Natasha Jonas and Joe Gallagher on trainer’s cancer diagnosis: ‘We’ve got fights to win in and outside the ring’
Natasha Jonas and her coach Joe Gallagher are facing challenges in the ring and beyond the ropes.
Gallagher is training Jonas for her world title unification with Lauren Price, this Friday at the Royal Albert Hall.
In the build up to that March 7 championship fight, Gallagher revealed that he has also been contending with stage four bowel and liver cancer.
“I did a statement because I just wanted people to be aware,” Gallagher told Sky Sports. “I just want everyone to go and get checked out and don’t wait too late.
“Everyone last year thought I was living my best life, they’ve seen me out [in Riyadh] at dinners with Eminem and Ronaldo, and part of the Mike Tyson gym and setting this up and Lawrence [Okolie] winning world titles and Tasha winning world titles, and everyone thinking I’ve got a great life but unbeknown – only through having a medical – that’s come along.”
He added: “I’ve put it out there just to let everyone know. If I am the Joe Gallagher everyone has experienced in the past sometimes this time it might not be me, it might be the mood of the chemo and that. But business is just as normal.”
Gallagher is keeping everything in the gym focused on the boxing and the success of his athletes.
“It’s just like business as always. Nothing’s changed,” he said. “I’ve said to the fighters you’ve just got to concentrate. We’ve got fights to win both in and outside the ring this year and that’s what we intend doing.”
He has been arranging his chemotherapy treatments around his fighters’ upcoming bouts.
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Natasha Jonas’ trainer Joe Gallagher trolled Katie Taylor as his phone rang during his fighter’s press conference ahead of her battle against Lauren Price
“Boxing is his distraction and it keeps him mentally in the game and ready,” Jonas told Sky Sports. “If you were in the gym you wouldn’t think anything was any different. He’s still shouting at me, I’m still getting told off left, right and centre. I’m still getting praised when I’ve done good stuff.
“Joe’s Joe. He’ll always be Joe. He thinks about himself last and he wants it almost as much as you.
“There’s extra incentives,” she added, “I don’t need to explain that. But there is extra incentives for me to do well and do myself and the camp justice and my coach.”
Watch Natasha Jonas fight Lauren Price for the IBF, WBC and WBA welterweight world titles on Friday, live on Sky Sports.
