Cook fought against all the odds for the sport he loved

James Cook was known and respected as one of the nicest men in the boxing business on both sides of the ropes.

- STEVE BUNCE

His death on Saturday was greeted with a rare and sincere outpouring of heartfelt messages, genuine love and sorrow. In the modern business of boxing, it is impossible to find anybody with a bad word to say about Cook – he was universally adored.

Cook belonged to a different boxing world, a world where good fighters knew they would seldom get a chance and never get a break. Cook struggled for recognition as a boxer and chased a living away from his Hackney home in fights as the designated loser in Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Finland. He was robbed of money, robbed of decisions, but he kept fighting against all odds.

The motto in boxing is simple and brutal: Have gloves, will travel. Cook was the king of the travelling fighters for a few years in the Eighties. There were signs that he could beat the best prospects and compete with the best fighters, but the truth is that James Cook’s face never fit. “I’m too good-looking for this business,” he joked.

Cook’s win in 1986 over the prospect, Michael Watson, who was unbeaten in seven, is a prime example; Watson was still the star after the loss, Cook still an annoyance. The fight before Watson, Cook had lost in Amsterdam and in the fight after, he lost in France. It was the reality for a lot of invisible boxers.

“It was a tough business back then,” said Cook. “It was hard to get a break and that is why I had to go overseas. I had to earn a living.”