McKenna’s Title Victory
Aaron McKenna, a boxer from Monaghan, secured the IBF world middleweight title in his first professional fight on Irish soil at Dublin’s 3Arena. McKenna defeated Etinosa Oliha, who was previously unbeaten, in a dominant performance. The victory extends McKenna’s professional record to 21-0. He controlled much of the 12-round contest, earning a unanimous decision at Zuffa Boxing 10.
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’, steadily found his rhythm during the fight, effectively using his jab and uppercut while maintaining range against Oliha’s attacks. He increasingly took control, pushing Oliha against the ropes and landing combinations to the head and body.
Despite Oliha’s continued forward pressure, McKenna’s movement and defence largely neutralised the Italian’s efforts, allowing McKenna to land cleaner shots. A clash of heads in the 11th round caused McKenna to bleed, but he remained composed and responded with several clean shots. In the final round, Oliha pressed for a dramatic finish, but McKenna continued to frustrate him with his jab until the final bell, which was met with celebrations from the Dublin crowd.
McKenna reflected on achieving a long-held ambition, noting he had been a professional for nine years without fighting in Ireland. He stated, “I’ve been thinking about this moment since I was six years old. It just goes to show, don’t give up, always stay true to yourself. You can do anything.” McKenna acknowledged that Oliha presented a tougher challenge than anticipated and expressed readiness to face any future challengers. He stated, “I want to collect every single belt in boxing. I’m the best middleweight and super-middleweight in the world. I don’t mind jumping up.”
Undercard Highlights in Dublin
The Zuffa Boxing 10 event also featured several other notable bouts, with Irish boxers achieving a clean sweep of victories in the capital. In the co-main event, Cork native Callum Walsh secured a decision win against former European champion Tyler Denny after a rigorous 10-round battle. This victory extended Walsh’s unbeaten record to 17-0.
Joe Ward, an Athlone boxer, returned to the ring after a two-year absence, defeating the previously unbeaten Artjom Kasparian. Ward settled into the contest and finished strongly to earn a decision win. In the preliminary fights, Stevie ‘The Hitman’ McKenna, Aaron’s brother, delivered a first-round knockout against Owen O’Neill. He dropped the Belfast fighter with a powerful 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.
Future Aspirations
Following his title win, McKenna expressed his ambition to dominate the middleweight division, aiming to take on the mantle previously held by fighters like Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin. He is targeting other champions, including Denzel Bentley (WBO title), Carlos Adames (WBC title), and Erislandy Lara (WBA title), calling for top 160-pounders to fight each other. McKenna stated that he wants to unify the division and prove he is the best in the world.
He concluded by reflecting on his accomplishment, stating that it has been in the making and that he had been dreaming of this moment.
Source: bbc.co.uk