Ajax boxer Brandon Cook absorbs reality check after title shot

The 32-year-old Cook has grown used to taking time. He had waited nearly two years for a fight as massive as Saturday’s. A world title shot fell through in early 2017, as did a showdown with English star Kell Brook scheduled for July. Taking Munguia’s title would have launched the long-delayed next phase of Cook’s career.

Instead, in the four minutes of action following Guyett’s advice, Cook learned that elite-level boxers don’t take time to let opponents recover. Munguia kept pressuring and, in a lopsided third-round TKO, illustrated the difference in pedigree between a contender a possible future superstar.

Cook and Munguia featured as the co-main event on a card headlined by the rematch between Saul (Canelo) Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin, a 50-50 pairing of pound-for-pound elites that used uncertainty as a selling point. The two fought to a controversial draw last September, and Saturday night Alvarez won by the slimmest possible margin. One judge scored the bout a draw, while the other two favoured the Mexican by one round.

But the co-feature existed principally to prop up Munguia, the 21-year-old Tijuana native Golden Boy Promotions hopes will succeed Alvarez as an elite fighter, ticket seller and pay-per-view star. In Golden Boy’s scenario, Cook functioned less as a title challenger than as a prop — a hard-charging but overmatched opponent who could highlight Munguia’s strengths before a massive audience.

Golden Boy certainly didn’t pay Cook as though they expected him to win. Munguia earned $250,000 (all dollars U.S.), while Cook’s $30,000 guarantee was the smallest payout among the eight fighters on Saturday’s main card.

But Cook and his team expected a long-term payoff.

Last year, he sold his house and quit his job as a window installer, then invested the newfound time and money in his boxing career. Against Munguia he accepted short money, expecting dividends to roll in after an upset victory and a lucrative series of title defences. Even Golden Boy insured itself against a long-shot Cook win by taking options on his next three fights.

Cook felt a surge of confidence the Tuesday before the fight when, during an eight-kilometre run along the Las Vegas Strip, he spotted Munguia loping toward him, looking exhausted and struggling to shed pounds before Friday’s weigh-in. Ultimately, both boxers weighed in below the 154-pound junior middleweight limit. By Saturday night, Cook had gained 10 pounds, but the six-foot-tall Munguia had added more than 20, and quickly imposed his size advantage.

CompuBox credits Cook with landing 13 of 66 punches, several of them hard left hooks to the body that Munguia absorbed without breaking rhythm. Munguia landed 43 of 147 shots, several of them hard left hooks to the body that made Cook’s knees buckle.

A right hand to the head dropped Cook early in round three. He rose and resumed fighting but Munguia renewed his assault, pounding Cook until referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight.

Munguia needed just over seven minutes to show his promoters he’s ready for stiffer challenges. Over that same span, Cook and his team downsized both their ambitions and their definition of success.

During fight week, they spoke of dethroning Munguia and hoping to defend the title in Canada, knowing Golden Boy would likely exercise their new promotional rights and compel Cook to compete in the U.S. By late Saturday night, success meant Cook had finished the fight on his feet and escaped without a serious injury.

But Golden Boy’s idea of a triumphant co-main event held steady for everyone concerned.

Cook fought hard but fell short, game but outgunned against an opponent who looked like the future superstar of the Golden Boy stable. The Ajax native might not have fulfilled his objective, but from the lead promoter’s perspective he did his job.