Jean-Pierre Coopman boxer

Jean-Pierre Coopman boxer
bouts
54
won
36
lost
16
draw
2
Status
inactive
Division
heavyweight
Debut
1972-09-29
Height
5′ 11½″/182cm
Reach
-
Age
-
Born
1946-07-11
Death
-
Nationality
Belgium

Jean-Pierre Coopman (born 11 July 1946 in Ingelmunster) is a retired Belgian boxer who is best known for his title fight against Muhammad Ali in 1976 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which Ali won by KO in round 5.Jean-Pierre Coopman was born on 11 July 1946, in the Flemish (northern Belgium) community of Ingelmunster. Early in life, he showed a gift for artistry. He was instructed in sculpting by his stepfather, and Coopman's first fully paid job was as a stone cutter. The stone-cutting he learned from childhood was more specifically that of an artisan. His skills were put to use, among other things, in reparations of the medieval churches of Belgium—most notably, Saint Nicholas' Church in Ghent. By having to perform a kind of historic preservation, using and applying tools from this ancient period, Coopman developed great strength in his arms and hands.In young adulthood, he appears to have been a lover of night-life, but after sparring several times with Gilbert Montagne, a noted Belgian middleweight, Coopman was urged to pursue a ring career, or at least to try. By his own words, once the decision was made, Coopman at least gave up smoking, and cold turkey at that.Though best known in fight circles as an opponent of Muhammad Ali, Coopman had been fighting for a half decade, before being granted his title shot at "The Greatest". He began in the amateur ranks, rising quickly enough to compete in the 1971 European Championships, where he knocked out by a far more experienced (315 fights) Soviet fighter. He turned professional in 1972.Coopman fought his early bouts primarily in Belgium, though he is recorded as having won an early match versus Harald Skog, in Oslo, Norway. Coopman lost (via decision) to Rudie Lubbers of The Netherlands, in 1973. Coopman's earlier record shows a disqualification victory over Terry Daniels, who had also received a title shot during his own career, versus Smokin' Joe Frazier, in January 1972. Despite mixed fortunes, Coopman proved popular with his fellow Belgians, and by 1975, was able to pursue boxing as a full-time career; the company which employed him to sculpt, now paid him to fight, instead.

Date Opponent Last Opponents' Results Place Result
1999-04-05 Freddy De Kerpel LWWWWL Ghent DRAW
Majority decision
1981-05-16 Dragomir Milo Popovic LWWWWW Liege LOST
Technical knockout
1981-04-03 Vincenzo Pesapane LWWWWL Piacenza WIN
Technical knockout
1980-12-25 Pierre Babo Kabassu WWDLLW Izegem LOST
Points
1980-09-29 Rudi Lubbers LLWLWW Energiehal, Rotterdam LOST
Technical knockout
1980-06-27 Albert Syben WWWWLW Sint-Jans-Molenbeek LOST
Points
1980-05-01 Winston Allen LLWLWW Izegem LOST
KO
1980-02-02 Denton Ruddock LWWLLL Turnhout WIN
Points
1979-12-25 Avenamar Peralta LLWLWD Izegem LOST
Points
1979-11-01 George Butzbach WDWWDL Izegem LOST
Points
1978-09-30 Rudy Gauwe WDWWWW Turnhout LOST
Points
1978-09-02 Scotty Welsh WWWWWL Izegem WIN
1978-04-22 Mario Baruzzi WLLLLL La Louviere WIN
Technical knockout
1978-02-11 Santiago Alberto Lovell LWLLLW Liege WIN
Technical knockout
1977-11-26 Alfredo Evangelista WLLWWW Brussels LOST
KO
1977-11-01 Tony Moore LWWWWL Izegem DRAW
Points
1977-09-09 Kurt Luedecke LWLWLW Izegem WIN
Points
1977-05-07 Lucien Rodriguez LLLWWW Antwerpen LOST
Unanimous decision
1977-03-12 Jose Manuel Urtain WLWWWW Sportpaleis, Antwerpen WIN
KO
1977-01-15 Lucien Rodriguez WWLLLW Brussels LOST
Unanimous decision
1976-12-25 Neville Meade LWWLLW Izegem WIN
Unanimous decision
1976-11-20 Roy Wallace LWLLLL Liege WIN
Points
1976-11-01 George Jerome WWLDWL Izegem WIN
KO
1976-10-09 Hennie Thoonen WLLWWW Antwerpen WIN
Technical knockout
1976-05-31 Hennie Thoonen LWLLWW Sportpaleis Ahoy', Rotterdam LOST
1976-05-07 Ba Sounkalo LWWWLW Izegem WIN
Points
1976-02-20 Muhammad Ali WWWWWW Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan LOST
KO
1975-11-01 Lisimo Obutobe LWW Izegem WIN
Technical knockout
1975-10-04 Domingo Silveira LLLLLL Antwerpen WIN
Points
1975-05-17 Terry Daniels LLLLWL Antwerpen WIN
1975-04-12 Karsten Honhold WWLLWL Lauwe WIN
Technical knockout
1975-03-14 Jan Lubbers LLWLLL Brugge WIN
Points
1975-02-21 Adriano Rosati DWLWWW Izegem WIN
Technical knockout
1975-01-17 Charley Green LLLLLL Ghent WIN
KO
1974-12-25 Vasco Faustino LWDLWL Izegem WIN
Points
1974-11-22 Bernd August WWWWDW Ghent WIN
Points
1974-11-01 Lino Finotti WDWDWL Izegem WIN
KO
1974-09-27 Rocky Campbell DLWLWW Turnhout WIN
KO
1974-04-27 Rudi Lubbers WWWWLL Ghent LOST
Points
1974-02-22 Ferenc Kristofcsak LLLLLL Roeselare WIN
1974-01-25 Ireno Werleman LWLLLL Izegem WIN
KO
1973-12-23 Jean Belval L Izegem WIN
Points
1973-11-16 Horst Lang WWLWLL Ghent WIN
KO
1973-11-01 Erwin Josefa LLLWL Izegem WIN
KO
1973-09-08 Juan Rodriguez LDLWLL Izegem WIN
Technical knockout
1973-05-18 Ireno Werleman LLWLLL Izegem LOST
KO
1973-05-05 Ray Philippe WWDWLL Ghent WIN
KO
1973-03-16 Ermanno Festorazzi DLLLLL Ingelmunster WIN
Points
1973-02-16 Gino Martinis WWLWLL Ingelmunster WIN
Points
1973-01-25 Harald Skog W Messehallen, Oslo LOST
Points
1972-12-25 Kilani Ramdani LLDWWW Izegem WIN
Points
1972-12-08 Antonio Rimasti WLLLDL Tournai WIN
KO
1972-11-01 Siegfried Ackers LLLLL Izegem WIN
Technical knockout
1972-09-29 Norbert Suehrig WLWLLL Lauwe WIN
Technical knockout