Cook is defeated in Vegas (From Dorset Echo)

Cook is defeated in Vegas

6:00pm Sunday 24th February 2013 in Sport By Echo Reporter

FORMER world number one Aaron Cook has missed out on the chance to retain his US Open title.

The Dorchester-born fighter, who now competes for the Isle of Man, won his first tournament for his new country at last month’s Trelleborg Open in Sweden.

But after two wins in Las Vegas, he lost his third bout 12-7 to Mexico’s Rene Lizar-agga Valenzuela after being hampered by injury.

Cook said on Facebook: “A slight injury left me vulnerable.

“Hopefully I’ll be fit again soon.”

The Dorset star, who was hoping to regain his world number one spot, got off to a good start in his -80kg category with a 14-6 success over Tajikistan Olympian Farrhod Negmatou, before staging a comeback from 7-1 down to beat Brazil’s Thiago Simoes.

The 22-year-old, who was controversially omitted from the GB Olympic squad, switched nationalities after saying he could not see a way of working with those in charge of the GB programme after being “cheated” out of a place at London 2012.