James is Cook-ing up a title fight for Bobby George

The 29-year-old claimed the seventh win of his pro career over Latvian Jevgenijs Kirillovs at York Hall, Bethnal Green, on Sunday and will qualify to fight for those titles and a British crown on residency next year.

Manager Mervyn Turner and new coach James Cook were impressed with what they saw at the weekend in his 60-56 points victory, as Shamrock’s Turner said: “James and I will now go away with this and we will get back into camp.

“We will work with Bobby. We are not too far away from a championship fight.

“One or two fights and we’re going to be there knocking on the door without a doubt.

“We need one more fight this year then we are looking at a championship fight very early next year.

“Bobby will definitely be fighting again this year before Christmas.

“We’ve got dates pencilled in but we can’t announce anything just yet.

“Obviously he qualifies for the British championship in January. The next level he qualifies for straight away is the Southern Area or Masters title, that’s what we’ll be looking at.

“He’s definitely Southern Area level now easy. But we need to work on stuff we found out and then we can take him to the next level.”

George was pleased with his new coach and full of praise for sponsors Flatbase who have enabled him to concentrate fully on his boxing.

He said: “With my new coach now I was training just a little bit different for my style, to change my style all the time.

“My style of boxing you need to change all the time, closer, distance.

“I feel very good now, training very well, so I have good people behind me.

“Mervyn Turner my manager does the best for me.

“At the moment I’m very happy, I’m not working at the moment, I have my sponsorship giving me everything and sponsoring me for everything, for money, for my salary for my flat, everything.

“So I’m only training, no work, no nothing, just concentrating on my boxing, I’m going to be a champion.

“I’m very happy because I have my sponsorship, Flatbase.

“I want to say thank you for everything.”

And Turner added: “We will pay them back with the championship.”