1 week Ago By Alex Conrad
When Dana Coolwell was just 13, an unthinkable tragedy struck and he was soon presented with two paths in life. In the wake of his father’s shock death, a ‘lost’ Coolwell was sleepwalking down a road he now tries not to think about too much. “I was starting to play up a bit,” Coolwell told talkSPORT.
com. “Being a young fella, I was trying silly things, late nights, testing boundaries.” Those ‘silly things’ included binge drinking at 13 and experimenting with drugs a year later.
But luckily for Coolwell, he managed to steer himself towards the other path, one in which he is now poised to fight in front of 80,000 fans in Texas and millions of viewers watching on Netflix as part of the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul undercard on Friday . “If I hadn’t found boxing, my life would have been very different,” Coolwell said. “But looking where I’m at now, it’s pretty crazy.
I like to take it day-by-day and enjoy the journey as I go.” Coolwell takes on unbeaten American prospect Bruce ‘Shu Shu’ Carrington in a featherweight bout, with the winner likely to be catapulted into the world title picture at 126lbs. The Australian, who hails from Beerwah, a rural town in Queensland with a population of less than 8,000, holds a 13-2 record but is unbeaten at featherweight, as his two losses came in bouts when he had to fight up in weight because there were no willing opponents in his regular division.
Coolwell admits he is ‘trying to keep a level head’ when it comes to fighting in front of a crowd ten times his hometown’s population. “But when I do think about it, I get little goosebumps all over my body,” Coolwell said. “It’s pretty amazing.
” Fighting at AT&T Stadium, the home of NFL juggernauts Dallas Cowboys , is also a far cry from some of the venues Coolwell has previously boxed at, which include local lawn bowls clubs and community halls. It is also an opportunity that Coolwell may not have been able to take on had it not been for generous sponsors who allowed him to leave his job working in a bakery and become a full-time athlete last year. There was also a serious chance the fight could’ve fallen through as Carrington was slated to fight Ugandan featherweight Sulaiman Segawa on September 27.
Such was the fear of the fight against Carrington not going ahead, Coolwell’s team were already planning a fight night back in Australia. Luckily for the Queenslander, Carrington emerged unscathed and beat Segawa via majority decision. However, many in boxing circles were left unconvinced by the American’s display against Segawa.
Although Coolwell couldn’t take too much away from Carrington’s performance given he is orthodox and Segawa is a southpaw, he saw enough to believe his game plan will be successful. “I think he (Carrington) struggles with people that move well, and that’s what Segawa did with his awkwardness,” Coolwell said. “I think I’ll be able to mix a few of my own things in.
But we have our own game plan and he’s got his own style, and styles make fights. In saying that, I believe my style matches up quite well. “So I’ve just got to stick to what I do best, which is box smart and implement my game plan.
” Coolwell has not taken any shortcuts in his preparation for Carrington, having spent the final stages of his camp in Santa Monica, California, where he sparred boxers who employ a ‘Philly shell, American, slick style’. Adam Lopez, Brandon Valdes and unbeaten super-featherweight Marc Castro were all drafted in for sparring rounds with Coolwell, with the trio providing the Aussie with the looks he needed. But on a card as big as this, Coolwell knows the preparation isn’t just limited to the ring.
With millions of eyeballs on this fight, the spotlight will shine brighter than ever before as a media circus awaits Coolwell in Dallas given the star power of Paul and especially Tyson, who the Aussie counts as one of his childhood boxing heroes. However, Coolwell will be able to call on his experience with George Kambosos to help block out the external noise and focus on the task at hand. Coolwell was drafted into Kambosos’ camp as a sparring partner ahead of his first fight against Devin Haney in June 2022, as ‘Ferocious’ attempted to become the undisputed king of the lightweight division.
Although Kambosos fell short in front of 40,000 fans in Melbourne, Coolwell gained vital experience in terms of the levels of preparation required and what it takes to stay level-headed amid a media frenzy. The Beerwah-based boxer has also sparred with IBF super-lightweight champion Liam Paro, future world title challenger Sam Goodman as well as Andrew and Jason Moloney. Coolwell cited Goodman and Paro as the pair who constantly offer their support, with the 25-year-old even sparring the world champion just before he jetted off to California.
But he should expect even more messages of goodwill in the days leading up to the bout given he is Australia’s sole representative on what looms as one of the most-watched boxing cards in history. It’s not just Australia Coolwell is representing, as he is also a proud Mununjali man and has the Aboriginal flag tattooed on his chest. “I’m proud to be an Australian and an Indigenous Australian,” Coolwell said.
“So if there are any young kids who are looking up or looking for an athlete and they can see me in front of a massive crowd on a big stage, hopefully I can inspire the next generation. “I’m proud to be an Australian and represent all Australians on the world stage.” It is a stage that seemed unfathomable when Coolwell was a teenager given the extreme odds he faced to keep his life on the straight and narrow.
But, having already beaten the odds once before, there’s every reason to believe Coolwell can take another giant stride on his current path towards a world title. *If you click on a link in this story we will earn affiliate revenue. There are more than 150 boxing and MMA fights a year on DAZN , and you can get access for less if you sign up now: DAZN currently has the exclusive rights to Eddie Hearn's Matchroom and will have Queensberry’s star-studded stable from April 2025, which includes heavyweight champions Daniel Dubois, Zhilei Zhang, Fabio Wardley and Moses Itauma.
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