WORCESTER’S newest boxing champion kept his promise to his ‘best friend and biggest supporter’ by taking his newly-won belt to his devoted friend’s grave.
Owen Cooper delivered on his heartfelt vow to Marlon Vella after winning the welterweight belt in Telford last month.
Just hours after his triumph in the ring, the 22-year-old joined Marlon’s father Lal at Marlon’s grave with his new belt.
Marlon, who owned VellaCutz barber shop, died in a motorbike crash on Primsland Way, Droitwich, on April 27, 2020.
And Owen said best friend Marlon, aged just 21, acted as a huge motivation for wanting to bring home the belt.
Owen described Marlon as a ‘massive part of his life’, adding they supported each other in and out of the ring.
He said: “We found out about the fight around seven weeks before, and I immediately went to visit Marlon and promised I’d win the bout and bring the belt to him.
“I wanted to win for him as much as anything, if it didn’t come off I’d have felt I’d let him down.
“He really motivated me to get through the training and it helped to have a reason behind what I was doing.
“When I won the fight he was the first thing on my mind, the win was very bittersweet, it was a great feeling but in the same breath, I began thinking of what could have been so it was tough.”
Owen claimed the crown after beating Jamie Stewart by a points decision in his big title fight at the Telford International Centre.
Owen had around 200 people join him in Telford to share his big moment with him and he said it was a ‘great feeling’ to have his loved ones watching him there and on the TV at home.
He now has his eyes set on winning a British or international title within the next two years- with his friends, family and Marlon as motivation.
“We’ve always had it in our head we’d like to win a bigger title in the near future, we want to keep moving forward and progressing and having so much support will help me on my way,” the champion added.
