Stephen McKenna has just completed the most beneficial sparring camp of his career with IBF & WBA Super World Super Lightweight Champion Josh Taylor ahead of the Scotsman’s mega fight with the WBC & WBO World Champion Jose Ramirez. The undefeated young talent from Smithborough, County Monaghan, has been racking up the rounds with Taylor this last week in Las Vegas before the two unified World Champions collide in one of the biggest fights of the year on Saturday 22nd May. ‘The Hitman’ has previously shared two training camps with Ramirez where he sparred nearly 100 rounds in total with the American, which has given the fast-rising young star plenty of crucial and valuable learning experiences as he makes rapid progress in his own career. McKenna won’t be at the fight, though, as he has his own fight lined up on the same night back in the UK when he features on his promoter Mick Hennessy’s big show at the Coventry Skydome Arena, headlined with the all-out war between Sam Eggington and Carlos Molina for the Vacant WBC Silver Middleweight Championship, live and free on Channel 5.
Along with father and trainer Fergal and younger brother and top undefeated super-welterweight prospect Aaron, the fighting family first went to Mexico to train before heading to Los Angeles and then finishing off in Las Vegas. McKenna is now desperate to get back in the ring with his last fight in December ending in a third round knockout of Devon’s durable Des Newton and hopes to show off what he’s learnt and the improvements made from his sparring with Taylor.
He said,
It’s great to be a part of Josh’s preparations for his fight with Jose Ramirez and it’s fantastic work for me to get in there with someone of Josh’s calibre, a man who’s a unified World champion and going for all the titles. It’s brilliant experience for me and I couldn’t be getting any better work in the gym than with him and I’m really in top form for my fight on May 22nd,
The 24-year-old has raised eyebrows with his ice-cold demeanour and frightening display of power-punching that has seen him establish a perfect seven fight record with seven knockouts. All of his wins have come inside five rounds with four of those in the opening round that has singled him out as one of the best and most exciting young fighters to keep an eye on in 2021.
His dad Fergal is delighted with the trip and believes the experience will have benefitted his son no end as Stephen’s career steps up towards Championship contention.
He noted,
Stephen has been a benefit to Josh, he’s similar to Ramirez with his aggressive nature. When you bear in mind he helped Ramirez prepare, Stephen’s in a unique position to know both fighters, Ramirez is rough and rugged whereas Josh is very technical and has the speed,
It has given Josh a good opportunity to practice for the fight. It’s really interesting to see how Josh prepares and handles things and it’s another learning experience for Stephen to be mixing in this calibre. It’s only a matter of time until Stephen's there at the top,
