John Cooney is “fighting for his life” in intensive care (Image: Getty)
Super-featherweight boxer John Cooney is “fighting for his life” in intensive care after a severe injury sustained during his bout with Nathan Howells last Saturday.
The 28-year-old athlete faced a devastating ninth-round stoppage at Belfast’s Ulster Hall while defending his Celtic super-featherweight title.
Promoter Mark Dunlop disclosed that Cooney suffered a brain bleed, leading to urgent medical attention and surgery. Transported by stretcher to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Cooney’s condition has sparked grave concern, with his uncle Christopher calling for a ban on professional boxing, saying: “What a horrible violent so-called sport.”
MHD Promotions, representing Cooney, released a statement confirming the dire situation and requested the thoughts and prayers of supporters as he battles through critical treatment: “Following John Cooney’s epic title fight at the Ulster Hall on Saturday evening, John was assessed by the onsite medical team of the British Boxing Board of Control and swiftly taken to Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) for further treatment.
“On arrival at the RVH it was discovered that John had an intracranial haemorrhage and underwent immediate surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain.”
At present, John is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit, under the expert care of the hospital’s ICU team. His fiancee Emmaleen and parents Hughie and Tina have expressed their gratitude for the numerous private messages of support they’ve received.
John Cooney has reportedly suffered a brain bleed (Image: Getty)
Known as “The Kid”, Cooney has an impressive professional boxing record with 12 super-featherweight bouts under his belt. His sole career loss occurred this weekend against Howells. Prior to this setback, the southpaw had secured 11 consecutive wins, including three knockouts.
Before his fight against Howells, Cooney was eyeing a showdown against Reece Bellotti for the British title, following his triumph over Liam Gaynor that earned him the BBBofC Celtic title.
He had confidently stated: “I’ll get business done against Nathan Howells. I have to win that fight before any talk of any other fight. I’m fully focused on that one, but I know I’m more than capable of winning in great fashion. Then we look to February the 15th. I’ll be watching with a keen eye and I want the winner.”
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