Post by Dee Williams on Jun 7, 2006 23:40:59 GMT -5
Melinda Cooper Goes to France
by David A. Avila
www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/3900/melinda-cooper-goes-france/
Standing behind a busy counter of a plush Las Vegas casino nightclub, Melinda Cooper looks like any jet-setting 21-year-old working hard as a bartender on a crazy Saturday night sliding around serving drinks.
Little do her customers know, she’s one of the best female prizefighters on the planet.
"Once in a while someone will come up to me and say you’re Melinda Cooper the boxer,” says Cooper (16-0, 9 KOs).
In a few days Cooper will travel to Paris, France then commute to nearby Luce where she’ll perhaps battle Germany’s Daniela Graf (3-4-1) in a six-round fight promoted by Round One Entertainment on Saturday June 10.
“I’m excited about going to Paris,” said Cooper, who’s lived in Las Vegas her entire life. “We’re going to be there for about five days.”
Before checking out the sites, Cooper will enter the ring with a growing reputation that began many years ago as a child amateur star who wowed people with her quick hands and feet. She also surprised many with her killer instinct.
“She’s always been that way,” said James Pena her trainer and manager. “Melinda is very serious about her fighting.”
Gabriel Gaide, a former prizefighter, sparred a few rounds with Cooper to give her some live work.
“She hurt my ribs,” Gaide said pointing to the left side of his abdomen. “She hits very hard.”
Though she captured a world title at flyweight a year ago, Cooper feels she’s barely hitting her stride.
“I can be 100 times better,” she says emphatically. “I learn something every time I get in the ring.”
In her last two fights she captured wins against Lina Ramirez, a tall and sturdy fighter accustomed to engaging featherweights and junior lightweights. Though the Mexican born fighter out of Tijuana endured all four rounds, she was never close to winning the fight.
“I can be a boxer or puncher,” says Cooper who has nine knockouts on her resume, a large number of knockouts for a female prizefighter.
In her world title fight, Cooper used a blend of speed and power to bludgeon the crafty but slightly overmatched Anisa Zamarron of Texas for the IBA title. Finally after nine rounds, referee David Mendoza stopped the bout as Cooper rained punches from all angles on Zamarron.
Despite winning a world title at 19, she has bigger goals.
“I want to win titles at 115, 118, and 122 pounds,” said Cooper. “I want all of the belts.”
Read Melinda's bio on WBAN at
www.wban.org/biog/mcooper.htm
by David A. Avila
www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/3900/melinda-cooper-goes-france/
Standing behind a busy counter of a plush Las Vegas casino nightclub, Melinda Cooper looks like any jet-setting 21-year-old working hard as a bartender on a crazy Saturday night sliding around serving drinks.
Little do her customers know, she’s one of the best female prizefighters on the planet.
"Once in a while someone will come up to me and say you’re Melinda Cooper the boxer,” says Cooper (16-0, 9 KOs).
In a few days Cooper will travel to Paris, France then commute to nearby Luce where she’ll perhaps battle Germany’s Daniela Graf (3-4-1) in a six-round fight promoted by Round One Entertainment on Saturday June 10.
“I’m excited about going to Paris,” said Cooper, who’s lived in Las Vegas her entire life. “We’re going to be there for about five days.”
Before checking out the sites, Cooper will enter the ring with a growing reputation that began many years ago as a child amateur star who wowed people with her quick hands and feet. She also surprised many with her killer instinct.
“She’s always been that way,” said James Pena her trainer and manager. “Melinda is very serious about her fighting.”
Gabriel Gaide, a former prizefighter, sparred a few rounds with Cooper to give her some live work.
“She hurt my ribs,” Gaide said pointing to the left side of his abdomen. “She hits very hard.”
Though she captured a world title at flyweight a year ago, Cooper feels she’s barely hitting her stride.
“I can be 100 times better,” she says emphatically. “I learn something every time I get in the ring.”
In her last two fights she captured wins against Lina Ramirez, a tall and sturdy fighter accustomed to engaging featherweights and junior lightweights. Though the Mexican born fighter out of Tijuana endured all four rounds, she was never close to winning the fight.
“I can be a boxer or puncher,” says Cooper who has nine knockouts on her resume, a large number of knockouts for a female prizefighter.
In her world title fight, Cooper used a blend of speed and power to bludgeon the crafty but slightly overmatched Anisa Zamarron of Texas for the IBA title. Finally after nine rounds, referee David Mendoza stopped the bout as Cooper rained punches from all angles on Zamarron.
Despite winning a world title at 19, she has bigger goals.
“I want to win titles at 115, 118, and 122 pounds,” said Cooper. “I want all of the belts.”
Read Melinda's bio on WBAN at
www.wban.org/biog/mcooper.htm