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Published 09:23 28 Jul 2018 BST
Updated 19:24 28 Jul 2018 BST
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"It's the best feeling in the world to land a shot on someone's chin or temple and for them to go down."https://twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/status/984604276285583361
"A few weeks after my brothers started boxing, I joined and went from there. I started boxing when I was six. So I was very young to start and I had 40-50 exhibition fights before I was even 11. I just love boxing. Once I started boxing, I just fell in love with it." "When I was younger I did boxing and Gaelic football at the same time. When boxing got real serious, I quit Gaelic. Ever since I was about 10, 11 or 12, boxing got really serious because the championships were at that age."
Former heavyweight Kevin McBride is a close family friend of the McKennas. However, Aaron's biggest boxing idol was actually retired by 'The Clones Colossus' in 2005. It was that air of intimidation 'Iron Mike' had inside the ring that McKenna draws inspiration from.
"I'd go home and watch old clips of Mike Tyson. I always liked his style and attitude in the ring. The way he would psych his opponents out and he'd have them beaten before he'd get in the ring. That's something that I would try to do in the ring. I just remain focused, look him straight in the eye, don't flinch and just imagine what I'm going to do to him. Most of them don't look me in the eye, they'd look away."
"My style has always been more suited to the pros. Three rounds, for me, isn't enough. I'm the same in the last round as I am in the first round. 10 and 12 rounds suit me far more because in the amateur game, if you're trying to qualify for the Olympics and you got a cut, that's you out. That's your Olympic dreams gone. By that time as a pro, you'd have 10-15 fights. My style is very aggressive. The Mexicans and Americans have took to my style, they really like it."[caption id="attachment_170161" align="alignnone" width="500"]
Image credit: Valentin Romero[/caption]
"Yeah, with my brother sometimes the sparrring would get hot, but that's good. That's when we know we're razor sharp. It's great to have my brother over training alongside me. We're competitive with each other, we push each other on, we run and do our strength and conditioning together and we box with each other every day."When he's not slugging it out with his sibling, he's practicing with some elite boxers. McKenna has been sparring with the likes of former IBO Lightweight and IBF Pan Pacific Light Welterweight champion Lenny Zappavigna, Fabian Maidana, brother of Floyd Mayweather rival Marcos, and former IBF light welterweight champion Sergey Lipinets. With training partners like that, he has no option but to stay razor-sharp.
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