Cowdell won the bronze medal in the bantamweight division (– 54 kg) at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

In 1985 Cowdell challenged Azumah Nelson for the WBC featherweight title, but was caught cold by a bullet of a punch and knocked out in the first round.

In February 2007, Cowdell returned to putting shows on at the Burlington after a three-year hiatus at the Holiday Inn – also in the centre of Birmingham.

He also trains/trained a band of fighters that include Bedworth's former Midland Area super-middleweight champion Neil Tidman, Leamington Spa's Richard Mazurek, and Coventry foursome Dougie Walton, Sean McKervey, Joe McCluskey and John Ruddock.

Cowdell's most famous pupil, Birmingham-based gypsy Jimmy Vincent, twice challenged for the British title before retiring in 2005.