Owen’s trainer: we’ll work on three plans to defeat Essuman

Owen Cooper…it’s the big one at Resorts World on July 20

THE countdown has began for Owen Cooper’s mouthwatering clash with former British welter champ Ekow Essuman – and already some are preparing excuses for victory.

Esssuman, they tell me, is on the slide at the aged of 35. He is ripe for the taking.

No doubt that will be the narrative should Worcester wonder Cooper prevail when the pair clash on the huge, July 20 title laden bill at Resorts World, Birmingham.

I don’t buy it. Yes, Nottingham’s Essuman is a veteran, but his record is not that of a man who has lost the magic and menace.

His sole defeat in 20 came last time on points to highly capable and highly unorthodox Harry Scarff. That cost him his Lonsdale and Commonwealth belts and the IBF European crown.

He wasn’t slower or softer. He was outsmarted.

Essuman remains a highly dangerous fighter with a Rolls Royce engine who defended his British title four times.

To become champ, Essuman halted Chris Jenkins and broke two of his ribs along the way. In a battle of big punchers, our own Danny Ball was KOd and suffered a double jaw fracture.

Ekow has caused a lot of carnage in his career.

He’ll know, at 35, another loss would deliver a devastating blow to his days in the big time. It would be a long road back and not a lot of time to make the journey.

He will, therefore, be motivated and burning with desire for the Cooper 10 rounder. Ekow assured me of that when we chatted before the contest was announced. In his own words, he promised to show more venom next time.

Cooper, unbeaten in 10, has caught him at the wrong time, rather than the right time, it could be argued.

The 23-year-old’s trainer Malcolm Melvin is giving claims Essuman is near done and dusted short shrift.

“You’ll never silence the haters,” he told me. “Essuman is going to give it his all. It will be the best Ekow Essuman against the best Owen Cooper. We are very, very confident, they are very, very confident.”

Melvin and Cooper are getting used to their work being under-valued.

Last time out, Owen faced unbeaten Eithan James for the English and WBO European titles – belts that are on the line against Essuman. On paper, it looked a 50-50 scrap, on the night Cooper dominated.

James was almost stopped in the first and took a beating before being pulled out after nine painful rounds.

Cooper looked something special, yet the post-fight talk was dominated by criticism of James “amateurish style”. Conversations were about how disappointing James looked, not how devastating Cooper looked.

That was, to date, Owen’s toughest test. The next one is tougher – and Melvin knows it.

“It’s all absolute respect towards Ekow Essuman and the camp,” he stressed. “They are good people. It’s a fight where we don’t have to bad mouth each other. Essuman is a very good fighter – with him, what you see is what you get.

“But timing is everything in this game and this is the right time for Owen. We asked for this fight months ago, we asked for it before James.

“Owen is maturing well, ticking all the boxes and getting better and better. We’ll have two or three plans and I think Owen beats him in every department.”

Melvin believes he has a fighter who can achieve very big things.

“British and European titles are well within his grasp,” he said. “Anything after that is a bonus. He’s at that level and he’s only going to get better.

“Me and Darren Hunter strive to make him better and better, we take him to the depths, we are trying to make Owen the best he can be.

“He deserves it, he is a joy to train. He’s a likeable lad who doesn’t talk s***e. There are no airs and graces, nothing’s gone to his head.”

Ekow Essuman represents the acid test for Cooper. No doubt if he wins, some critics will claim it was not an acid test at all – the next one’s the real acid test, they’ll say.

That begs the question: how many acid tests does a fighter have to have before he’s recognised as the real deal?

It’s supposed to be only one.