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Tyrone McKenna predicts stoppage win over Scottish rival Lewis Benson in Glasgow rumble

Tyrone McKenna has progressed to 16-1-1 in his career and intends to finish 2019 on a high
Tyrone McKenna has progressed to 16-1-1 in his career and intends to finish 2019 on a high Tyrone McKenna has progressed to 16-1-1 in his career and intends to finish 2019 on a high

TYRONE McKenna intends to finish 2018 off on a high with a “big statement” win over Lewis Benson in Glasgow on Friday night.

The ‘Mighty Celt’ returns to the fray at the Emirates Arena rumble on the back of the first loss of his career – against Jack Catterall in June – predicting an early finish against the outspoken Glaswegian.

Benson claims to have gotten the better of McKenna in a spar a couple of years ago but the Belfast light-welter says he wasn’t “even breathing heavy it was that easy”. He’ll be determined to prove he is a class above ‘Kid Caramel’ on Friday.

“He is a good fighter,” McKenna admitted.

“It isn’t an easy fight for me to take, especially coming off a loss. People might have thought I would take an easy fight to get back to winning ways but that’s not what I like to do.

“I asked for this fight because I want hard fights. He is a tough opponent, he moves a lot and he tries to be awkward and be tricky and slick. He would frustrate a lot of people but I believe, with the way I’ve been sparring and training, that I’m more than ready for this.

“I’ve had top sparring partners in for this and they box very much like Benson and I’ve been handling them so I’m very confident that I’ll be able to pin him down, hurt him and hopefully stop him. I want to make a big statement.”

McKenna hasn’t fought since he locked horns with highly-rated Catterall back in June at the SSE Arena. He was down twice in that WBO Inter-Continental title match-up but he recovered and produced a lion-hearted fightback to take an engrossing contest to the final bell. Catterall got a tight points decision win but McKenna’s performance convinced any doubters that he has the determination to match his brash personality and entertaining southpaw style.

“I’ve always loved a fight, I’ve always loved getting punched in the face,” he said with a chuckle.

“People might have thought: ‘Oh he’s just a mouthpiece who loves to talk the talk’ and stuff like that but I genuinely love entertaining people and fighting.

“I’m 6’1”, I could use my reach and run away all night, just like Benson does, but that’s not what anyone wants to see, people want to see blood and sweat and fighting. They want to see you go toe-to-toe and that’s what I give them. That’s why people go to see my fight.

“I’m comfortable fighting. I’ve always fought, from I was eight years-old I’ve always been in looking for a tear-up and not using my height and reach. It’s just the style that I’ve adapted so I’m comfortable and happy to mix it. Maybe I shouldn’t do it? Maybe I should try and box but that’s not what I’m comfortable doing, I’m comfortable going in and firing because I know what kind of engine I have, I can out-pace every single fighter that I fight and when a taller guy like me is pushing you back it tires you even more.

“So I know the style that works for me and it’s going forward.”

He enjoyed the big-fight buzz before the Catterall fight, the atmosphere in the SSE Arena during it and the rave reviews he received afterwards. He wants more in the future and, at 28, he’s approaching the peak of his powers.

“The buzz I got from that fight – the week of it and the actual fight – has driven me to want more of that,” he said.

“I loved it. I loved it all and I want more big fights like that. I have to come through the likes of Lewis Benson to get them and it can’t be just about beating him, I have to put out a statement. I’ve been training very hard to put out that kind of statement and to get back in the big leagues.

“Benson is a drop down from Jack Catterall but he is still a good opponent and a respectable opponent. When I do come through it I’ll be back in the mix with the top people in Britain and Europe and the world.

“I want big fights, meaningful fights that excite me and this is a stepping stone fight to getting the big fights that I want.

“I want massive names, I don’t want domestic-level names any more. I want the likes of Terry Flanagan, Ricky Burns if he moves up, Viktor Postol, O’Hara Davies, a rematch with Catterall… Anything like that. I want to be fighting in the top 10 in the world.

“I think I’m ready for it and I proved that in my last fight. I’m ready for that step up.

“I’ve beaten good domestic level fighters.

“I beat two undefeated Dubs and then Anto Upton and Renald Garrido who was a tough man who has fought for numerous WBO European titles.

“I’ve proved myself at domestic level and now I’m above it. I want to start 2019 with some massive fights.”

McKenna has the height and the reach to box off the back foot but, as he says himself, he loves a tear-up. He says he “hates breaks” but he has spent the last five months working on correcting what went wrong in the Catterall fight and improving what went right.

“I love having fights,” he said.

“It has been five months but since two or three weeks after the fight I’ve been training. I’ve been practicing what didn’t work for me that night and improving it.

“On Friday you’ll see a lot of improvements, you’re going to see a much better, much cleverer Tyrone.

“I’ve been a slow starter, even in sparring, and I’m trying to correct that. My right hand drops down too much when I’m in range – Catterall caught me with some silly shots – so I’m trying to correct that.

“I’ve been working on my fitness and my pace and I’ve stepped that up a level in sparring.”

If he carries his form from the gym to the fight he can’t see Benson living with him. The Scot lost a tight decision against Johnny Coyle in Belfast the same night McKenna went toe-to-toe with Catterall. He’s tall (not as tall as McKenna) and awkward but he lacks the power and the finesse to really trouble the Belfast man who is confident that he will break him down and ‘get him out of there’.

“I don’t think he has as much heart or fitness or speed or power… He has nothing that bests me,” said McKenna.

“I best him in every single department and as long as I turn up feeling good on the night and listen to my corner then, 100 per cent, I believe I’ll stop him.

“The first few rounds might be a bit cagey but as the fight goes on I believe I’m going to be punishing him more and more. In the end he’s going to quit or get knocked out.”