IT was a memorable evening for Worcester's very own Owen Cooper as he showed all his quality to beat Eithan James to claim both the European and English WBO Welterweight belts in Birmingham on Saturday.

Cooper, who trains at DP Boxing in Worcester, produced a "masterclass" according to the BT Sport commentators before James' corner pulled him from the fight at the end of the ninth round.

The 23-year-old went after his previously unbeaten opponent from the first bell and produced a series of hefty blows that eventually left James' corner no option but to call an end to the fight and spark emotional scenes between Cooper and his team.

Cooper, now fighting under famous promoter Frank Warren and Queensbury Promotions, was also well-backed by a large number of supporters, most of which from his old boxing club, Worcester City ABC.

Worcester News: Owen Cooper with his team after the fightOwen Cooper with his team after the fight (Image: Owen Cooper)

And he paid tribute to all those who backed him on the night as part of the Magnificent 7 event.

"As always, I want to start off by saying thank you to every single person who purchased tickets," he said on Facebook.

"Last night we took our biggest crowd to date and I hope we can continue to grow. Thank you to everyone that has messaged me as well, I will get round to replying to you all.

"Thank you to my team Malcolm Melvin and Darren Hunter for being there day in day out for the last 11 weeks and getting me physically and mentally ready for the biggest fight of my career.

"Thank you to my manager Errol Johnson BCB Promotions and my promoter Frank Warren for giving me the opportunity to fight on such a huge show.

"Last night is a night that I will remember for the rest of my life."

Cooper remains unbeaten in his professional career, with 10 wins (4 KOs) and looks set to push on to even bigger accolades.