McKenna claims world title in Dublin debut
Aaron McKenna, a fighter from Monaghan, secured the IBF world middleweight title in his first professional fight on Irish soil. The event took place at Dublin’s 3Arena, where McKenna defeated Etinosa Oliha. McKenna extended his professional record to 21-0 following a dominant performance over 12 rounds at Zuffa Boxing 10.
The judges’ scorecards reflected McKenna’s control, with scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112. This victory marked the first professional defeat for Oliha, whose record now stands at 22-1. McKenna, known as ‘The Silencer’, effectively used his jab and uppercut, maintaining range to avoid Oliha’s attacks. He frequently forced Oliha onto the ropes, landing combinations to both the head and body.
McKenna reflected on achieving a long-held ambition, having been a professional for nine years without fighting in Ireland. He stated that he had thought about this moment since he was six years old, and for it to happen at 27, it demonstrates the importance of perseverance. Despite a clash of heads in the 11th round that caused him to bleed, McKenna remained composed and landed several clean shots.
Irish fighters secure clean sweep
The event also saw other Irish boxers achieve victories, completing a clean sweep in the Irish capital. In the co-main event, Cork native Callum Walsh defeated former European champion Tyler Denny by decision after a 10-round contest. Walsh’s unbeaten record now stands at 17-0.
Joe Ward, from Athlone, returned to the ring after a two-year absence and secured a decision win against Artjom Kasparian, who was previously unbeaten. Ward settled into the fight and finished strongly. In the prelims, Stevie ‘The Hitman’ McKenna, Aaron’s brother, delivered a first-round knockout against Owen O’Neill, dropping the Belfast fighter with a right hand just over a minute into their middleweight bout.
Derry’s Connor Coyle improved his record to 23-0 with a unanimous decision victory over Mark Beuke. Additionally, Patrick O’Connor stopped Juan Manuel Moriel after the opening round. The event marked Zuffa Boxing’s first show in Ireland, with a vacant middleweight world title contested on Irish soil for the first time in over three decades.
McKenna’s future ambitions
Following his title win, McKenna expressed his ambition to dominate the middleweight division. He stated that he wants to collect every belt in boxing and considers himself the best middleweight in the world, also indicating a willingness to move up to super-middleweight. McKenna welcomed all challengers, noting that with a belt, he is now easy to find.
He believes the middleweight division is ready to be taken over, suggesting it has been lacking since the departure of fighters like Gennadiy Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez. McKenna declared his intention to be the one to take over the division, a sentiment he had expressed previously. He hopes other world champions will engage in fights to unify the division.
McKenna reiterated his willingness to fight anyone to unify the titles and prove he is the best in the world. He highlighted that Zuffa Boxing is promoting fights where everyone is competing against each other, a practice he believes reflects the sport’s past in the 80s and 90s. He concluded by acknowledging the significance of his accomplishment, stating it was 21 years in the making.
Source: bbc.co.uk