Jason Cook (boxer)
Encyclopedia
Jason Cook is a professional boxer
, who fights under the nickname "The Power". As an amateur, he won a silver medal for Wales at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. As a professional, he has fought as a lightweight
, and has won both the European
and IBO championships at the weight. He currently campaigns at Light-Welterweight, and fights out of Fight Academy Wales gym in Llanharan, South Wales under the guidance of professional coach Darren Wilson.
(57 kg) class at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. Cook's results were:
defeat at the hands of Trevor Smith. After the bout, Cook said "He clipped me with an overhand left and though I got up at six or seven, I was in no state to continue; the referee did the right thing."
After a nine-month lay-off, Cook returned to the ring to defeat Darren Woodley via a fourth-round knockout. Victories over journeymen
David Hinds and Peter Buckley
led to Cook receiving a shot at the vacant Welsh Area light welterweight
title. On 11 December 1999, Cook won the vacant title with a first-round knockout of Woody Greenaway. Victories over Harry Butler, Andrei Sinepupov, Keith Jones, Assen Vassilev, and Dariusz Snarski followed, before a prison
sentence momentarily ended Cook's boxing career.
whilst working as a postman and was jailed for 15 months. Throughout his sentence, Cook kept himself in good shape and continued training on a punching bag
that was supplied for him. Cook served a total of six months in prison with a further two months wearing an electronic tag.
n Nono Junior. He followed this with point's victories over Russia
ns Andrey Devyataykin and Viktor Baranov. On 23 July 2002, following the withdrawal of Bobby Vanzie, Cook was offered the chance to fight Sandro Casamonica
in Italy
for the vacant European lightweight title.
Ten days later, on 2 August 2002, Cook produced an upset by defeating Casamonica via a third-round knockout. Cook had started well winning the opening two rounds but was floored in the 3rd. As Casamonica moved in to finish the fight, he was hit with a left hook
that brought an end the fight. After the bout a jubilant Cook said "It’s like a dream; my life has changed, it still hasn’t sunk in. That was the best punch I’ve thrown in my life, and it came when I most needed it. I’m ecstatic; I’m walking around on a cloud."
Cook's first defence of the title was against Frenchman
Nasser Lakrib on 26 October 2002. Lakrib was stopped in the 5th round, in a fight which was held in Cook's hometown of Maesteg. Cook's next defence of the title was against Stefano Zoff
, who he went on to defeat via a split point's decision. Despite the victory, Cook lost his European title before the bout when he failed to make the 135 lb lightweight limit.
Ariel Olveira for the vacant IBO lightweight title. Cook defeated Olveira by a 7th-round stoppage, after the Argentine's cornerman threw in the towel. Cook's first defence of the title was against reigning commonwealth
champion Kevin Bennett on 1 May 2004. Cook outboxed Bennett to claim a close but unanimous points decision.
On 5 November 2004, Cook was scheduled to face South Africa
n Phillip Ndou
in defence of his IBO title. However, on 21 October 2004, Ndou retired suddenly after a brain scan revealed a slight abnormality. Ndou had previously challenged Floyd Mayweather Jr.
for the WBC
lightweight title. A disappointed Cook said of the proposed bout "It would have been a great fight, I was thinking it could have been the British version of Hagler-Hearns. I might have had to pick myself off the canvas in that one but I'd have definitely come back and eventually prevailed."
The late replacement for Ndou was Argentinian Aldo Rios, who went on to stop Cook in the 3rd round. Cook had started the fight well but was floored in the 3rd by a straight right hand, and a follow up attack from Rios forced referee
Richard Davies to stop the contest. Following the bout Cook said "I took things a bit easy and got caught cold more than anything...This may have been a step too far, but I'll be back." Rios had previously lost to Ricky Hatton
by knockout in a challenge for the WBU
light welterweight title.
and could not continue. In September, 2006, after pulling out of a fight with Giuseppe Lauri for the vacant European light welterweight title, Cook announced his retirement from boxing.
