Jimmy Cooper is a featherweight destined for big things, says trainer

Jimmy Cooper is a towering young featherweight looking to make a name for himself under trainer Peter Sims.

Featherweights generally don't come along at 6ft tall, so Cooper (1-0-1) literally has a head start on a lot of his competition.

The 23-year-old from Hampshire made some notable noise during his amateur career and having overcome injuries since turning professional, now looks ready to start climbing the paid ranks under trainer Peter Sims.

Sims told Sky Sports: "Jimmy was an England international. He boxed Mitchell Smith (who was named Best Young Boxer in Britain in 2015) in the amateurs and beat him. He also traded victories with Reece Bellotti, who's another good young fighter coming up.

"It's pretty unusual for a 9st kid to be as tall as that. The reach is massive and he's quite heavy-handed to go with it.

It's pretty unusual for a 9st kid to be as tall as that. The reach is massive and he's quite heavy-handed to go with it.

"He lives in Southampton and he's had a couple of fights now. He had a draw, which was his first fight in about two years. Then he boxed another kid called Dave Leo and beat him but hurt his hand so he's just coming back off a few months out.

"On October 17, he's fighting a kid called Joe Beeden, who Bellotti stopped in the first round with a body shot. Leo beat him as well so it's a good test for Jimmy to see where he is.

Cooper, who is the nephew of former British light-middleweight champion Gary Cooper, added: "All of my family boxed so I knew from a young age I'd get in to it. I can punch and I've always found boxing and movement easy. I boxed for my uncle's club initially and went from there.

"It's hard going away from home but boxing's a hard game. Being far away from my family, mates and girlfriend, I'm under less pressure to go down the pub with my mates and I'm in a boxing atmosphere focusing on my training.

"Peter is like a father figure to me. He took me in and the stuff I've picked up in just a short amount of time is unbelievable. He's taught me loads and it's clever how he does it. He names punches after fighters and then calls out that fighter during sparring and fights so you know which punch to throw."