John Cooney in intensive care after Belfast bout

Irish boxer John Cooney is in intensive care after his defeat to Welshman Nathan Howells at the Ulster Hall on Saturday.

Cooney was stopped in the ninth round of the fight, which was the first defence of his Celtic super-featherweight title, and subsequently underwent surgery.

In a statement, Cooney's promoter Mark Dunlop said: "Following John Cooney’s epic title fight at the Ulster Hall on Saturday evening Josh was assessed by the onsite medical team of the British Boxing Board of Control and swiftly taken to Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital for further treatment.

"On arrival at the RVH it was discovered that John had an intercranial haemorrhage and underwent immediate surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain.

"John is currently in the intensive care unit and in the capable hands of the hospital ICU team."

Cooney won the title with victory over Liam Gaynor in Dublin in November 2023 but spent a year out of the ring with a hand injury before returning with a win over Tampela Maharusi in October.