Dylan Moran promises war in Waterford with Tyrone McKenna

BIG TIME boxing hits Waterford on Saturday December 7, as Tyrone McKenna and Dylan Moran headline a bumper 16-fight card. This number might slowly decrease as the week goes on, but hopefully most of the main protagonists will be exhausted. It has been a long time since a spectacle of this magnitude took place in the unconventional combat regions of the island.

Supported by public broadcaster RTE, Brian Peters has previously ventured out of the main centers of Belfast and Dublin, taking on fights in Magherafelt and Letterkenny for Paul McCloskey, Limerick for Andy Lee and Willie Casey and a mini national tour by Bernard Dunne as he rehabilitated post-Kiko.

Since then, due mainly to non-boxing gigs, highlighted by the reluctance of the Boxing Union of Ireland to play ball for a while while things are sorted out, shows south of the border have been favoured.

Back at the SETU Arena in Waterford, still on the verge of retirement, Tyrone McKenna keeps getting brought back for “one last job”. Dylan Moran is a nice guy who bounced back from tough losses to Denis Okoth and Florian Marku. In the rings of Austria, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom, Moran's last outing was a confidence boost for Owen O'Neill. The last time Waterford put on a strong boxing event, Moran beat Argentina's Mauro Godoy by stoppage.

He now faces McKenna, who has lost three of his last four matches, including two by stoppage, including a recent rematch with Mohamed Mimoune. Conlan Boxing has partnered with Florida-based Pro Box TV to broadcast these Irish shows.

Tyrone McKenna

The first took place in Belfast on November 1 and included a superb fight between Padraig McCrory and Colombian Leonard Castillo. If McKenna and Moran can recreate something similar, it will be an unforgettable evening.

“With the event, I thought me against Tyrone McKenna was the only fight worth having. The fans will be the real winners here,” said Moran, who has previously traveled the world as a kickboxer.

“I have the utmost respect for Tyrone McKenna, he is a legend of Irish boxing and it would be an honor to share the ring with him. What better place than Waterford to do it? I always said I wanted to bring big fights and there is none bigger than me and Tyrone. We know what Tyrone brings, I know what I bring, and the fans will be the real winners.