On his decision Cook said "It's time for me to go now. I've had so much trouble with the shoulder over the years and tendonitis
in an ankle which flares up when I do roadwork that I can't carry on at the top level. If I was going to fight four, or six-rounders, it might be OK, but life as a journeyman is not for me."
From the opening bell, Cook looked comfortable and slick and dominated the early rounds. Cook had Dawes visibly hurt in the 1st round, forcing Dawes to hold on to the Maesteg boxer to spare further punishment. After building up an early lead on the judges’ scorecards and cutting Dawes, Cook began to tire and Dawes came back into the fight, having Cook in trouble in the 11th and 12th rounds. One judge awarded it 115-114 to Cook; one awarded it 115-114 to Dawes, with the other scoring it 114-114. The bout was declared a draw and Dawes regained his title. The gutsy performance by Cook moved him up the European and Commonwealth Light-Welterweight rankings
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, who fights under the nickname "The Power". As an amateur, he won a silver medal for Wales at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. As a professional, he has fought as a lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
, and has won both the European
European Boxing Union
The European Boxing Union is an organization that oversees competition in that sport over the continent of Europe.-History:The EBU started life as the International Boxing Union in Paris in 1910...
and IBO championships at the weight. He currently campaigns at Light-Welterweight, and fights out of Fight Academy Wales gym in Llanharan, South Wales under the guidance of professional coach Darren Wilson.
Amateur career
Cook had a total of 86 amateur contests, winning 66. He won a silver medal in the featherweightFeatherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
(57 kg) class at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. Cook's results were:
- Defeated Francis Passingan (Papua New GuineaPapua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
) points - Defeated Daniel Attah (NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
) points - Defeated Hassan Matumla (TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
) points - Lost to Casey PattonCasey PattonCasey Patton is a retired boxer from Canada. He is a five time Canadian champion who competed in the featherweight Casey Patton (born November 21, 1974 in London, Ontario) is a retired boxer from Canada. He is a five time Canadian champion who competed in the featherweight Casey Patton (born...
(CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) points
Professional career
Cook's professional boxing career began in October 1996, with a second-round stoppage of Brian Robb. After winning he next four bouts, Cook suffered a setback with a first-round knockoutKnockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
defeat at the hands of Trevor Smith. After the bout, Cook said "He clipped me with an overhand left and though I got up at six or seven, I was in no state to continue; the referee did the right thing."
After a nine-month lay-off, Cook returned to the ring to defeat Darren Woodley via a fourth-round knockout. Victories over journeymen
Journeyman (sports)
A journeyman or journeywoman is an athlete or professional sports player who is technically competent, but unable to excel. In certain parts of the world the term has less negative connotations and the inability to excel is not needed for a player to be labelled thus.-Definitions:Alexandra Allred...
David Hinds and Peter Buckley
Peter Buckley (boxer)
Peter Buckley is a retired English journeyman boxer in the Welterweight division.Although he most commonly fought in the Welterweight division, he has competed at a number of weight divisions up and down on either side.-Pro career:Buckley turned pro in October 1989, when he fought at the...
led to Cook receiving a shot at the vacant Welsh Area light welterweight
Light welterweight
-Professional boxing:The light welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
title. On 11 December 1999, Cook won the vacant title with a first-round knockout of Woody Greenaway. Victories over Harry Butler, Andrei Sinepupov, Keith Jones, Assen Vassilev, and Dariusz Snarski followed, before a prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
sentence momentarily ended Cook's boxing career.
Prison sentence
In 2001, Cook was found guilty of credit card fraudCredit card fraud
Credit card fraud is a wide-ranging term for theft and fraud committed using a credit card or any similar payment mechanism as a fraudulent source of funds in a transaction. The purpose may be to obtain goods without paying, or to obtain unauthorized funds from an account. Credit card fraud is also...
whilst working as a postman and was jailed for 15 months. Throughout his sentence, Cook kept himself in good shape and continued training on a punching bag
Punching bag
A punching bag or punch-bag is a sturdy bag designed to be repeatedly punched. It's used for conditioning, physical exercise, and stress relief...
that was supplied for him. Cook served a total of six months in prison with a further two months wearing an electronic tag.
