Leon Cooney is a professional boxer from Liverpool, England. His passion for boxing began at a young age, when he trained at West Wirral ABC. There, he developed his skills and discipline as a schoolboy boxer. Over the years, Leon Cooney demonstrated a relentless work ethic, emerging as a standout amateur, becoming a five-time regional champion and national champion, and eventually earning a gold medal for England at the Three-Nations tournament.
By 2022, Leon Cooney had made the transition into professional boxing. He achieved this without the immediate support of a national squad or major promoter. As a result, he faced the financial and logistical hurdles that many young professionals encounter.
Early in his career his earnings depended heavily on ticket sales, and he often had to cover substantial costs for medical checks, licensing, and travel. Despite these barriers, he secured five consecutive wins as a professional and established himself as a talent to pay attention to.
When he is not training or competing, Mr. Cooney often goes wild camping, which he finds particularly relaxing. He also enjoys wild swimming, as the cold water exposure helps him to recover from the stress of training.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I wake up and go the gym each morning to work on boxing skills or fitness/sparring depending on what day of the week it is. Once training is finished, I will come home, have a meal to refuel and make sure I rest. In the evening, I will go for run, which can be sprints, longer distance or hill work. I will then have another meal following my second workout of the day before bed.
How do you bring ideas to life?
When my coaches and I discuss a new idea for a specific tactic we could use in a bout, there are several steps we will take in order to take it from concept to applying it in the ring. Firstly, we will drill any ideas on the pads. We initially start at reduced speed to make sure we are getting the mechanics of the technique correct, before gradually increasing the intensity and building towards putting different techniques together at full speed. I will then drill these ideas on the heavy bag while my coaches observe and give feedback on ways that I can refine things. Finally, I will introduce what we have drilled into sparring against an opponent. It is at this point it becomes clearer whether the idea is something that will be beneficial.
What’s one trend that excites you?
The increased involvement of Turki Alalshikh in boxing, particularly the new ideas and structures that he is trying to implement to make sure that we get to see the very best fights possible. He is also willing to give boxers who previously would have been overlooked a chance on the biggest stage.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Daily yoga and meditation provide me with a clear mind and enables me to properly focus on the important tasks for the day ahead.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Use your brain to make choices based on logic rather than acting on emotion. In the ring, it is hard to follow a game plan and tactics when you are fuelled purely on emotion. You should always enter a fight with a clear focus on the job that needs to be done
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
As I have mentioned above, I find daily mediation extremely beneficial. This is something that can be done at home by anybody and doesn’t take up too much time out of your day. It also doesn’t require the need for any expensive equipment.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I really enjoy wild swimming and wild camping in North Wales. Being in the outdoors helps me to relax and refocus.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I use what is called Active Recovery in order to aid my recovery following training. This strategy has been very beneficial to my development as a boxer, as it has a massive impact on how often I am able to train at high intensity. Elements of Active Recovery, such as cold-water exposure will help aches and pains and reduce their impact on the next training session, as well as boosting my immune system which reduces the chances of missing training days through illness.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Fitness tracker software to record data from my workouts. I can use this to track progress and adapt my training regimen accordingly. It also allows me with goal-setting and to keep a check on my targets quickly and easily.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
The Paddy and the Prince. The book talks about Prince Naseem’s rise to becoming World Champion. I have always appreciated both his style and attitude toward boxing. Everything seemed to come so easy to him, and he always remained composed and relaxed.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I really enjoy Peaky Blinders. The main character and leader is always one step ahead of his opponents in his thinking and his planning.
Key learnings
- Structure and routine is important.
- Use your brain to think and don’t act on emotion.
- Be willing to take advice and constructive criticism and use it to your advantage.