OLD LION IN THE CAMP
AS the opening bell rang to kick off the eagerly anticipated rematch between Anthony Yarde and Lyndon Arthur at the Copper Box Arena on December 4, Yarde was the ever-so-slight betting favourite, although the general consensus among the boxing fraternity swayed ever-so-slightly in favour of Arthur. While very few of those in the know predicted anything like the ruthless demolition that the Londoner inflicted upon the man from Manchester, there was blanket agreement before the fight that the addition of James Cook MBE to Yarde’s young crew could only be a good thing.
During the post-fight ringside interview, Tunde Ajayi, Yarde’s longstanding and sometimes criticised head trainer, wasted no time in shining the limelight onto Cook, stating, “We were really a ship without a rudder, and James Cook has been the cement that has solidified our team.” Those well-chosen words perfectly summed up the unanimous sentiment that immediately began to resonate all over
