McKenna’s Title Victory in Dublin
Aaron McKenna, a fighter from Monaghan, secured the IBF world middleweight title in his first professional bout on Irish soil. The event took place at Dublin’s 3Arena, where McKenna faced Etinosa Oliha. McKenna’s performance was described as composed and dominant, leading to a unanimous decision victory at Zuffa Boxing 10. This win extended his professional record.
The judges’ scorecards reflected McKenna’s control, with scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112. This result marked the first professional defeat for Oliha, whose record now stands at 22-1. McKenna, known as ‘The Silencer’, gradually found his rhythm during the 12-round contest, effectively using his jab and uppercut while maintaining range to avoid Oliha’s attacks.
McKenna reflected on achieving a long-held ambition, stating he had thought about this moment since he was six years old. He also acknowledged that Oliha presented a tougher challenge than anticipated. McKenna expressed his readiness to face any challenger, now that he holds a belt, and aims to collect every title in boxing, including potentially moving up to super-middleweight.
Irish Fighters Secure Multiple Wins
The event in Dublin saw a clean sweep of victories for Irish boxers. In the co-main event, Cork native Callum Walsh defeated former European champion Tyler Denny by decision after a 10-round battle. This victory extended Walsh’s unbeaten record to 17-0. Walsh had previously fought in Ireland at the 3Arena in 2024, in a sold-out event.
Joe Ward, an Athlone boxer, made a successful return to the ring after a two-year absence, securing a decision win against Artjom Kasparian, who was previously unbeaten. Ward, a three-time European gold medalist and 2016 Olympian, has won 12 consecutive fights since an injury in his professional debut.
In the preliminary bouts, Stevie ‘The Hitman’ McKenna, Aaron’s brother, delivered a first-round knockout against Owen O’Neill, dropping the Belfast fighter with a right hand early in their middleweight contest. Derry’s Connor Coyle also 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.
McKenna’s Ambition for Middleweight Division
Following his title win, McKenna articulated his ambition to dominate the middleweight division. He stated his intention to take over the division, which he believes has been in need of a dominant figure since the departures of Gennadiy Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez. McKenna expressed confidence that he is the individual to achieve this.
He is keen for top 160-pound fighters to compete against each other to unify the division. McKenna reiterated his willingness to fight anyone, emphasizing that he wants to prove he is the best in the world. He believes that Zuffa Boxing is fostering an environment where fighters are willing to face all challengers, reminiscent of boxing in earlier decades.
McKenna’s professional debut on home soil ended a layoff. The fighter, trained by his father Feargal, has never been knocked down in his professional career. Oliha, the Ring’s No. 5 middleweight, had fought his entire career in Europe before this bout.
Source: bbc.co.uk
