'Out of the ring, he was fighting another fight'

"They were paying their respects to James Cook, a former British and European super-middleweight champion, who died in June at the age of 66. But they were remembering him as much more than a boxer or a coach. To many, his most memorable fights were against the knives, guns and drugs in a notoriously violent area of the capital and his greatest successes were steering youngsters away from that path, particularly though his work at the Pedro Youth Club that was recognised with an MBE."

"After about 25 amateur fights, losing only six, Cook turned professional. In 1990 he won the British super-middleweight title, followed by the European crown a year later. His final fight came in 1994, when he lost the British title to Cornelius Carr. Cook never won a world title, but he fought among Britain's elite, including Michael Watson, Nigel Benn, Herol Graham."

James Cook died in June at the age of 66 and his funeral in Hackney drew hundreds onto the streets with over 1,000 reportedly at his wake. He was a British and European super-middleweight champion who turned professional after about 25 amateur fights, losing six. He won the British title in 1990 and the European crown in 1991, retiring after a 1994 loss to Cornelius Carr. He never won a world title but fought Britain’s elite. He gained recognition for community work at the Pedro Youth Club, steering youths away from knives, guns and drugs and receiving an MBE. Anthony Yarde added him to his coaching team in 2020 and praised his warmth and role-model status.

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