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(MAY 14) LAS VEGAS-IFBA flyweight champion Melinda Cooper moved up to junior
featherweight to tangle with Mexico's Lina Ramirez (3-2-1), a tall
122-pounder.
It was no contest. Cooper still won.
Cooper tested Ramirez's speed and found it less than sterling as she banged
punches to the body while deftly avoiding counters at the Plaza Hotel on
Friday.
The fight was originally scheduled for six rounds, but due to television
needs, the fight was dropped to a mere four rounds.
"If she had six rounds, no doubt she would have stopped her," said James
Pena, Cooper's trainer and manager.
Ramirez never stopped trying to land her big punches. But they were too wide
and too slow. In the second, a good right hand caught Cooper almost
accidentally. No matter, Cooper countered and slipped every blow fired by
the much taller Mexican fighter.
Cooper opened the third round with a one-two combination that snapped
Ramirez head back. A lead right followed by a left hook had the Mexican
fighter teetering, but two minutes was not enough for Cooper to finish her.
"I almost knocked her out," said Cooper (15-0, 9 KOs). "She was bigger than
me, but I didn't feel it because she was always moving away from me."
It was a near flawless display of Cooper's boxing skills.
"I worked on a lot of things that I learned in the gym," said Cooper who
rarely was hit with a punch.
The judges scored it unanimously for Cooper, 40-35, 40-36 twice.
Recently, Cooper has picked up some endorsements and the support has given
her more confidence.
"It feels good to have them supporting me," said Cooper, who is as shy out
of the ring as she is aggressive in the ring. "I want to win the 115-pound
world title now."
Cooper will relinquish the IFBA flyweight title and now seeks a match
against Elena "Baby Doll" Reid or Mariana Juarez.
"She's ready for anybody," said Pena. "She'll knock out Elena Reid."
Earlier in the year Cooper said she wanted to retire. But the recent
endorsements have reinvigorated her.
"Now I want to make history," she said.
At the Plaza fight card was Laila Ali sitting in the front row for Cooper's
fight. Also in the audience was Layla McCarter. Both have fights coming up
in June.
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