Hailing from Galway, John “The Kid” Cooney remained undefeated in his professional career. And with an impressive 11-0-0 record, he stepped into the ring against Newport’s Nathan Howells. It was the co-main event of the Colm Murphy vs. Kasimu Hamad Haji bout at Belfast’s Ulster Hall. 

On Saturday night, Cooney faced Howells in what was expected to be another defining fight. This bout was crucial. Why? Because it was his first defense of the Celtic super-featherweight title. Not just that. The outcome would also determine who could move forward in the race for the British title. With the excitement and the stakes higher than ever, Cooney was ready to prove himself once again. But what was meant to be another victorious night turned into a tragedy.

What exactly happened to John Cooney?

Super-featherweight boxer John Cooney is now fighting a different battle. The one for his life. The fight was supposed to be 12 rounds but was stopped in the 9th. Why? Because he suffered a severe injury followed by a heavy knockout punch by Nathan Howells. This marked Cooney’s first professional loss and ended in devastating fashion.

After taking significant damage, the ringside medical team assessed him immediately after the fight ended. Moments later, he was stretchered out of the ring and rushed to Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

On Monday, his promoter, Mark Dunlop, confirmed the heartbreaking news: “John had an intercranial haemorrhage” he said. He further revealed that the 28-year-old was bleeding within the brain and required emergency surgery to relieve the pressure. He remains in the intensive care unit, receiving critical care from medical experts.

The boxing community has since rallied around John Cooney, sending messages of support and hoping for a full recovery. Even his opponent, Nathan Howells, showed serious concerns about the Ealing native. “Genuinely never wanted for any of this to happen, I just went out there to box,” he lamented, further adding, “We shared a ring together and the boy never once quit or looked for a way out. Get well soon mate – all the best.”

According to the reports of Sky Sports, John Cooney also recovered from a hand injury that kept him out of the ring for nearly a year. It’s about last year, before his PTS victory over Tampela Maharusi at York Hall in October. However, this latest setback seems far more serious.

John Cooney’s boxing stats and records

Cooney first made a name for himself in the amateur boxing scene, debuting in 2014 with a unanimous decision win against Peter Migra. However, his second amateur fight against Ben Smith ended in a loss. Despite this, Cooney continued to push forward, transitioning to the professional stage in 2020.

For the first 2 years, he fought in the lightweight division, securing wins against formidable opponents such as Cristian Abata in November 2020 and Joel Sanchez in February 2021. Following that victory, the next month he decided to move up a division to fight Zsolt Sijer. It was a bold move but the 28-year-old secured a knockout victory against his opponent. Since then, he has been moving up and down the divisions quite frequently, winning his fights against boxers like Greyvin Mendoza, Sandeep Singh Bhatti, and Louis Norman. However, his genuine breakthrough came when he moved down to the super-featherweight division, where he captured his first title.

In November 2023, Cooney claimed the BBBofC Celtic Super Featherweight Title with a stunning first-round TKO victory over Liam Gaynor at Dublin’s 3Arena, on the undercard of Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron. This win set him up for a promising future, with talks of competing for the British title against Reece Bellotti. However, before reaching that milestone, he had to defend his title against Howells.

Unfortunately, John Cooney’s title defense ended in disaster, leaving him in critical condition, putting his entire career—and life—in jeopardy. With that said, should boxing authorities implement stricter medical protocols to prevent such injuries in the future? Do you think Cooney should return to boxing if he recovers, or should he focus on his long-term health?