McMahon Keane to prove he is Ireland’s best welter
Keane McMahon [4(1)-0] is finished being a shrinking violet and is now saying what he feels – namely that he is the best welterweight in Ireland.
The Smithfield stylist has gone about his business under the radar and, last time out, scored an impressive knockout win. Now ‘The Iceman’ is ready to send chills down the spines of his domestic rivals as he calls for big fights that will allow him to back up his big claims.
This all starts on Saturday November 24th at Good Counsel GAA Club in Drimnagh where McMahon will have his fifth professional fight. It is hoped that the 24-year-old will box for his maiden title on the ‘Celtic Clash 7’ card and McMahon is more than confident that he can continue stepping up the levels.
The charismatic Northsider said that “this will be another bumper bill with some top fights and another big fight for me. 2018 has been a top year for me so far where I’ve stepped up and looked impressive, pushed my unbeaten record to 4-0 and most recently won by knockout.”
His knockout win over Cork-based South African Jade Karam, a beautiful third-round body shot assault that forced the towel to be thrown in, certainly got people talking and McMahon is delighted that people are starting to take notice of him amongst what is a packed domestic scene. The Dubliner outlined how “people who know boxing look at me and know I am a good fighter, but the casual fan wants to see people getting banjoed before they get excited about you, That’s why you get the hype around Lewis Crocker and the likes and good luck to them. I said to myself ‘I am going to stop Jade and get people talking’. The goal was to stop him, I wasn’t going six rounds, not a chance.”
And stop Jade he did in what was a show stealing performance at the venue he returns to on November 24th. Looking back on the statement win, McMahon noted how Karam “is a good challenge and I am happy with how I performed against him. He comes in drops his head and throws the right hand, so we were practicing catching them and coming straight back down the middle, but he was taking them. I caught him flush on the chin and I said ‘this fella’s not going down’. So I went to the body and the left hook to the body done him. People look at me and think because I am tall I will go on the back foot and box, but asking anyone who spars me I bang to the body. The left hook to the body is my signature punch and as soon as I landed it right I knew I hurt him. I think they were smart in taking him out. I know he is a tough lad, but I think they made the right decision.”
Should his title fight be confirmed, it is likely that McMahon will fight a Scottish, Welsh, or Continental European opponent for the Boxing Union of Ireland Celtic title but it is his fellow Irishmen that ‘The Iceman’ really wants. There’s the aforementioned Crocker, a knockout artist from Belfast, Waterford fan favourite Dylan Moran, popular Lucan soldier John Joyce, and many more.
McMahon professes that “I want to fight the best. I am ready for whoever wants it, lets fight. I believe I am the best welterweight in Ireland. I don’t care what people think of me saying that, I believe it. Crocker is a knockout artist, but I’ll outbox him. I want those fights. I want to fight for the titles. It’s about skills and I think I’m too technically gifted for all of them at the moment. Who are the welterweights? There’s me, Lewis Crocker, John Joyce, Dylan Moran who I boxed as an amateur, there’s loads of good guys and I think I’m the best – I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think I was.”
