Boxer John Cooney dies a week after Celtic super-featherweight title defeat

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4:19 PM on Saturday, February 8

The Associated Press

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — 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 fiancee Emmaleen. The statement said “After a week of battling for his life John Cooney has sadly passed away.” It added: "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.