Gallagher gives cancer update: 'I have operation in September to get rid of this'

Manchester boxing coach Joe Gallagher speaks on latest episode of Toe2Toe Sky Sports Boxing podcast; Gallagher reveals after receiving all-clear from cancer in September, scans in January showed it had returned to his liver; Having undergone chemo, he will have operation in September

Boxing trainer Joe Gallagher has revealed his cancer returned in January, but after responding well to chemotherapy he has an operation in September with hopes of getting the all-clear again.

Speaking as a guest on the latest episode of the Toe2Toe Sky Sports Boxing podcast, esteemed Manchester coach Gallagher was previously diagnosed with stage four bowel and liver cancer, undergoing chemotherapy and a major operation.

He received the all-clear in September last year and was well enough to accompany his fighter Mikie Tallon to Las Vegas to box in a mid-week show ahead of Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford.

"2026 has been a bumpy road. It was a right kick in the nuts at the beginning of the year," Gallagher tells Sky Sports.

"In September, I got given the all clear on the plane to Vegas, and then I went in back in January for something to do with my heart - believe it or not, I have a heart! - I went for scans and then they came back and they said: 'Listen the cancer has come back to your liver.'

"They said it was inoperable at first, and then there was chance of it being operable, but I had to do a load of chemo to shrink it. So I've gone through seven cycles, and it was a lot more aggressive.

"The cocktail of chemo was huge. Obviously, you could see me losing my hair and everything else.

"I've been doing that, coming through it all, so now I'm going to have an operation in September to get rid of this.

"There's four areas of the liver that has got cancer, three of them can be cut out, one of them they've got to burn it out, but that one is sitting on a main artery that's carrying blood from the feet to the heart.

"The consultant is very matter of fact, which they have to be. He said I needed to rest.

"But I was just so annoyed because I thought: '2026, here we go, I've got a great team of talent coming through.' And then I thought: 'Oh my God.'

"Everyone knows I'm not available in September. But I'll be back for the beginning of October, hopefully."

Mikie Tallon, also speaking to Toe2Toe Sky Sports Boxing podcast, said: