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Telly addict Tyrone McKenna wants a big fight on a big Belfast card

Considering he was a critically-acclaimed child actor, starring alongside Robert Carlyle and Gillian Anderson in The Mighty Celt, it’s no surprise that Tyrone McKenna [13(5)-0-1] likes being in front of the camera.

Now, following two successive TV dates, McKenna is desperate to get back on our screens.

The press conference for the next Belfast BoxNation card took place this afternoon, and the Lenadoon light welter was a notable absence from the top table.

While McKenna was not part of the festivities, ‘The Mighty Celt’ promises that there is news coming soon and that he will, hopefully, be back where he belongs this Summer.

McKenna has impressed on the past two Boxnation bills in the city, stopping previously undefeated Dubs Sean Creagh and Jake Hanney in exciting clashes. The wins have seen his profile boosted immensely and saw him become known as one of the rising stars of Irish boxing.

Therefore, it was almost assumed that McKenna would be on the bill on June 17th, perhaps in a third consecutive all-Irish clash,

While he was not part of the initial announcement, the West Belfast boxer still hopes to be part of the bill or possibly even the Sky Sports card in the city one week prior.

McKenna, who is managed by Mack The Knife Global, explained to Irish-Boxing.com that “I had a date near-confirmed, but then something fell through, so they’re looking for someone new.”

“I was speaking to my management yesterday and I asked them was there anything in the pipeline and they said ‘yeah, there’s a date for you.”

“I’m hoping it’s either this one or the Sky one.”

Whenever he fights, the 27 year old southpaw wants to be progressed further. He outlined how “I want a ten rounder next, I was asking for any big title they can get.”

“Anything, I don’t want to defend the BUI Celtic title anymore, I want an Irish title or a British Celtic title, or even an International title or something like that.”

“I want big names, they asked me who I wanted and I said the likes of Willie Limond, Tyrone Nurse, Ohara Davies, people like that. I don’t want low-level or journeymen.”

“I’m going over to Spain tomorrow and I’ll have a date. I’ve been in Scotland in the cold so I can’t wait to get to Spain and get a tan. I’ll be there for six weeks so hopefully I get a big fight.”

This tan, he hopes, will come in handy, as McKenna wants to return to the TV screens following two successive high-profile wins

“I love being on TV, I’m having TV withdrawal so I need to get back on TV as soon as possible,” he joked.

Ready for a step-up, the Belfast boxer noted how “my confidence is building every fight.”

“The start of my career, when I was fighting journeymen, I never looked as good as I knew I could box.”

“I always said that when I was fighting people who were coming to win, undefeated guys, that I was going to show how good I was, and I think I proved that in the last two fights – two undefeated guys, both stopped, and everyone enjoyed the fights.”

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

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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