The Rocky Road

John Cooney died in February 2025 after suffering a brain injury during the first defence of his Celtic super-featherweight title against Nathan Howells. It was his 12th professional bout, and In total, he boxed 60 rounds across his dozen pro bouts, winning 11, right up to his final contest at the Ulster Hall in Belfast. John was just 28 years old when he passed away, the first fatality in an Irish ring in 70+ years. These are the facts. To find out about the man himself, The Rocky Road visited his gym in Inchicore, Dublin, where coach Steven O’Rourke and best mate Ryan O’Rourke talked about his cheeky character, his punching power and his love for cookies and cheesecake. One year on, the pain of his loss is still deeply felt, while his memory drives them on. 

This is The Rocky Road to Dublin, Part 3. It’s going to be a big night of boxing at the 3Arena on March 14, headlined by the world title fight between Anthony Cacace and WBA champ, Jazza Dickens. Parts 1 and 2 dealt with the main event and co-main event featuring Pierce O’Leary versus Mark Chamberlain. We also brought you interviews with newcomers Adam Olaniyan and Bobbi Flood, who’ll be making their debuts on the night at the old Point Depot. But wait…there’s more! Jono Carroll will be back in Dublin for the first time in over a decade when he’ll take on Belfast’s Colm Murphy for the IBO world super-featherweight title. It’s a fight right out of leftfield for King Kong, who’s been on a measly diet of one fight a year for the last three years. He’s eyeing a clash with the winner of the main event - and came close to taking on Cacace in this one before it became a title defence for Dickens. Carroll’s had a big career so far - announcing himself on the stage at the 3Arena with victory over Declan Geraghty in 2014, going on to win Prizefighter, boxing on the Tyson Fury v Vladimir Klitshko undercard in Dusseldorf in 2015, challenging Tevin Farmer for the world title in 2019, and beating Scott Quigg in impressive fashion the following year. He’s not exactly in last-chance saloon at the age of 33 - Cacace is testament to that, as he’ll be 37 on fight night - but he knows it’s time to strike. Murphy meanwhile is not one to overlook. Posh Boy may not look like your everyday scrapper but he’s had to overcome a late start to boxing and battles with dyslexia, dyspraxia and doubt to make it this far. He’s highly motivated and hugely dedicated. He and his manager Mark Dunlop explain to us why they’re going to claim a notable scalp on their own journey to the top. We’re also delighted to see a comeback fight for Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty on the bill. Across 2023 and 2024 he enjoyed three knockout wins at the 3Arena and it appears a simple promotional slogan - No Carty, No Party - has come true. But this has truly been a Rocky Road back to Dublin for the popular northsider. With his momentum growing, he headed to New York for a Paddy’s Day showcase last year - where disaster struck. In a clash with 410lb monster Dejuan Calloway at Madison Square Garden, his knee went, and Carty left the ring in agony. Today he tells us about his brutal recovery spell and why it means so much to be back, one year on. Finally, we’ve got a man who, all going well, will be back headlining in Ireland in his own right in time. Cork’s Steven Cairns, AKA The Irish Takeover, has quietly gone about his business since turning professional back in the Covid days of 2021. The light-welterweight has built an impressive 13-fight winning streak, with eight knockouts, and looks sharp as a tack. He boxed at the National Stadium last year, taking out Francisco Javier Lucero in the third round, and his quality really stood out to all at ringside. We talk to Steven about his pro boxing apprenticeship, boxing all over the world, his epic celebrations and why social media management is a must for every young fighter who wants to make it to the top. (Podcast Photo Credit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney)

