Young boxer learning the ropes the hard way

Matt Cooper thought he was a tough kid. Then he tried boxing.

"When I was younger, like high school age, I would get in a fight here and there, and usually do pretty well," admitted the middle of three boys, born in Sudbury but having split time between the Nickel City and Burlington.

"Then I came here and kept getting beat up. It was humbling. It made me realize that I needed to work that much harder to be ready to compete."

In Cooper's case, "here" was the Top Glove Boxing Academy, a venue he had visited a few times about three years back, when he was home, in Sudbury, completing his high school studies.

Back again from southern Ontario, the former AAA hockey talent decided to give it a more serious go.

"My grandpa actually boxed a little bit before," he said. "There was always a thought about trying boxing when I was playing hockey, but it never really developed into anything."

Needing a constant to help get his life on track, boxing became a focal point in the summer of 2014.

"I like that you can control how you do on your own," Cooper explained. "If you put in the effort, things will work out for you."

That they did, even if in somewhat of a roundabout way. Anxious to step into the ring from the outset, Cooper persevered through the initial training regimen, as longtime coach Gord Apolloni worked on the basics.

"You have to train a long time here before you actually get to punch someone," said Cooper with a smile.

Finally, in February, the Sudbury fighter would be turned loose, stepping into the ring for the first time for a pair of bouts at the Brampton Cup.

"Having played AAA hockey, I kind of figured I could handle pressure situations," Cooper recalled. "When I walked into the ring, I kind of lost my composure. I lost all my training and just went for it. It was more of a brawl than a boxing match."

By the end of Round 1, it was time for Apolloni to refocus his energetic yet inexperienced pugilist. It worked — for about half a second.

"I remember coming out for Round 2, reminding myself, 'try to box,'” noted Cooper.

"And then as soon as I got punched, I forgot. But I ended up getting the win, which was nice. Luckily, the guy I ended up brawling with did the same thing. I'm pretty sure that anyone with technical abilities could have really picked me apart. I was happy with the outcome, but not the performance."

With some time between bouts, Cooper composed himself. It was time to start showing progress, even if only in small increments.

"In the second match, I was focused on performing well, the way I can, the way I do in the gym, and not focusing so much on winning," conceded Cooper.

"I ended up doing a lot better."

A gold-medal performance created a nice base from which the talkative young scrapper can build.

"I want to improve on being more relaxed," he said. "As Gord tells me, there are tons of things that I can improve on."

A return home allowed coach and athlete the chance to review the tapes, to determine the next step that Cooper is ready to tackle.

"I could have used my jab more to set up things," he noted.

"I was just trying to get in there and throw. I could have been a little more patient. The jab helps keep your opponent off-balance. Before he can start something offensive, he needs to worry about something defensive first."

Sounds like the lessons in the ring are quickly being absorbed by the young protegee. In just eight short months, Cooper has learned that toughness isn't everything, at least not in the world of boxing.