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The Independent
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
James Cook was universally adored in boxing – his pursuit of the impossible dream will endure
James Cook was known and respected as one of the nicest men in the boxing business on both sides of the ropes. His death last 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, Holland and Finland. He was robbed of money, robbed of decisions, but still 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.' Cook had been a professional for seven years, fought 19 times, losing seven when he got his chance at the British middleweight title. On that night in 1988 in Sheffield, he was stopped by the great Herol Graham. The best middleweights in Britain then, Watson and Nigel Benn, had no interest in fighting Graham; Cook dared to be great. At that time, it was obvious just how decent Cook was. He was never bitter about missing out on the carnival of fights involving Benn, Watson and Chris Eubank. He never had an invite – he was not the type of man you invited to that type of jamboree. Cook was back on the road, but this time the small-hall circuit in Britain, after the Graham loss, back earning a living without a single complaint. In 1990 he was given another shot at the British title, but he had to travel to Belfast to fight local idol, Sam Storey. It looked like a typical night on the road and against the odds for Cook; he stopped Storey in ten rounds, won the British super-middleweight title and then travelled to France to add the European version with a 12th round stoppage. James Cook was anonymous no more. Well, that was the sensible thinking. In late April, a few days before the Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr fight, I spoke to Cook during that week of events. He was drained, weary, shrunken, but still the smiling and optimistic. He arrived one day, fresh from chemotherapy – I knew the signs, but James was not playing the cancer game. There was no searching for pity in his eyes. He had business on the night; he would be in the corner with Anthony Yarde. Let me tell you this now: James Cook did not play games. I stood with Cook and Yarde and remembered a classic but lost night in British boxing. It was 1991 at York Hall and for some ridiculous reason, Cook was defending his European super-middleweight title at the tiny venue against Mark Kaylor, who had been one of the stars of the business and remains the last great East End boxing idol. In the modern game, that fight would be in front of 20,000 at the O2. 'It was just the way it was,' remembered Cook. Yarde listened and was stunned. On the night, Cook silenced Kaylor's faithful with a punch-perfect stoppage in the sixth round. Kaylor retired after the fight, Cook defended his European title at a leisure centre in Wandsworth in his next fight. A glance at Cook's record is a glance back at an anonymous time in British boxing for many men, who simply never had a break and had to struggle for every single tiny bit of recognition. Cook struggled, but he never moaned or complained. In 1992 he took the money, went to France and lost the European title, then he regained his British super-middleweight title at a wave-pool centre at the Elephant and Castle in south London. At the same time, Benn and Eubank were making millions at the same weight. James Cook fought for the last time at York Hall in 1994 when he lost his British title. And then the real work started on the safe side of the ropes at the Pedro Club, an old-fashioned youth club, on Hackney's Murder Mile. On his commendation for his MBE in 2007, it said he had performed miracles on the streets of Hackney. And he had. 'The boxing gym gives them hope and they don't have a lot of hope,' he told me in 2019. 'They can see what boxing can do for a man – boxers have a good name in here.' Cook loved the Pedro, and it seems that every day was a brutal struggle for funding to keep the doors open and to keep his dreams alive. He was the man for the struggle - James Cook never turned away from any fight. He was still part of that impossible dream circuit when he died last Saturday.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Georgia O'Connor's heartbreaking final post just days before boxer's death aged 25
GEORGIA O'CONNOR posted a heartbreaking final Instagram message just over a week before her tragic passing. The inspirational boxer - who won Commonwealth Youth gold in 2017 - first revealed her cancer news in January. 5 She was also previously diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) - a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. O'Connor had the boxing community in her corner all the way until she sadly passed away aged 25 from a rare and aggressive cancer. In her final Instagram post - 10 days before her death - the brave boxer revealed she had married her partner Adriano. She posted a picture of her ring and wrote: "The day I married the love of my life." Inspirational O'Connor was filled with well-wishes in the comments as the boxing community rallied behind the Durham hero. In February, O'Connor paid a beautiful tribute to her "superhero" Adriano. She posted: "If you have a man who loves you more than anything, who would burn the whole world down before he'd let it take you, hold onto him, because that kind of love is rare. "From the moment I was diagnosed with cancer, Adriano didn't hesitate. He quit his job without a second thought and made it his mission to fight this battle alongside me. "Not just by my side, but leading the charge, doing everything in his power to save me… "Researching day and night, chasing down every option, making sure I have every single chance to beat this. "I have never known love like this. A love that doesn't flinch, doesn't break, doesn't even hesitate. "A love that says 'we do this together, no matter what.' No matter how dark the nights get, no matter how hard the days are, I have him, and he has me. "Adriano, you are my superhero. My warrior, my protector, my soulmate. "I have no words strong enough to explain what you mean to me; how much I love you, how much I thank you, how much I need you. "You are my safe place. My home. I could search the world a thousand times over and never find another man like you. "Everything we've been through, we go through together. Every fight, every battle, every victory. "We take it all, hand in hand. And we will win. My real-life prince. My reason. My forever." Tributes poured in for the heroic fighter - who went 3-0 as a professional after debuting in 2021 - following her sad passing. Boxxer, who promoted her, posted: "We are heartbroken by the passing of Georgia O'Connor. "A true warrior inside and outside the ring, the boxing community has lost a talented, courageous and determined young woman far too soon. "Georgia was loved, respected and admired by her friends here at BOXXER. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this difficult time." Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions wrote: "Everyone at Queensberry Promotions are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Georgia O'Connor. "All of our thoughts are with her friends and family during this difficult time. Rest in peace Georgia." England Boxing said: "We're deeply saddened by the passing of Georgia O'Connor. "A gifted boxer and beloved member of the amateur boxing community, she won medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games, Youth Worlds & European Championships. "Our thoughts are with her loved ones." Not only was she a talented boxer, O'Connor also a three-time national taekwondo champion and undefeated kickboxer. Away from sports, she played guitar and enjoyed singing and became an inspiration after documenting her horror cancer fight. 5 5 5
