Despite a positive development, concerns still remain about Lee Reeves‘ condition. The 31-year-old fighter, who was hospitalized after suffering a knockout loss on August 1, has begun rehabilitation after multiple surgeries. Still, more than two and half months after the incident, he remains unconscious.
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“Irish boxer Lee Reeves remains unconscious 76 days after suffering a devastating knockout against Gary Cully in Dublin,” a post from World Boxing read. The 31-year-old has been moved closer to his family in Limerick and has begun physiotherapy as the boxing community continues to support his recovery. 🇮🇪❤️.”
The report follows an October 1 update from Jonathan O’Brien, Reeves’s former trainer.
“Lee has come out of surgery; he’s in the ICU now. And everything’s OK so far, so keep the fingers crossed. Lee will need a miracle, so keep praying. I’m begging you all, keep praying every day for Lee Reeves,” O’Brien said, speaking on behalf of the Reeves family.
The incident occurred during a boxing event at Dublin’s 3Arena on August 1. Fighting on the preliminary card of the Queensberry event, headlined by a title fight between Mark Chamberlain and Pierce O’Leary, Reeves (16-2-0) faced fellow Irishman Gary Cully (20-2-0). The BUI Irish Super Lightweight Title was on the line.
The bout witnessed a fierce back-and-forth. Despite entering as the underdog, Reeves kept Cully in check. As the 10-round contest entered its final stage, some observers reportedly had Reeves ahead on the scorecards. Cully also had a point deducted in the fifth round for losing his mouthguard.
Things, however, changed dramatically in the final round. Thirty seconds into the round, back-to-back short jabs from Cully dropped Reeves to the canvas. Reeves got to his feet and beat the referee’s count. However, he was unable to withstand the punch that followed roughly 20 seconds later.
Irish boxer Lee Reeves remains unconscious 76 days after suffering a devastating knockout against Gary Cully in Dublin. The 31-year-old has been moved closer to his family in Limerick and has begun physiotherapy as the boxing community continues to support his recovery. 🇮🇪❤️
A textbook straight left from Cully dropped Reeves to the canvas. As he lay there, the referee and a cornerman rushed to attend to him. Even the commentators admitted that it was a “brutal knockdown” and questioned if Reeves was all right.
Reeves was not present for the post-fight announcements, as ringside doctors and the medical team continued to attend to him and monitor his condition. Cully expressed concern for the Limerick native, saying, “Hopefully he’s okay.”
Attention soon shifted to Reeves after he was taken to the Beaumont Hospital. He underwent major surgery and was placed in a medically induced coma before being moved to the Mater Hospital for intensive treatment.
The Irish Examiner reported that, after a delay of several weeks, Reeves underwent a cranioplasty to repair the portion of his skull removed during the initial operation, according to Jonathan O’Brien.
Reeves has since been moved to his hometown, Limerick’s University Hospital, so that he can be closer to his family. He remains unconscious.
Lee Reeves – A fighter through and through
Reeves has been a professional boxer for eight years. On November 17, 2018, he made his debut knocking out Benito Aburto in the third round. His four-fight winning streak ended with a decision loss to Artur Davydenko on February 29, 2020.
Putting the setback behind him, Reeves returned to the win column and remained unbeaten, with his last five bouts ending inside the distance, before suffering the knockout loss to Cully.
A closer look suggests this would be the first time in his professional career that Lee Reeves experienced serious injury and medical emergency.
The incident also recalls the death of Irish boxer John Cooney following a fight in Belfast in February 2025.
On February 1, 2025, Cooney, a London-born fighter of Irish heritage, sustained a devastating brain injury during his Celtic super featherweight title defense against Welshman Nathan Howells at Belfast’ Ulster Hall. The fight was stopped in the ninth round.
After the ringside medical team assessed him, Cooney was transferred by ambulance to Royal Victoria Hospital. Doctors identified bleeding inside his skull and performed emergency surgery to reduce pressure on his brain. Despite receiving intensive care, Cooney died on February 8, one week after the fight.
Meanwhile, fundraising initiatives have been organized to help Reeves’ family cover his medical and recovery expenses.
“Hello My name is Jonathan O Brien, and I’m setting this up to help raise as much as we can for Lee Reeves and his Family to help cover his recovery expenses,” the message on the GoFundMe page read.
“Also to give his family a hand out with their expenses too. Lee Reeves has given back to so many in his life, supports charities and his community in Limerick, Ireland, and is one of our own. A genuine good hearted man. I know he would appreciate all our kindness and support. Let’s go, champ; this is your final round.”
The fundraiser has reportedly raised €120,942 ($135,938.81) toward its €130K ($146,120) goal.
On October 4, Southside Boxing and Treaty Boxing, two Limerick-based boxing organizations, staged a boxing event as a fund raiser. A week later, on October 11, a “5K for Lee Reeves” took place at Dublin’s Phoenix Park.