Hundreds of spectators were left stunned after a teen wrestler was the victim of a heinous sucker punch from an opponent following a match at Oak Park River Forest High School earlier this month.
Now, that wrestler’s family is planning to press charges against the other teen, while trying to cope with the aftermath of an incident that was captured on camera.
The developmental wrestling tournament was proceeding as planned when Cooper Corder’s match ended on April 8. As he went to shake his opponent’s hand, the other teen unleashed a vicious punch, hitting Corder square in the face and sending him sprawling to the mat.
“My nose was bleeding. My lip started swelling up,” Cooper said. “My septum was moved a little bit.”
A video on the website The Wrestling Spot went viral, showing Cooper’s mom Jillian Hill rushing to his side.
“I was deeply concerned, because I wasn’t sure if he was knocked out or concussed,” she said. “I was just concerned that there was so much blood.”
The family documented the attack, but initially they did not plan to press charges. Days later, the family changed their minds and contacted police in suburban Oak Park.
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Cooper says that his good fortune, and the fact things could have easily been a lot worse, helped change their minds.
“I slowly started to realize how lucky I was, but if someone was less lucky, it could have ended his whole career,” he said. “
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Jillian says the video is “very disturbing,” and says that the decision to press charges is also meant to empower her son.
“I wanted to make sure Cooper had a voice in this situation,” she said.
Cooper, a wrestler with hundreds of medals, is now recovering from his injuries, and hopes to someday compete at the collegiate, or even Olympic, level.
“I want to do great things,” he said. “I devoted my life to the sport, and I want to accomplish many great things.”
Police in Oak Park say that they are continuing to investigate, and that all parties have been cooperative during that process.
