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Tyrone McKenna reveals that Ohara Davies bout is “closer than ever”


Tyrone McKenna [17(6)-1(0)-1] believes a fight with Ohara Davis is closer than ever and is salivating at the prospect of retiring his long time verbal sparring partner.

The controversial and outspoken Londoner has long since been top of a long McKenna wish list – a list  Lewis Ritson has been recently added too – but the pair never looked close to fighting.

However, after significantly increasing his profile in 2018, ‘The Mighty Celt’ believes the fight between managerial stablemates can be made.

The rangy southpaw who, like Davies, lost to WBO world title mandatory Jack Catterall last year, suggests fighting ‘Two Tanks’, who also has beef with Darragh Foley, does nothing for him career.

The 29-year-old former BUI Celtic champion suggests, after a second career defeat, Davies has become irrelevant, but is open to the fight as it allows him to settle a personal grudge.

Indeed, McKenna hints heavily that the fight is near done.

The Danny Vaughan-trained man is back in the ring this Friday in Belfast at the Ulster Hall in a tick-over and is already looking forward to major 2019 fights.

McKenna explained to Irish-Boxing.com how “I’d like to get a massive fight again with one of the top names in UK.”

“Lewis Ritson I see has moved up, I’d love a go at him or the winner of the EBU fight at the weekend [Joe Hughes v Robbie Davies Jr] would be great, but one I’ve always asked for and feel is closer than ever is Ohara!”

“His stock has dropped and mine has raised after 2018, I dont need him at all but that doesn’t mean I wouldnt like to put him into retirement so I’d still love that fight.”

McKenna’s 2018 saw him defeat Anto Upton and Lewis Benson in heated affairs which bookended a gallant loss to Catterall.

The Glasgow-based boxer reflects on how “I thought it was a great year, maybe I was a bit too entertaining at times but that’s what I love to do, entertain fans.”

“With my attributes ,being tall, I could sit back and box all night make fights boring but that’s not me.”

“I love to entertain and have gained a lot of fans in 2018 by doing so.”

Before moving back into big fights, McKenna first faces tough Nicaraguan Oscar Amador [10(1)-15(5)], a recent foe of Stephen Ormond and Dylan Moran, on Friday at the Ulster Hall on the MTK GLobal Fight Night.

His fellow Irishmen went the distance with the game Central American but McKenna doesn’t want to go the full six.

The languid Lenadoon man outlined how “I’d love a knock out this week and I believe it’s what I should be doing to this journeymen at the level I’m at now.”

“I haven’t really watched him so idont know what to expect I just hope it’s not a messy fight or a negative style that runs away a lot

“It’s a bit hard to get up for a fight like this but I’ve had three hard fights in a row… a nice routine win on Friday isn’t the worst thing in the world and gets me prepared for a massive fight next.”

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Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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