Yoell Cooper, 18, is a rising boxing prospect with a rigorous daily routine of school, conditioning, and evening training.
Cooper’s passion for boxing was passed down from his grandfather and father, who introduced him to the sport at a young age.
Competing at Prudential Center in Newark, where Cooper lives and goes to school, holds deep personal significance for the young fighter.
Rumble young man, rumble!
As boxing continues to wrestle with the balance between promotion and professionalism, Yoell “Boy Boy The Butcher” Cooper is taking a decidedly old-school approach. The rising prospect recently sat down with BOSSIP to discuss discipline, dedication, and the preparation behind his upcoming hometown bout.
Source: Courtesy of Yoell Cooper
The Newark native is quickly emerging as one of the sport’s most promising young prospects. With nearly 100 amateur bouts, multiple national championships, and a first-round knockout in his professional debut already on his résumé, Cooper has established himself as a rising boxing dynamo fueled by discipline, determination, and daily dedication.
Ahead of his June 6 return to Prudential Center, Cooper told BOSSIP about balancing high school and professional boxing, the support system behind his success, and the goals he hopes to accomplish before the end of the year.
According to the 18-year-old, boxing has always been part of his story.
“I heard my grandpa loved boxing as well,” Cooper told BOSSIP. “Sadly, I never got the chance to meet him, but I already loved boxing too, so I feel like that passion was kind of passed down to me.”
Source: Courtesy of Yoell Cooper
His father regularly watched boxing at home and introduced the sport to both him and his sister at an early age.
“Just growing up around that environment, it felt natural,” he said. “It felt like it was meant to be. That’s really how I got into boxing. And once I started, I loved it immediately.”
That passion now fuels a rigorous routine built around what Cooper calls the essentials: school, sweat, and sacrifice.
Cooper told BOSISP he wakes up around 5:30 a.m. for strength and conditioning sessions with coach Eddie Germaine before heading to school. After classes end in the afternoon, he spends a few hours completing schoolwork and recovering before returning to the gym for evening boxing training.
The demanding schedule has become second nature for the elite young athlete, who balances homework and heavy hands with a level of discipline that belies his age and his forthcoming high school graduation.
Training camp for his June 6 bout has followed a similar pattern.
“Training camp has been great,” Cooper told BOSSIP. “The big fight at the Prudential Center is on June 6, and everything has been going well. My weight’s been good. We’ve got a couple more pounds to cut, but overall things have been smooth. Sparring has been great, training has been great, and I’m excited. I can’t wait to fight.”
Source: Courtesy of Yoell Cooper
Behind every successful fighter is a team of supporters who’ve helped him along the way.
“I’d say my dad, of course,” Cooper told BOSSIP. “He’s my coach and my dad, and it’s amazing having him in both roles.”
He also credits his mother, sister, coaches, and extended family members for encouraging his journey.
While his accomplishments inside the ring have attracted attention, Cooper believes people connect most with the authenticity of his story and his commitment to staying grounded despite his growing profile.
“I think people connect with it because it’s real,” he told BOSSIP. “Nothing about it feels fake or forced.”
Unlike many athletes whose careers eventually take them away from their hometowns, Cooper remains deeply connected to Newark.
“I’m an 18-year-old kid from Newark, New Jersey, still in high school and already fighting professionally,” he said. “I still live in Newark, still go to school there. I’m really from here.”
That hometown connection makes competing at Prudential Center especially meaningful.
The venue hosted his professional debut in April, an experience Cooper described as unforgettable. For the Newark native, hearing the roar of the crowd inside New Jersey’s biggest arena was the culmination of years of focus, family support, and fighting spirit.
“Your professional debut only happens once, and I feel like mine was incredible,” Cooper told BOSSIP. “The lights, the crowd. I could hear everybody roaring before I even walked out. That feeling was crazy.”
Now, he is preparing for another opportunity to perform in front of his hometown supporters.
“It means everything to me,” Cooper said of fighting in Newark. “I love fighting in front of my city because my family and friends can come out and support me.”
He added that representing Newark carries a responsibility that extends beyond boxing.
“The youth can see me, people from the city can see me, and it just means a lot representing where I’m from,” he said.
Looking ahead, Cooper’s goals for the remainder of 2026 are ambitious but straightforward. In addition to graduating from high school, he hopes to remain active in the ring and continue building momentum as a professional fighter.
“I want to continue making statements and having exciting victories,” Cooper told BOSSIP, noting that by the end of the year, he hopes to have four or five professional fights under his belt while maintaining an undefeated record. “”I want to be 4-0 or 5-0 before the year is over,” he said. “More than anything, I just want to keep evolving and getting better.”
Source: Courtesy of Yoell Cooper
Ultimately, Cooper remains focused on the fundamentals. Between early-morning workouts, afternoon classes, and evening training sessions, the Newark native is steadily building the foundation for what he hopes will be a long and successful professional career.
