The Irish boxer suffered an intracranial haemorrhage and had surgery to relieve pressure on his brain following the bout at the Ulster Hall. Galway man Cooney was assessed by the medical team in the ring before being take out on a stretcher and transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. "It is with complete devastation that we have to announce that after a week of battling for his life John Cooney has sadly passed away," MHD Promotions said on behalf of the Cooney family. "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. "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." The contest was stopped in the ninth round in what was Cooney's first defence of his Celtic super-featherweight title.
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 fiancée, 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.
Irish super-featherweight boxer John Cooney has died of a brain injury a week after being stopped in his first Celtic title defense against Welshman Nathan Howells, his promoter said on Saturday. “It is with complete devastation that we have to announce that after a week of battling for his life John Cooney has sadly passed away,” Mark Dunlop of MHD Promotions said on social media. The 28-year-old had been in hospital in Belfast after surgery. He had left the ring on a stretcher after last Saturday’s fight at the city’s Ulster Hall was stopped in the ninth round. “Such a tragedy to lose this fine young boxer,” said former featherweight world champion Barry McGuigan.
