Boxing: Cook faces up to uncertain future

Fights often turn out differently than many people expect and Saturday night at the Bridgend Recreation Centre saw the eagerly anticipated meeting between Jason Cook and Kevin Bennett end as a total letdown.

Fights often turn out differently than many people expect and Saturday night at the Bridgend Recreation Centre saw the eagerly anticipated meeting between Jason Cook and Kevin Bennett end as a total letdown.

When it was finally over, Cook, as expected, had retained his International Boxing Organisation lightweight title on points but there was very little in it and, because the fight was not terribly exciting, there is unlikely to be a re-match.

It is possible that Bennett is at fault for turning a potentially exciting brawl into a mild boxing match because he clearly opted for a safety-first approach which, all things considered, is actually a good way to beat Cook. Sadly, on Saturday night it was not quite enough.

Cook, at 29, must now try and secure a slightly more meaningful fight for either one of boxing's more prestigious world titles or go back over old ground and win his European belt once again.