DUBLIN, Ireland – Aaron McKenna will get the opportunity to cement himself as a professional world champion this Saturday at Dublin’s 3Arena.
The 27-year-old Irishman will face Etinosa Oliha for the vacant IBF middleweight title in what would cap a journey to the top that has taken over two decades. It all started in the amateurs with McKenna winning eight Irish national titles, a European schoolboy championships gold medal and losing just nine times out of a reported 161 fights.
One of those bouts came against now three-division champion and pound-for-pound star Devin Haney back when McKenna was just 11 years old.
“That was actually my first time in America, Kansas, fighting in the Ringside world championships,” McKenna told BoxingScene. “We both won our first fight and then we met in the semi-finals. I remember we were talking at the weigh-in and he was saying he was the godson of Zab Judah or something and he trained with Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Mike Tyson. So he was the next big thing over there even from then, and his dad was there too talking to him.
“It was a good fight, it was a 3-2 split decision to him but there were five American judges, so I thought I won it, but it was always going to be tough against the next big thing over there. But a good experience again, as an 11 year old to get that experience. That’s another thing, that was one of my biggest tournaments and that was at 11 years old, so it’s crazy.”
So, could McKenna ever run it back with the current WBO welterweight champion?
“You never know in this sport,” McKenna said. “Crawford moved up to 168 didn’t he from 147, so you never know.”