Comeback and European title
Cook returned to the ring on 18 March 2002, with a first-round knockout victory over AlbaniaAlbania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n Nono Junior. He followed this with point's victories over Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns Andrey Devyataykin and Viktor Baranov. On 23 July 2002, following the withdrawal of Bobby Vanzie, Cook was offered the chance to fight Sandro Casamonica
Sandro Casamonica
Sandro Casamonica is a professional boxer from Italy, who won the bronze medal in the featherweight division at the 1989 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Athens, Greece...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
for the vacant European lightweight title.
Ten days later, on 2 August 2002, Cook produced an upset by defeating Casamonica via a third-round knockout. Cook had started well winning the opening two rounds but was floored in the 3rd. As Casamonica moved in to finish the fight, he was hit with a left hook
Hook (boxing)
A hook is a punch in boxing. It is performed by turning the core muscles and back, thereby swinging the arm, which is bent at an angle near or at 90 degrees, in a horizontal arc into the opponent...
that brought an end the fight. After the bout a jubilant Cook said "It’s like a dream; my life has changed, it still hasn’t sunk in. That was the best punch I’ve thrown in my life, and it came when I most needed it. I’m ecstatic; I’m walking around on a cloud."
Cook's first defence of the title was against Frenchman
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Nasser Lakrib on 26 October 2002. Lakrib was stopped in the 5th round, in a fight which was held in Cook's hometown of Maesteg. Cook's next defence of the title was against Stefano Zoff
Stefano Zoff
Stefano Zoff is an Italian lightweight boxer from Monfalcone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.-External links:...
, who he went on to defeat via a split point's decision. Despite the victory, Cook lost his European title before the bout when he failed to make the 135 lb lightweight limit.
IBO title
On 8 November 2003, Cook fought ArgentinianArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Ariel Olveira for the vacant IBO lightweight title. Cook defeated Olveira by a 7th-round stoppage, after the Argentine's cornerman threw in the towel. Cook's first defence of the title was against reigning commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
champion Kevin Bennett on 1 May 2004. Cook outboxed Bennett to claim a close but unanimous points decision.
On 5 November 2004, Cook was scheduled to face South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Phillip Ndou
Phillip Ndou
Phillip Ndou is a South African retired professional boxer. He had an excellent knockout percentage, with a record of 31-3 . He was forced into early retirement when he collapsed after a loss to Isaac Hlatshwayo...
in defence of his IBO title. However, on 21 October 2004, Ndou retired suddenly after a brain scan revealed a slight abnormality. Ndou had previously challenged Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr. is an American professional boxer. He is a five-division world champion, where he has won seven world titles, as well as the lineal championship in three different weight classes...
for the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
lightweight title. A disappointed Cook said of the proposed bout "It would have been a great fight, I was thinking it could have been the British version of Hagler-Hearns. I might have had to pick myself off the canvas in that one but I'd have definitely come back and eventually prevailed."
The late replacement for Ndou was Argentinian Aldo Rios, who went on to stop Cook in the 3rd round. Cook had started the fight well but was floored in the 3rd by a straight right hand, and a follow up attack from Rios forced referee
Referee (boxing)
The referee in the boxing is the individual charged with enforcing the rules of that sport during a match.-The role of the referee:Referees have the following roles:*Gives instructions to both boxers before the fight...
Richard Davies to stop the contest. Following the bout Cook said "I took things a bit easy and got caught cold more than anything...This may have been a step too far, but I'll be back." Rios had previously lost to Ricky Hatton
Ricky Hatton
Richard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a former British professional boxer, and currently a promoter....
by knockout in a challenge for the WBU
World Boxing Union
The World Boxing Union is a boxing sanctioning body.Until recently it was fully recognised by the British Boxing Board of Control as a legitimate sanctioning body.WBU titles were particularly well recognised in Europe and Africa....
light welterweight title.
