By Chris LaBate
In what appears to be a mismatch on paper, Travis Kauffman, 25-years-old, says he won't overlook the danger of 45-year-old heavyweight veteran Bert Cooper. The fight takes place on August 20 at Virginia Beach, Va. Cooper came out of retirement in 2010 and scored a knockout in his return fight. Kauffman was hoping to land an HBO televised fight against Seth Mitchell on August 27th, but the unbeaten prospect reached a deal to face Mike Mollo instead.
"The last thing to go on a fighter is power," Kauffman told The Reading Eagle. "In heavyweight, you're never too old. Look at (Vitali) Klitschko; he's 40. Look at Foreman. Cooper has experience. He's been in there with best of the world, and he definitely can deliver a crack. I have to go in there and be on my A-game."
"He (Cooper) is the past, and I'm the present. He took this fight quickly and might've underestimated me. Bert Cooper might be 40-something years old, but he has a lot of knowledge that you can't teach anyone. He has a winning record, and 90 percent of his wins are knockouts. I can't underestimate him. I have to show what I'm made of."