Cooper vs Kongo: Two of Ekow Essuman's vanquished foes look to bounce back
Boxers all have something in common. Bravery to step into the ring, grit to remain in it, the willingness to hurt their opponents and be hurt themselves.
Owen Cooper and Chris Kongo share another similarity, with the pair having been defeated by Ekow Essuman; Kongo lost to Essuman by majority decision in 2023, Cooper by technical knockout in the tenth round a year later.
Now, the pair face each other on the undercard of Anthony Cacace's bout with Leigh Wood this weekend at the Motorpoint Arena in a ten-round welterweight contest live on DAZN.
Chris Kongo regaining form after Ekow Essuman loss
There is more between the two men than being beaten by a common opponent. Both went into their bouts with Essuman in a bid for titles; Kongo was aiming to take the British and Commonwealth titles off his opponent while defending the WBC international silver strap. Cooper had the chance to earn the WBO European belt.
Kongo started strongly in his bout in 2023, winning most of the early rounds. That kept him in contention against the favoured Essuman.
Essuman stepped it up down the stretch, showcasing enough to swing a tight majority decision his way. One judge scored it a draw of 114-114, another opting for 115-114, while a third went 116-113, highlighting how far Kongo had pushed the reigning champion.
After a year out, Kongo would be thrown straight back into a title fight. He faced the Albanian Florian Marku for the IBO's inter-continental welterweight belt, earning a unanimous decision to take the strap home.
Aiming for big fights by moving to super welterweight, Kongo fought twice more in 2024 with points wins over fellow Jacob Quinn and John Henry Mosquera, the latter a journeyman with a record of 5-21-1 at just 22 years of age.
Despite earning a belt from the IBO, Kongo remains outside of the title picture for the regional belts with the main organisations in boxing. However, victory over Cooper could provide enough momentum for Kongo to return to the conversation.
Owen Cooper looking to put Ekow Essuman defeat behind him
Owen Cooper has yet to move on from his loss to Essuman, with the defeat his most-recent bout. Despite the stoppage loss, Cooper acquitted himself well against his opponent.
Initially knocked down in the 6th, Cooper rallied to secure a knockdown of his own in the 9th, sending Essuman to the canvas. However, Essuman finished strongly, knocking down Cooper in the 10th before stopping him.
At just 24, the first defeat of Cooper's professional career should not be too hard a setback to overcome. His upcoming opponent, Kongo, has shown that one loss does not completely halt a career, having once returned to regional title contention following his loss to highly rated Michael McKinnon in 2021.
Cooper will look to reinvent himself – and his career – by stepping up to the 156-pound mark for the first time.
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