Aaron McKenna has certainly taken to life as a professional boxer. Making his debut a little over one year ago, the Monaghan fighter ends 2018 with a 6-0 record to his name.
Still six-months shy of departing his teens, the 19-year-old has had further reason for celebration. Joined at Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions by his brother Stevie late on in the year, the two McKennas have found themselves chasing the professional dream together in Los Angeles.
On a brief return to Ireland for the Christmas period, both Aaron and Stevie appeared on OTB AM to discuss life in L.A. and how they've enjoyed an incredible year so far.
"It's been a great year so far," Aaron stated reflecting on his introduction to professional boxing.
"I've learned a lot in the last year and really developed a nice style.
"I just can't wait to see what next year holds for me."
Awaiting his own first experience of a professional bout, Stevie, the older of the two, has been keeping a close eye on Aaron and is excited at the prospect of making his debut in February 2019.
"I've been learning a lot from Aaron, how he's been doing in the ring," Stevie explained.
"I've been out [in Los Angeles] since January, sparring with world champions, Vasyl Lomachenko, the pound-for-pound number one.
"It's an unbelievable experience, and you wouldn't get it anywhere else in the world."
Keenly determined to look forward, Aaron McKenna nevertheless took the time to breakdown the techniques that are turning him into a fierce competitor.
A rangy welterweight, McKenna's most recent defeat of the Mexican Abel Reyes demonstrated the brutal strength and precision of the young fighter's punch.
"In my last fight there, I dropped the guy with a body shot," Aaron stated.
"It was the placement of the shot. Once you hit the right spot, they'll go down."
"When you're fighting people like that, hitting them with the head shots won't really hurt, it's the body shots that really hurt them. That's something we've been working on over the last year in the gym.
"Once you go to the body, they'll just fall."
Aware that he still has some growing to do, the younger McKenna believes that once he gets his "man strength, that's when I'll really start shining through."
With Stevie soon set to join Aaron in the professional ranks, fans of Irish boxing will soon have two McKennas to get excited about.
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