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21-year-old Jordan Cooke may not have won an ABA title but he believes that he is well suited to the pro ranks and is ready to make a statement.
The Coventry southpaw, who is 2-0 with one stoppage, thinks his chances of scaling the heights in the professional game has been boosted since he signed with leading promoter, Dave Coldwell, who has been entrusted to guide the two-time ABA semi-finalist up the rankings.
Cooke will be back in action on Coldwell’s “Blaze of Glory” card at Ice Sheffield on the 27th February over four rounds and he knows 2015 is an important year in his progression.
Jordan turned over after this year’s ABA finals in Liverpool where he lost a decision to eventual lightweight champion Pat McCormack in the last of his 76 amateur contests, which included a win over another touted prospect, Josh Leather. He is certain that he has everything in place to make an assault on the super-featherweight division.
Cooke said: “I was ready to turn over, but I needed the right backing, which I have certainly found in Dave and also Jon Pegg, who is training me. I get the benefit of working in his gym, with quality sparring with the likes of Sam Eggington day in, day out.
“Dave is the sort of promoter who can open doors for you and present you with some massive opportunities. I’m serving my apprenticeship at the moment and I’m only two fights in so far so this year is about learning my craft and getting that all important experience under my belt.”
In his debut, Cooke was giving what he called “a bit of a boxing lesson” to Youssef Al-Hamidi, eventually winning 40-36 on points, before he stopped Andy Harris inside a round back in November.
He said: “The first fight with Al-Hamidi was a bit of a boxing lesson, because I’d never really fought anyone that was quite as reluctant to come forward as him. Then with Harris, nobody else has stopped him as emphatically as I did, and that includes Luke Campbell.
“I’ve been weighing in just over lightweight, but super-feather is my weight and I’m targeting a Midlands title by the end of 2015. It’s all about winning in style and making noise with good performances so everyone starts talking about you. I want to stay active this year and Dave will get me the right fights at the right time.”
Coldwell said: “Jordan is a very good prospect and I’m really excited as to where we could go with him. He’s highly talented and he’s got the right attitude to succeed in the pros. Coventry has a great tradition in Boxing and they like entertaining fighters, which Jordan is. I hope they’ll get behind him in the city.
“He’s very similar to what we already have with Robbie Davies Jnr, in that he just missed out on the elite of the amateurs, but he wasn’t actually that far behind them. His trainer Jon Pegg is happy with the rate he is improving and as long as he progresses how we want him to, he’ll go far.”
Cooke concluded: “Boxing-wise, I think I’m near the top of the division domestically already, but I just need that experience to go with it. I’d like to thank my sponsors Leofric Property Services, Rialto Reborn and Toe-2-Toe Boxing Academy for all their support, as well as Dave and Jon. It’s going to be a great year and I can’t wait.”
