The family of John Cooney, a boxer who passed one week after his title fight in Belfast, have said they are “just devastated”. A book of condolence has opened in tribute to the 28-year-old boxer at the Ulster Hall. Georgina Ivors, Mr Cooney’s aunt, said that “the people are just amazing and we’re very touched.” His family also thanked the staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. Mr Cooney’s cousin, Julieanne Acciaressi, said that “he fought hard all week and they were fantastic.”
Mark Dunlop, Mr Cooney’s manager, spoke to BBC News NI, saying “I can’t blame anybody” and that the boxer’s family “don’t blame anybody”. Mr Dunlop said that Mr Cooney knew the risks involved, as did the family and everyone else involved in boxing. The number of fatalities in the sport is minute, and it was devastating to have this tragedy in Belfast, a community of people Mr Cooney was a part of. Dunlop remembers Mr Cooney by his “cheeky smile,” his “dedication,” and how he “lived” for the sport. “It will take me my lifetime to forget him, he is now up there with the greats,” Dunlop added.
Northern Ireland’s Sports Minister Gordon Lyons expressed his sympathy for Cooney’s friends, family, and all those in the boxing world who knew and loved him. A book of condolence is open at the Ulster Hall until 21:00 GMT on Monday. The contest was stopped in the ninth round, and Cooney had surgery to relieve pressure on his brain before passing away due to an intracranial haemorrhage.
Conrad Cummings, a former double WBO European champion, said the boxing community was “absolutely devastated” by Cooney’s death. The Ulster Hall sent condolences to his family and friends. Belfast boxer Anto Cacace, the IBF world super-featherweight champion, said that Cooney was a “credit to the sport of boxing”. The British Boxing Board of Control was “deeply saddened” to hear about Cooney’s passing. Galway Amateur Boxing Association said the announcement of his death was the “worst possible news” following a “torturous week” in the hospital. The book of condolence is accessible to the public until 21:00 GMT on Monday
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More