By Oli Smith
This weekend, London plays host to four fighters deemed the future of British boxing. At York Hall, Bethnal Green; two boxers in the twilight of their career clashed for the British Light Welterweight title. Jason Cook was last seen in the Prizefighter tournament coming up short to Gavin Rees in the final, yet before this Cook had boxed just four rounds since 2005. Having retired to due to shoulder and ankle injuries Cook left the Lightweight division and the boxing world behind for four years. His success in the Prizefighter tournament and Gavin Rees’ desire and abilities to operate at a higher level had opened a golden opportunity for Cook to seize.
Lenny Daws meanwhile was coming off a career highlight win over Barry Morrison, the only man to have beaten him. Daws had won and lost the British title before and didn’t plan on making it a habit.
Cook gave away advantages in height and also in reach to Daws who stands a lanky 5’10’’. During his prime, Cook would abandon his boxing skill set and gained a reputation as a fearsome slugger, a 50% knockout ratio is hard to argue against.
In the fight, Cook would need to go back to his roots as a former ABA champion, using his underrated boxing ability to steal rounds against the ever active and hard working Daws. At the start of the first round, Cook doubled the jab let a flurry go to test his range and boundaries Daws had set up. The champion fired back with a left and simultaneously dropped his right; Cook took advantage and blasted a left hook onto Daws’ chin.
The shot rocked Daws to his boots yet he kept his composure and weathered the incoming as Cook teed off, hoping to end the night early. It wasn’t to be, and moments later the bell ended the round.
Through the first half of the fight Cook rarely let up the pace. His handspeed in particular caused Daws all kinds of problems and was clearly a factor the champion and his team had not accounted for. Cook constantly switched up the plays, one moment boxing behind the jab, the next leading with the right or targeting the body. Through it all Daws remained unflustered, though was aware of the ground that was being lost.
By the fourth round Cook brought another element into the equation; upper body movement. As Daws became more aggressive with the jab and straight right; Cook set traps and slipped shots, frustrating the otherwise calm champion. In the fifth Cook showed much of the same, he was timing Daws well but couldn’t find the shots or the power to hurt him like he had done in the first.
At 34 years old and with almost five years of total inactivity, it was Cook’s longevity that would likely be the key to this fight, rather than his speed or power. It was a plan Team Daws must have been banking on too, as in the sixth, almost as if a light switch had been flicked; Daws began to gather momentum dramatically.
At the start of the seventh round Cook’s work became visibly sloppier as he struggled to maintain the pace that had been set. Handspeed that had troubled Daws before seemed telegraphed now. A small lean here, half a step there, Daws was able to prepare himself against Cook’s offence and for the first time in the bout, he began to clearly win rounds.
As the fight moved into the championship rounds Cook couldn’t muster the second wind his team was hoping for and instead he settled for small bouts of activity, whilst Daws constantly chipped away at him from the outside, or leant on him up close, sapping his remaining energy.
As a result Daws managed a trick that has become synonymous with his bouts; he appears to get stronger as the fight progresses. By the 10th round onwards, he appears to be far more sharp and powerful than in the opening rounds. Daws’ boxing can be summed up in just one word; consistency. It is his consistent pressure, output and pace that causes this illusion and in this instance it worked a treat.
In the eleventh Jason Cook looked as if he were a beaten man, he dropped his hands up close and allowed Daws to land hurtful blows. In his corner he smiled at his team and apologised whilst the champion seemed on this verge of retaining his title by knockout. In the twelfth things started to get desperate as twice Cook had to pick himself up off the deck, not from anything Daws had done, but from slipping over. Cook’s legs were but drained of energy, and given another round, Daws may have been able to force the stoppage.
As it was, Cook made to through to the final bell, and Daws began to celebrate, certain of victory. As the scores were read out a chorus of boos began to echo around the York Hall arena. 115-114 Cook, 115-114 Daws and 114-114 resulted in the bout being scored a draw. Daws rightfully kept hold of his title, and whilst Cook made a valiant effort to snatch it away, he knew his conditioning in the second half of the fight had cost him the title.
Whilst the judges scores may have been unexpected, the action that took place in those twelve rounds wasn’t. A rematch is an almost certainty, the fans will likely demand it after such a great performance from both men. Neither man did themselves a disservice tonight. How much Cook’s fading in the latter half of the fight was down to ring rust is up for speculation, a hard twelve rounds tonight will have done him the world of good, hopefully we will see him come back even stronger. Daws on the other hand has shown why he entered and left the ring as champion, his gutsy performance can certainly be improved upon, being able to find another gear in the early rounds would help. But for now, these two men remain at the top of the domestic Light Welterweight scene.