If you prefer your boxers loud and in your face, Shervantaigh Koopman isn’t your guy.
If you prefer them to mangle their opponents with one-shot power, he isn’t your guy either.
However, if you appreciate a cold-hearted assassin with surgical fighting skills, you’d probably enjoy Koopman.
Quiet and unheralded, he keeps to himself. Yet he ranks among South Africa’s very best boxers, able to go through the gears with a variety of skills that will be tested this weekend.
On Saturday he headlines a Golden Gloves bill at Emperors Palace, fighting for his first world title. As tests go, Uisma Lima might be the biggest he has faced.
Koopman has laid waste to the local scene, dominating every opponent placed in front of him. And last October he stepped up against rugged Brandon Cook, a feisty Canadian who once challenged for a world title.
That night at Emperors Palace, under the bright lights and amid a roaring crowd, Koopman was tested like never before. The opening round was a storm. Cook came out swinging, knocking Koopman down twice in a brutal flurry. But instead of folding, Koopman rose.
He returned the favour with a knockdown of his own, turning the tide with a vicious body shot and a slashing right hand that opened a gash on Cook’s forehead. By the fifth round, the referee had seen enough. Koopman had not only survived the fire, he had walked through it.
It was a gut check of the highest order and proved he is the real deal.
‘That kid can fight,’ marvelled veteran promoter Rodney Berman. Two years ago he matched him with top prospect Brandon Thysse, expecting Koopman to be pushed all the way. Instead, the Primrose fighter took Thysse to school, pounding him to defeat in the eighth round.
This weekend’s opponent hails from Africa, but fights out of Portugal. Lima was born in Angola, but left with his family aged eight. They were in search of a better life.
Having claimed the IBO belt in his last fight, he’s become a local hero, more so given that Portugal is hardly renowned for its boxing scene.
Koopman, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the country’s most electrifying prospects in the junior middleweight division (or super welterweight as the IBO prefers).
His journey to prominence has been anything but ordinary. Known for his calm demeanour outside the ring and explosive style within it, Koopman has steadily built an undefeated record, punctuated by a string of high-stakes victories that have caught the attention of the global boxing community. It was his unforgettable clash with Cook that truly announced his arrival on the world stage.
Reflecting on the bout, Koopman said, ‘People wanted to know about me. Do I have the heart to fight? This was the perfect opponent. I fought fire with fire.’
That gritty performance earned him the IBO Intercontinental title and a surge in global rankings.
Behind the scenes, his rise has been carefully guided by a tight-knit team. Trained by Vusi Mtolo and supported by his father Charlton, Koopman has honed a style that blends technical precision with punishing power.
Berman has been instrumental in charting his path, and now, with the backing of boxing legend Lennox Lewis and his Lion Promotions, Koopman’s career is poised for international lift-off.
On Saturday he headlines ‘The Coronation’ at Emperors Palace. Lima, fit and raw-boned, stands in his way and won’t be easily overcome.
But if history is any guide, Koopman won’t be fazed by the moment. ‘He’s met every challenge,’ says Berman of his prize 15-0 pupil. ‘He thrives under pressure, which is a great quality in this sport.’
It’s been a brutal camp, but Koopman thrives on the grind.
‘My job is to be 100 percent fit and ready,’ he says. ‘The rest, I leave to my team.’
The junior middleweight division is awash with stars, none bigger than Terence Crawford, Sebastian Fundora and Vergil Ortiz. This is the party Koopman is determined to crash, and he will move closer with victory on Saturday.
The secret’s out. Shervantaigh Koopman isn’t just South Africa’s best-kept secret – he’s boxing’s next big problem.
📺 Live on SuperSport Action from 6.45pm Saturday.
