Newark teen boxer heads to Prudential Center for weekend fight
The Newark native began boxing at just 5 years old and built an impressive amateur resume that included nearly 100 bouts and multiple national championships.
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A rising boxing star from Newark is preparing for one of the biggest fights of his young career.
Eighteen-year-old Yoell “Boy Boy” Cooper will return to the ring on June 6 at Prudential Center, continuing a journey that has already turned heads in the boxing world.
While many teenagers are focused solely on finishing high school, Cooper is balancing his senior year at West Side High School with the demands of a professional boxing career.
The Newark native began boxing at just five years old and built an impressive amateur resume that included nearly 100 bouts and multiple national championships. His success in the amateur ranks helped pave the way for his transition to the professional level.
"My family love boxing, my dad, my sister, my mom, even my grandparents love boxing, you know, my grandpa loved Muhammad Ali, my grandmother, Sonny Liston," Cooper said. "So, I had no choice but to be in the boxing game. It just runs in the family the love for boxing."
Cooper made an immediate impact in his pro-debut earlier this year at Prudential Center, earning a first-round knockout victory and introducing himself to a hometown crowd eager to see the next generation of boxing talent.
"That's probably the best day of my life," he said. "It's something I always dreamed of."
Now, with another fight scheduled in Newark, Cooper is looking to build on that momentum while continuing to represent his city both inside and outside the ring.
The June 6 matchup gives fans another chance to watch one of Newark’s most promising young athletes as he continues his climb in the sport.
"I definitely want to be a world champion, unified world champion, multiple weight class world champion, undisputed world champion, just on the highest pinnacles of boxing," Cooper added.
