It is with sadness that today we got the news that Former Heavyweight Contender ‘Smokin’ Bert Cooper had passed away aged 53 from pancreatic cancer.

Cooper had twice fought for the heavyweight world title, remembered also as the man who nearly upset the odds of beating Evander Holyfield, becoming the first man to drop ‘The Real Deal’

Starting off his career under the guidance of Philadelphia legend Joe Frazier he famously quit on his stool against George Foreman before testing positive for cocaine.

Cooper retired in 2002 but would return eight years later with victories over Corey Winfield and Gabe Brown before three losses followed, one to current heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz that led to his second retirement in 2012 with a record of 38-25, (31 KOs).