Tyrone McKenna seems set to fight on after stopping Dylan Moran

Tyrone McKenna stopped Dylan Moran in the seventh round of their welterweight clash at Windsor Park.

McKenna (25-6-1) had indicated beforehand that this would be his swan song, but after stopping Dylan Moran (19-4), The Mighty Celt already appears like a man intent to keep on fighting.

The Belfast southpaw bagged his second win over Moran in a year with a vicious stoppage in the seventh.

Moran was counted after being dropped by a wicked left hook. Moran picked himself off the Windsor canvas and referee Reece Carter had a good look before giving him every chance to find his equilibrium again.

However, McKenna smelt blood and went for the finish. Carter had seen enough with one minute and 22 seconds gone in the seventh stanza of what had been an entertaining clash.

 The pair met at the SETU Arena in Moran’s native Waterford last December. McKenna went to Moran’s hometown and earned a second round stoppage.

McKenna subsequently lost to Harlem Eubanks in March. Eubank claimed the IBF Inter-Continental Welterweight crown when halting McKenna in the 10th round.

Moran was quickest to draw fire here, landing a clever left hand, although a cut over McKenna’s left eye seemed to have been opened by an accidental clash of heads.

Moran continued the nice work into the second but McKenna – backed by a large crowd in his home town – was now showing signs of finding his way into the bout.

By the third, McKenna, who had Tommy McCarthy among his corner team, had pulled his own gun from the holster. Like a hunter stalking prey, McKenna kept Moran firmly in his crosshairs.

A right hook by Moran in the fifth was a real reminder that he could be dangerous, but McKenna arrowed a powerful uppercut of his own.

Moran started the sixth well, but McKenna soon hit back again before the seventh drew an end to the bout.

It will hardly be the last we see of McKenna.