St Pierce's Day weekend is coming. It’s going to be a big night of boxing at the 3Arena on March 14, headlined by the world title fight between Anthony Cacace and WBA champ, Jazza Dickens. The chief support bout sees Pierce O’Leary fighting in Dublin at long last. The local boxer takes on Portsmouth’s Mark Chamberlain for the IBO world title at light-welterweight. Big Bang has previously held the European title and is one of the leading lights in a red-hot division, where UK rival Dalton Smith recently became WBC champion with a sensational knockout of Subriel Matias in New York. Other belt holders in the division include Teofimo Lopez, who holds the WBO strap, and Richardson Hitchins, who’s the IBF kingpin right now. Ireland’s also got talent in there, with Sean McComb clearly a match for anyone given his recent performances, and he’s been heavily linked with a showdown with O’Leary which could possibly go down later this year. Gary Cully, who boxes on the Dublin card, is also hoping to join the mix after moving up a weight class. But first, while the headliner is a mouthwatering contest, for many this is the O’Leary show. Promised a homecoming for several years now, he’s linked up with Brian Peters, who brought big-time boxing back to Dublin in the 2000s with Bernard Dunne and did it again in recent years with Katie Taylor. Now O’Leary is the man to take the mantle. His performances in recent years have absolutely warranted it, his popularity is undeniable, and now it’s here. Today he’ll tell us why he’s ready to deal with all the pressure that comes with it, why he and his team get annoyed with being typecast as simply a banger, and why he’ll finish out his camp back in his hometown. We also hear from Chamberlain. The 27-year-old from Portsmouth, with 17 wins, 1 defeat and 1 draw, is by some distance O’Leary’s biggest obstacle yet. He tells us why he feels all the pressure is on his opponent, how he’s dealt with his own experiences of pressure after being anointed as Saudi powerbroker Turki Al-Sheikh’s favourite fighter, and how he came to boxing as a way of dealing with potential bullies as a kid. Last week we heard from a young Dublin heavyweight who’ll be making his professional debut on the show, in Adam Olaniyan. Today it’s the turn of rising light-middleweight Bobbi Flood, who’ll also be joining the paid ranks on March 14 after signing with Queensbury Promotions. Flood’s name is well known within Irish boxing circles and he’s ready to announce his name to the world, going in with the aim of becoming world champion inside five years. He’s been sparring with pros since his mid-teens and, after a spell working as a mechanic, realised he had to go all-in to pursue his dream. This is The Rocky Road to Dublin, Part 2. (Podcast Photo Credit: Andrew Heeney Media)

Anto Cacace is starving. And not just for the Nando’s he’s been waiting all day for. The former IBF world super-featherweight hit The Rocky Road to Dublin to publicise his March 14 clash with Liverpool’s James ‘Jazza’ Dickens at the 3Arena, with Dickens putting his WBA world title on the line in what’s sure to be a mouthwatering clash. ‘The Apache’ tells us why he’s hungrier than ever to keep making history, why he’s skint again after spending all his winnings to date on bricks and mortar, bringing the boys down the M1 for a fight night and why he’ll be dedicating his performance to his late friend, Paul McCullagh Jr. We also sit down with Dickens, who knows hunger all too well. He’s ready to defend his championship belt at the old Point Depot and he tells us about how he used to actually park up his van outside the place back in the day and sleep there on a mattress in the back. Jazza, who’s half-Dub at this stage from his time in the capital under Pete Taylor, is cut from the same cloth as Cacace - a veteran who’s paid his dues, and these two are ready to put it all on the line. Plus we’re joined by brand new heavyweight Adam Olaniyan, who’s making his pro debut on the card. The Tallaght, Dublin boxer stands at 6ft 6in, has won everything at underage level in the amateurs and has pro sparring experience with the likes of Joseph Parker. We hear about his lofty goals in the sport but this is a young man with his feet planted firmly on the ground.

A new boxing year is upon us and a slew of Irish fighters are looking to break those chains and bring home some major titles. Among them is Tyrone titan Feargal McCrory, who’s KO’d inactivity once before and is determined to do so again. Since ‘Fearless’ last appeared on The Rocky Road, he’s fought three times at Madison Square Garden, boxed for a world title in Washington and proved why he’s one of the most popular Irish fighters around with his willingness to fight anyone, anywhere and his determination to get up off the canvas and keep marching forward, no matter what. We hear about his next move, the pain that drives him, the snakes that frustrate him behind the scenes, his withering assessment of Josh Warrington and why he’s in favour of the Zuffa Boxing move into the sport and why he feels the Ali Act didn’t help him, among lots of other themes in another fascinating conversation with one of Ireland’s most thoughtful, independent fighters. 

Thirty (and a bit) years on from winning the WBC world bantamweight in Japan, Wayne McCullough sits down for a Christmas chat with The Rocky Road. We go back to his breakthrough as a teenager in Belfast, sparring with pros at the Eastwood Gym, his two Olympic Games which culminated in a silver medal at Barcelona 92 and moving to the US to train under the legendary Eddie Futch. What made his mentor tick? And how did they plot his route to championship glory? Wayne then recalls the night itself, how he leapfrogged the various tricks the home crew tried to play on him, and why he wants to return to the Land of the Rising Sun for a reunion with the champion he toppled, Yasuei Yakushiji, who never fought again following their July 1995 bout. Wayne acknowledges Kieran Joyce's role in giving him his Pocket Rocket nickname, pays tribute to his old Ireland team-mates and explains why he wants a role in the future of Irish boxing after Zaur Antia announced his retirement as IABA high performance head coach earlier this year. Plus Wayne also details his struggles with mental health, which he spoke about at the time when such topics were rarely discussed, and he tells us that every day’s a battle on The Rocky Road to happiness. We love a Legends interview over the Christmas period, so enjoy this conversation with one of the Irish boxing GOATs. And Merry Christmas, to all our listeners, from Kev and Simon at the podcast.