Tattoo For You – Tyrone McKenna makes Paul Ryan promise
Tyrone McKenna could be sporting a new tattoo before he enters the ring to fight Chris Jenkins in Belfast next weekend if Paul Ryan [4(2)-0] gets the job done within three in Essex tomorrow night.
‘The Mighty Celt’ usually gets new ink after he wins a fight but has made a bet with his Colosseum Gym stablemate that could see a portrait of Ryan joining Tyrone McCullagh somewhere on the southpaw’s body.
McKenna has agreed to get a Ryan tat if the European Schoolboy medal winner stops Alexander Zeledon [6(0)-32(8)-3] before the bell to end the third sounds at the Civic Hall.
Ryan is adamant his sole focus is on the win regardless of how it comes, but he admits the chance to take up permanent residency on the skin of McKenna is an incentive to go on a stoppage hunt.
“The prediction is a win everything else is secondary, although if I do get the stoppage in 3 rounds Tyrone McKenna has to get a tattoo of me, so that’s a bit of an incentive,” Ryan tells Irish-boxing.com.
Luckily for McKenna, the Spain-based Nicuagarian is one of the tougher journeymen on the circuit. He’s only been stopped eight times in 33 defeats and only twice since relocating to Europe.
More worryingly for the fighter, who has a tat of Tyrone McCullagh eating a burrito on his leg after a bowling bet went wrong, Ryan has shown real power of late dropping his last three opponents early and stopping two.
The 23-year-old believes if the away corner fighter comes looking for a scrap he may get hurt but is keen to point out he has as much panache as power and can box his way to the win if needed.
“I’ve not watched too much on him, to be honest, I leave that to Pete but in the bits I’ve seen he looks wild and lunges in with big hooks. Hopefully, he keeps it that way and comes aggressive, that’ll suit me to the ground. He’s been stopped just eight times in near enough 40 fights, so he’s solid. I never go out looking for a stoppage if it comes I’ll take it but people need to realise my boxing ability is better than my punching ability. He can pick his poison really.”
Ryan has been vocal about wanting to step up and has been calling for domestic fights. Indeed, he claims offers have been made a rejected in that regard. However, the fact he hasn’t got a spotlight-attracting fight just yet doesn’t prevent him from wanting to put on a show tomorrow.
The emerging light middleweight prospect is as serious about this six round clash as any title fight.
“Of course I want a step up,” he comments. “I’ve been vocal about the fights we’re looking for and the offers we’ve made in the past but every fight is a world title fight as far as I’m concerned. I put everything into it, I’m looking at long-term development not just one fight at at time, so I’ll use every fight to improve and showcase my skills.”