Retirement
On 25 November 2005, over a year after his last fight, Cook returned to the ring to face Gary Reid. Cook won the bout via disqualification after he was hit with a low blowLow Blow
Low Blow is an album by Victor Bailey released in 1999. "Graham Cracker" is a tribute to Larry Graham.-Track listing:# "Low Blow" – 3:11# "Sweet Tooth" – 5:58# "City Living" – 6:11# "Do You Know Who/Continuum" – 5:17...
and could not continue. In September, 2006, after pulling out of a fight with Giuseppe Lauri for the vacant European light welterweight title, Cook announced his retirement from boxing.
On his decision Cook said "It's time for me to go now. I've had so much trouble with the shoulder over the years and tendonitis
Tendonitis
Tendinitis , meaning inflammation of a tendon , is a type of tendinopathy often confused with the more common tendinosis, which has similar symptoms but requires different treatment...
in an ankle which flares up when I do roadwork that I can't carry on at the top level. If I was going to fight four, or six-rounders, it might be OK, but life as a journeyman is not for me."
Return with Prizefighter
On the 20th of October it was announced that Cook would be returning to the ring as part of Sky Sports Prizefighter series. The Competition will be held at light-welterweight. Also involved in the competition is fellow welshman and former world champion Gavin Rees, a fighter from Enzo Calzaghe's boxing stable. Cook won his first round fight against Michael Grant, as the referee decided to stop the contest on the Doctors orders after Grant suffered a nasty cut. In the Semi-Final stage, Cook lost to Gavin Rees by a unanimoius points decision, with Rees declaring that he was expecting the Final fight against Colin Lynes to be an easyer fight than his Semi-Final against Cook. The brave comeback performance by Cook earned him a shot at the British Light-Welterweight Title against Lenny DawesBritish Title Shot
Jason Cook challenged Lenny Dawes for the British Light-Welterweight Title on the 12th of February 2010 at York Hall, Bethnal Green in London.From the opening bell, Cook looked comfortable and slick and dominated the early rounds. Cook had Dawes visibly hurt in the 1st round, forcing Dawes to hold on to the Maesteg boxer to spare further punishment. After building up an early lead on the judges’ scorecards and cutting Dawes, Cook began to tire and Dawes came back into the fight, having Cook in trouble in the 11th and 12th rounds. One judge awarded it 115-114 to Cook; one awarded it 115-114 to Dawes, with the other scoring it 114-114. The bout was declared a draw and Dawes regained his title. The gutsy performance by Cook moved him up the European and Commonwealth Light-Welterweight rankings
Notable bouts
| Result | Opponent | Type | Rd., Time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss |  Aldo Rios |
TKO | 3 | 5 November 2004 |  HerefordHereford Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
|
| Win | Kevin Bennett |
Decision | 12 | 1 May 2004 |  BridgendBridgend Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town... , Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
|
| Win | Ariel Olveira |
TKO | 7 | 8 November 2003 | Bridgend, Wales |
|
| Win |  Stefano ZoffStefano Zoff Stefano Zoff is an Italian lightweight boxer from Monfalcone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.-External links:... |
Decision | 12 | 25 January 2003 | Bridgend, Wales |
|
| Win |  Nasser Lakrib |
TKO | 5 | 26 October 2002 | Maesteg Maesteg Maesteg is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2001, Maesteg had a population of 17,859, but it is now at an estimate of 20,000.... , Wales |
|
| Win | Sandro Casamonica Sandro Casamonica Sandro Casamonica is a professional boxer from Italy, who won the bronze medal in the featherweight division at the 1989 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Athens, Greece... |
KO | 3 | 2 August 2002 | Calabria Calabria Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro.... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |