near Philly. I had seen his fight with Henry Tillman and was super excited to watch him lay a beating on Miller. Unfortunately,Miller was tougher and more awkward than he (and I) expected, I suppose, and Bert quit on his stool. I agree he never should have lost to Miller or Martin. That being said, as muscular and hard hitting as Bert was, he really belonged at Cruiserweight instead of Heavyweight. Bigfoot is no world beater, but he hung tough with many top tier Heavyweights. When you add in Bert not training enough to sustain his frenetic offensive pace (and drugs will kill your endurance after a few rounds) it can spell trouble in the later rounds. But, His subsequent fights against Mercer, Holyfield, Moorer, etc. showed what can truly be great about boxing when a diamond in the rough like Bert brings his A-Game.