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Johnny Cooke

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Johnny Cooke
Born
John Cooke

(1934-12-17)17 December 1934
Bootle, England
Died29 June 2024(2024-06-29) (aged 89)
Bootle, England
NationalityEnglish
Other namesCookie
Statistics
Weight(s)Lightweight
Light welterweight
Welterweight
Light middleweight
Middleweight
Boxing record
Total fights93
Wins52 (KO 5)
Losses34 (KO 8)
Draws7
Medal record
Boxing
Representing  England
British Empire & Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 1958 Cardiff -60 kg

John "Johnny" Cooke (17 December 1934 – 29 June 2024) was an English amateur lightweight and professional light welter, welter, light middle and middleweight boxer.

Amateur career

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Cooke was born in Bootle. He was runner-up for the 1958 Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) featherweight title, against Richard McTaggart (Royal Air Force),[1] boxing out of Maple Leaf ABC.

He represented England and won a bronze medal in the -60 Kg division at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales.[2][3] He only lost 16 of 368 recorded contests as an amateur.[4]

Professional career

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Cooke made his professional debut on 28 June 1960, aged 25,[5] against Ken Pugh and fought in ninety-three fights until 1971. As a professional he won the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) Central Area lightweight title, beating his cousin, Dave Coventry,[6] for the BBBofC Central Area welterweight title, BBBofC British welterweight title, and Commonwealth welterweight title, and was a challenger for the European Boxing Union (EBU) welterweight title against Carmelo Bossi, his professional fighting weight varied from 133+34 lb (60.7 kg; 9 st 7.8 lb), i.e. light welterweight to 157+14 lb (71.3 kg; 11 st 3.3 lb), i.e. middleweight.[7] Cooke was managed by Johnny Campbell (c. 1905 – 2 May 1994), credited as "the man who put Birkenhead on the map".[8]

Death

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Cooke died from pneumonia in Bootle on 29 June 2024, at the age of 89.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "1958 71st ABAE National Championship". abae.co.uk. 31 December 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  3. ^ "1958 Athletes". Team England.
  4. ^ "Johnny Cooke". Merseyside Former Boxers Association.
  5. ^ "Profile". BoxRec.
  6. ^ Dave Coventry profile, boxrec.com. Accessed 22 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Statistics at boxrec.com". boxrec.com. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  8. ^ "Johnny Campbell - The man who put Birkenhead on the map". boxingbiographies.com. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  9. ^ O'Neill, Connor (3 July 2024). "Merseyside boxing in mourning as legendary fighter Johnny Cooke dies aged 89". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
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