“I think I will stop him” – Jake Hanney confident of Tyrone McKenna KO

Not quite Mr T’s “pain” promise from Rocky III, but Jake Hanney‘s prediction ahead of his BUI Celtic title fight with Tyrone McKenna is simple enough.

The former Australian Prospect of the Year was brief, deliberate, and confident when asked for a fight forecast ahead of Friday’s Waterfront Hall-hosted clash.

“A Dublin stoppage win,” Hanney [5(4)-0] told Irish-boxing.com.

Hanney, who remains a bit of an unknown quantity considering the majority of his career was spent on the rise Down Under, claims he is bringing power to the table on Friday night, and is confident he can secure a career-changing knockout win.

“I am bringing power. I am bringing movement with that and I think it’s going to be a stoppage. I think I will stop him.”

Opponent McKenna, who raised his profile with a quality performance against Sean Creagh last time out, claims that 27 year old Dub isn’t as confident as he makes out, and alluded to ‘fake confidence’ at the final press conference yesterday

Hanney, who like McKenna [12(4)-0-1] was an amateur of note particularly at underage, warned the rangey southpaw about questioning confidence, and is adamant he is solely focused on himself ahead of the clash.

“Fake confidence? I don’t know where he is getting that out of, but if he is taking confidence because he thinks I lack in it, then he is in trouble.”

“I just laugh at it to be honest. I am not worried about him or his confidence levels. I worry about me, my mindset, and what I can do in there on Friday. He should be worrying about himself and his unbeaten record.”

‘The Mighty Celt’ is hoping to claim back-to-back Dublin victims when he returns to fight in Belfast this weekend. Having impressed against Tallaght’s gutsy Creagh, he is confident he can account for East Wall’s Hanney on a show topped by Jamie Conlan and broadcast live on BoxNation.

However, Hanney stressed that he is a much different proposition than his fellow Dub and friend Creagh.

“It was a good performance against Sea. I’ll give him that. I heard the weight got to Sean, he didn’t do it right and in all fairness to Sean he is a great fighter and comes to war, but I have a big amateur pedigree I know how to box and I am not going in there as gung-ho as Sean.”

“I won’t get caught like that. Sean will bounce back strong from that fight, but I am a different kettle of fish all together.”

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)