He was runner-up for the 1958 Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) featherweight title, against Richard McTaggart (Royal Air Force),[1] boxing out of Maple Leaf ABC.

He represented England and won a bronze medal in the -60 Kg division at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales.

[4] Cooke made his professional debut on 28 June 1960, aged 25,[5] against Ken Pugh and fought in ninety-three fights until 1971.

As a professional he won the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) Central Area lightweight title, beating his cousin, Dave Coventry,[6] for the BBBofC Central Area welterweight title, BBBofC British welterweight title, and Commonwealth welterweight title, and was a challenger for the European Boxing Union (EBU) welterweight title against Carmelo Bossi, his professional fighting weight varied from 133+3⁄4 lb (60.7 kg; 9 st 7.8 lb), i.e. light welterweight to 157+1⁄4 lb (71.3 kg; 11 st 3.3 lb), i.e.

[7] Cooke was managed by Johnny Campbell (c. 1905 – 2 May 1994), credited as "the man who put Birkenhead on the map".