The combat sports community is mourning the tragic loss of John Cooney, a 28-year-old super-featherweight boxer from Clarinbridge, Ireland. Cooney suffered a fatal brain injury during a title fight against Nathan Howells at Belfast’s Ulster Hall on February 1, 2025. The bout was halted in the ninth round after Cooney endured hellacious punishment. He was promptly attended to by ringside medical personnel before being transported to the Royal Victoria Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery for an intracranial hemorrhage.

Despite the medical team’s best efforts, the Irishman remained in critical condition and passed away on February 8. “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,” this was the statement issued by his promoter. In the wake of Cooney’s passing, a GoFundMe campaign was established to support his family, raising £47,000. Notably, fellow Irishman and superstar Conor McGregor contributed £20,000 to the fund. Now interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall also took notice of the devastating news and shared a message for the young boxer.

The Englishman took to his Instagram account to share a story for Cooney with a message that read, “Devastating news so many idiots sit behind screens and comment negative things about fighters, having absolutely no idea what it takes to potentially risk your life every time you compete in a combat sport. Thoughts and prayers with his loved ones.” 

Tragically, this is not the first time a boxer has lost their life or sustained life-altering injuries in the ring. Cooney’s passing serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers of combat sports—especially boxing—where even the toughest warriors are not immune to the sport’s unforgiving nature. A prominent example of this case has to be Prichard Colon.

The former Puerto Rican professional boxer was also a rising star in the sport before tragedy struck in October 2015. Known for his speed and skill in the ring, his career came to an abrupt halt after a brutal fight against Terrel Williams, during which he suffered repeated illegal blows to the back of the head. Despite complaining of dizziness during the bout, the fight was allowed to continue, and Colon later collapsed in the locker room. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered a severe brain bleed that required emergency surgery.

The injuries left him in a coma for several months, and he was later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, resulting in a persistent vegetative state. Now under full-time care, Colon remains unable to communicate or move independently, though his family continues to provide unwavering support in his long and difficult recovery journey.

The 28-year-old was 11-0 and his promising career was highlighted by his triumph in November 2023, when he won the Celtic super-featherweight title with a first-round win over Liam Gaynor. The Irishman is now survived by his grieving parents, fiancee, and siblings who will forever have a massive hole to fill in their lives. However, what could have been a stellar career ended in a grieving manner. While many will now remember him as a lost talent, we take a look at what exactly he had achieved in his short career.

A closer look at the career of 28-year-old late John Cooney

John Cooney initially rose to prominence in the amateur boxing circuit, making his debut in 2014 with an impressive unanimous decision victory over Peter Migra. Though he faced a setback in his second bout, suffering a loss to Ben Smith, he remained undeterred. Determined to carve out a successful career, Cooney pressed on, eventually leaping to the professional ranks in 2020. For the first two years of his professional career, the Irishman competed in the lightweight division, where he showcased his talent with notable victories over tough opponents like Cristian Abata in November 2020 and Joel Sanchez in February 2021.

Just a month after his win over Sanchez, he made the bold decision to move up in weight to challenge Zsolt Sijer—a risk that paid off when he secured a knockout victory. From that point on, Cooney frequently fluctuated between weight classes, continuing his winning streak against fighters such as Greyvin Mendoza, Sandeep Singh Bhatti, and Louis Norman. However, his fortunes changed when he fought in the super-featherweight division, where he claimed his first championship title, solidifying his place as a rising star in the sport.

Cooney’s victory over Gaynor paved the way for a bright future, with discussions already underway about a potential shot at the British title against Reece Bellotti. However, before he could reach that career-defining opportunity, he first had to defend his belt against Nathan Howells. Unfortunately, John Cooney’s title defense ended in disaster not only for him but also for his family. Share in your prayers for his family members in the comments below!