Best teen we’ve ever seen – Team McKenna blown away by debut performance

If there has been a more impressive debut performance from a teenager, Lyle Green has yet to see it.

Vice President of Sheer Sports Management, Green has seen his fair share of boxing, but claims the “outstanding” debut of Ireland’s youngest pro boxer Aaron McKenna in Las Vegas last weekend was the best he has seen by a teen.

The bold enough claim might lead some to raise eyebrows or suggest adrenaline is still coursing through the important member of both McKenna and Jason Quigley’s management team’s veins.

However, when Green explains what made the shut-out points win over Travis Conley stand out for him, it’s easy to come in line with his thinking.

First and foremost Green is specifically talking about a fighter making a debut not long after he attended his Debs and probably more importantly is factoring in the out of ring difficulties McKenna took flush on the chin without wobbling in the build up to the clash.

“I thought it was an outstanding fight for a debut. I am not certain how it could have went any better. He should everything he is as a fighter. He used his jab, was accurate and threw punches in bunches it was very impressive,” Green told Irish-Boxing.com.

“Even more impressive, [it was] from an 18 year old. Someone would need to show me film of an 18 year old who had a better debut because I can’t recall one.”

It was a mature and assured display from the talented baby faced Irish fighter and a performance that is made more impressive by the fact it came on the back of a last-minute cancellation along with another bout of uncertainty in Vegas.

After seeing a fight fall through on the Miguel Cotto farewell card in New York just seven days previous, the Monaghan youngster was then informed his rescheduled bout in Las Vegas looked set to go the same way.

The fight did go ahead and Green seems to have taken a lot from how McKenna dealt with the adversity.

“It’s pretty incredible to have two debut fights canceled in a week. To deal with that was amazing. He managed to stay in the right frame of mind and stayed physically and mentally ready. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”

You can sense the excitement in Green’s voice when he discusses the European Schoolboys gold medalist, but it seems the Sheer Sports man isn’t the only one to get a little tingle when thinking of what  McKenna can achieve in the game.

“Golden Boy are big on Aaron,” Green continued.

“When Oscar [De La Hoya] wants to meet the fighter and is interested in when, where, and who he is fighting at this stage of his career, you know they are interested. Put it this way they were going to put him on the Madison Square Garden Card it doesn’t get bigger than that, that shows you what they think of him.” 

At 18, McKenna certainly isn’t in any rush to move up rankings or make a grab for a title, Sheer Sports are hopefully Golden Boy will keep him busy next year.

” I would love for him to fight 10 times next year, but with the amount of fighters Golden Boy have that’s not realistic. The way he is and is built he is always fight ready.”

“He has the capability to fight as many times as Golden Boy can provide fights. I would like to see him out six times next year. ”