Daws puts Cook in the draw
Lenny Daws and Jason Cook served up a tasty main course for a packed and loud York Hall crowd on Friday night with Daws’ British light-welterweight title the prize on the table. A draw meant Daws kept his belt in a bout that was filled with flavour as both men added their own unique ingredients in the fight of the night on this Matchroom promoted show.
Daws, 9st 13lbs 2oz, seemed the classier all round boxer who fought a little below par with Cook, 9st 13lbs 6oz, the terrier type looking for a tear up though at times the Welshman did show some good boxing skills.
Challenger Cook started out the sharper man catching Daws with several solid shots early on and making the champion pay for his slow start. I scored the first three rounds in favour of Cook as the fight began to develop a clear pattern of the Welshman having the better of the early exchanges of the fight and Daws coming on strong thereafter in what was a close and difficult contest to score.
Adam Smith didn’t agree though. I asked him after he finished commentating for Sky and he thought Daws was a clear winner. Isn’t it amazing how different we can see the same fight? And isn’t it funny how we always think we are right and the other person is wrong?
It was Jason’s right hands that provided him with the bulk of his early success and Daws also soon had a cut under his left eye to deal with from round two. Daws remained calm and began the fourth well with good usage of the jab. Looking at my scorecard this was the beginning of a spell that saw Lenny lose only one of the remaining nine rounds (I gave the sixth to Cook. I had the fifth, eighth and ninth even with Daws’ jabs being cancelled out by Cook’s hooks.
Though Daws was hit frequently Cook didn’t have the power to seriously shake the Morden man and in the seventh Lenny was looking the stronger. There was little to choose between them in the eighth and ninth sessions but Cook appeared fatigued and tired in the tenth which set up Lenny for a grandstand finish.
In the penultimate round, Daws began to stamp his authority catching Cook with six punches just before the bell.A big hug between the two got the final round underway, which for me Daws dominated by pushing Cook back.
At the end of proceedings I had Daws winning by one point 116-115. A good British bout fought in good spirits and a sporting crowd without a single hint of trouble. The three scoring judges scored it as follows., Terry O’ Connor 115-114 for Cook Victor Loughlin 115-114 for Daws and Mark Green had it even at 114-114 resulting in Daws retaining his British crown.
I didn’t hear a ring of boos but there was plenty of applause for both men who walked away smiling. So Daws the Morden man doesn't quire roast Cook the Maesteg man. But if we get the close up view of a rematch on the plate I guess all fight fans will be ready for another feast. I'll reserve my table now!
