Irish boxer John Cooney dies week after being injured in super-featherweight title fight

Irish boxer John Cooney has died a week after being taken into intensive care following his Celtic super-featherweight title defeat to Nathan Howells in Belfast.

The death of the 28-year-old Cooney was announced on Saturday in a statement published by his promoter Mark Dunlop on behalf of the Cooney family and his fiancee Emmaleen.

“After a week of battling for his life John Cooney has sadly passed away,” the statement said. “He was a much loved son, brother and partner and it will take us all a lifetime to forget how special he was. RIP John ‘the Kid’ Cooney.”

Cooney’s fight with Howells was stopped in the ninth round at Ulster Hall.

Cooney subsequently underwent surgery after it was discovered he had an intracranial hemorrhage.

“Mr. and Mrs. Cooney and his fiancee Emmaleen would like to thank the staff at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital who have worked tirelessly to save John’s life and for everyone who has sent messages of support and prayers,” the statement said.

In another statement released on Sunday, Dunlop’s family said he “lived and died chasing his dream” and indicated that his organs would be donated.

“Mr. and Mrs. Cooney take great solace in knowing that the untimely loss of John will now help the lives of others,” the statement said,

The bout with Welsh boxer Howells was Cooney’s first defense of the Celtic super-featherweight title.

Cooney won the title with a win over Liam Gaynor in Dublin in November 2023, but spent a year out of the ring with a hand injury. He returned in October with a victory over Tampela Maharusi.

“He was just a lovely kid,” former boxing world champion Barry McGuigan told BBC Radio 5 Live. “It’s shocking and sad and heartbreaking.”

Other boxers have died from injuries sustained in the ring in recent months.  Last November, Fiji boxer Ubayd Haider died more than two weeks after collapsing at the end of a super featherweight title fight against Australia-based Chinese boxer Runqi Zhou. In July, boxer Lemuel Silisia died from head injury just days after his maiden title bout inNew South Wales, ABC reported.

About two months before that, British boxer Sherif Lawal died after being knocked down by a blow to the head during his professional debut in London.