Irish boxer John Cooney died at the age of 28 after sustaining a brain injury during a title fight

Irish boxer John Cooney died at the age of 28 from brain injuries acquired during a battle, 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,” promoter Mark Dunlop said in a post on Instagram.

“He was a much loved son, brother and partner and it will take us all a lifetime to forget how special he was,” Dunlop added. “RIP John ‘The Kid Cooney.’”

Irish boxer John Cooney died a week after being rushed to urgent care following his Celtic super-featherweight title loss to Nathan Howells in Belfast, becoming at least the sixth boxer to die from ring injuries in the last year.

Cooney's bout against Howells was interrupted in the ninth round at Ulster Hall.

He was transferred to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital for treatment, and later underwent surgery to alleviate pressure on his head caused by an intracranial bleed, Dunlop said earlier this week.

“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,” Dunlop added in Saturday’s statement.

Cooney won his Celtic super-featherweight title by defeating Liam Gaynor in November 2023. He then spent nearly a year out of the ring due to a hand injury before beating Tampela Maharusi last October.

Irish promoter and former featherweight champion Barry McGuigan described Cooney as a “fine young boxer” in a post on X, adding: “I send my family and my deepest sympathies to John’s fiancée Emmaleen and his parents and his family RIP.”