Barrett set to win biggest fight of his life in London

A champion boxer from Galway is among those in an Intensive Care Unit fighting for his life.

Former Irish heavyweight champion, Coleman Barrett, was said to be “improving” in a London hospital on Tuesday as he continues to fight Covid-19.

The 38-years-old from Ballybrit had been in a critical condition but has improved this week, according to his former coach at Olympic Boxing Club in Westside, John Mongan.

“Look it, he’s improving. I was talking to him this morning on WhatsApp from London. He’s improving. I’d say another week or so maybe. He was bad [last week], he was in intensive care, and needed oxygen and was on a lot of medication.

“He’s still on some medication but it’s reduced a lot and he’s in great form now thank God. He’s off the bigger ventilator and is on a smaller one. He’s improving thank God and looking great.

“He was a heavyweight, a big man and a strong man. We’re all in touch with him every second day, on WhatsApp and sending him voice notes. Thank God he’s improving a bit,” said Mongan.

Barrett won the Irish junior heavyweight title in 2000; and followed that up with a European bronze medal. Those achievements saw him named as the boxing award winner in the 2000 Galway sports Star Awards.

Then, 10 years later, he became just the third Galway man to win the national heavyweight title, and the first in 66 years. The previous Galway winners were Pat Maher from Kilbannon in 1890; and Martin Thornton from Spiddal in 1944.

He landed the title in a points victory over Colin Kenna from Dublin, running-out a 97-92 winner, having gone into the fight as a well-backed favourite. Kenna is a brother of former Galway United manager and Irish international, Jeff Kenna.

That senior Irish title came a year after he made it all the way to the final of the Prizefighter series in London, a professional tournament organised by promoter, Barry Hearn, and aired on Sky Sports.

Barrett was a 25-1 outsider for the tournament in October 2009, but won both his quarter-final and semi-final bouts on unanimous decision, before losing the final to Audley Harrison due to a second-round knockout in the three-round bout.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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