“What can I say – my face never fit. Look at me, c’mon, I’m too good-looking for them!” James Cook MBE, one of boxing’s most overlooked talents, captured his life and career with this quip. A good-looking fighter with a technique as flawless and captivating. He never actually got his due from the boxing, but kept on fighting as much as he could. Sadly, the fight is over now.

The Jamaican-born British champion lost his battle to bladder cancer at the age of 66. We might not have given him in due in his prime, but his legacy deserves every praise, not just for his work inside the ring.

How did James Cook die?

Reportedly, James Cook was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, and just like always, he didn’t give up without a fight. However, his condition worsened with time, and on June 7, reports of his passing at a London hospital emerged. With his passing, we have lost one of British boxing’s towering figures, a country he made his home later in life. His journey, however, began far away.

Born in 1959 in Runaway Bay in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica, James Cook never wanted to be a boxer. In fact, his first passion was cricket, then running. However, that all changed when his mother brought him to London with her.

With growing interest in boxing, he joined the AC Boxing Club and recorded a quite impressive 20-6 record in amateurs before turning pro in 1982. Over a 12-year career, he faced fierce battles, ultimately capturing the British Super-Middleweight title and the European (EBU) Super-Middleweight title. He retired from the sport in March 1994 after losing to Cornelius Carr with a record of 25-10.

But that was hardly the end for James Cook. There was much more left to do.

A second innings dedicated to community service

While Cook’s boxing achievements were remarkable, his greatest triumph came after he hung up his gloves. Retiring from the sport, he transformed into a community champion, dedicating himself to mentoring young people at Hackney’s Pedro Youth Club. In an area, Clapton Road, once notoriously known as “Murder Mile” due to gang violence, poverty, and drug abuse, James Cook turned the struggling youth club into a sanctuary. “Boxing is ideal here, in this area,” he said in 2019. “It is about discipline and respect. Boxers never take liberties with people. In here, that matters.”

To be honest, the Youth Club was on the verge of closing for good until James Cook stepped in. The veteran boxer used his own funds and connections to renovate the gym, often asking for help from the people in the boxing community. After fixing up the club, he became a trainer there in his effort to instill a sense of purpose and discipline among the young kids in the neighborhood.

In a short time, Cook transcended from just a figurehead of a boxing gym to a father figure to the young kids in the club. He steered them away from gang violence and a life of crime—a voice of reason, a beacon of hope, and a catalyst of moral values. “I talk to them in the language they understand, but without the swearing. I won’t have no swearing. Anyone using bad language has to get in the ring with me,” he shared in an interview with The Independent in 2019.

In 2007, Cook’s tireless efforts earned him the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), an honor he valued more than any boxing title. His work didn’t just change a community—he helped save lives. He even penned an autobiography, which was published in 2019, called “Guardian of the Street.”

James Cook’s passing leaves a void in British boxing and the Hackney community he helped transform. The streets of Clapton mourn their “Guardian,” whose impact reached far beyond the ring. His legacy as a champion, mentor, and beacon of hope will endure, inspiring generations to come.

We offer our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, and all the young lives he helped in East London. RIP Champ. Rest Easy!