Paddy Donovan vs Tyrone McKenna

Paddy Donovan is the sharper, cleaner article, but Tyrone McKenna is exactly the sort of awkward old dog who can turn a boxing match into a brawl if you let him.

Donovan is the stylist here. Southpaw, loose, spiteful with the backhand, and he likes to draw mistakes before making you pay. He can box off rhythm, and when he is switched on, he looks the business. But he has shown he can get dragged into chaos, and against McKenna, that is dangerous, because Tyrone lives there.

McKenna is all engine, spite and nuisance. He is not as polished, not as quick, and he will not win a fencing match at range. But he is long, stubborn, and he knows how to make a favourite uncomfortable. He will lean, maul, talk, throw from ugly angles and try to make Donovan lose his shape.

The key for Donovan is discipline. Step around McKenna’s lead foot, keep the jab in his chest, and whip the left hand down the pipe before Tyrone can smother him. For McKenna, he has to rough Paddy up early and test his temperament.

I think Donovan is too fresh, too sharp, and punches too clean. McKenna has brave rounds, but the cleaner work tells.

Donovan wins by stoppage.