Aaron McKenna Says He’ll Become the Kind of World Champion Boxing Needs
Aaron McKenna believes becoming world champion is only the beginning.
The unbeaten Monaghan middleweight fights Etinosa Oliha for the vacant IBF middleweight title in the 3Arena on Saturday.
He insists that if he fulfils a lifelong dream and captures the crown, he won’t follow the modern blueprint of boxing’s elite.
McKenna is not a fan of how the top table is set and particularly who dines with whom, as a result, he wants to become the type of champion he believes the sport has been missing.
The younger of two Smithborough boxing brothers believes boxing has drifted away from what made it great, with too many top fighters avoiding each other, world champions fighting too infrequently and fans left waiting for the contests they want to see.
“I was calling for the biggest and best fights, but none of the middleweights wanted it,” McKenna said.
“People in boxing need to fight each other. People want to see 50-50 fights.”
McKenna also feels boxing’s biggest names have become far too inactive, arguing that champions should defend their titles regularly instead of appearing just once a year.
“This thing of people only fighting once a year… it’s not good enough. World champions need to be fighting at least twice a year, aiming to fight three times a year.”
Should he fulfil his dream of becoming Ireland’s newest world champion on Saturday, McKenna says those won’t be empty promises.
“I’m going to deliver for the people and bring back that 80s and 90s style of boxing where you fight regularly.”
Saturday’s contest is significant for another reason. Nine years after turning professional, McKenna will finally box in Ireland for the first time, a moment he admits he feared might never arrive.
“It’s been nine years now that I am pro and I was starting to wonder would I ever get the chance to fight in Ireland.”
