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Boxing

09th Nov 2018

Kendrick Lamar watches on as Monaghan’s Aaron McKenna keeps the hype train rolling

That's 6-0 for the Irish teenager

Darragh Murphy

Kendrick Lamar is on board the hype train. Are you?

Aaron McKenna moved to 6-0 as a professional overnight when the Monaghan prospect stopped an opponent for the fourth time in his young career.

McKenna was tasked with taking on Abel Reyes, who was 4-1 going into the bout, at Fantasy Springs Casino in California and while the Irishman was likely looking to get some rounds under his belt, he wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity once the finish presented itself.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp9Evd7H9sX/

A brutal body shot in the opening round sent Reyes to the canvas and while the Mexican gamely carried on, McKenna returned to the midsection with a bruising left hook which proved too much for Reyes in the second.

12-time Grammy Award winner Kendrick Lamar, who had visited McKenna’s gym in the build-up to Thursday night’s bout, popped in to see the 19-year-old in his dressing room as he warmed up and is clearly a fan of the Irish youngster.

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Golden Boy Promotions have a real gem on their hands and we can expect many more high-profile names to get behind McKenna as he moves from promising talent to inevitable star.

McKenna has targeted minor titles next year and if he carries on the way he has been, the welterweight will be knocking on the door of a world championship by 2020 or 2021.