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Repeat? Revenge?
Whatever your view on their controversial clash at the York Hall in 2020, the Tyrone McKenna [23(6)-5(2)-1] and Mohamed Mimoune [24(5)-6(0)] saga ended conclusively tonight in Belfast.
The home favourite was put down and out inside five rounds by his French opponent in a fiery encounter at the SSE Odyssey Arena.
McKenna had prevailed on a debated decision when the pair initially met in the semi-finals of the Golden Contract competition, with a lot of road being run since then – but a rivalry remaining.
‘The Mighty Celt’ retired late last year following his Battle of Belfast with Lewis Crocker but was tempted back to face an embittered Mimoune whose career following that defeat saw him become an away corner opponent on small Florida shows, losing two and winning one.
The Frenchman, however, did not fight like a gatekeeper tonight, tearing into McKenna and, following a nasty eye injury, he went to another level and brought a painful end to the contest.
Furious from the opening bell, McKenna landed a big right hand thrown with his full body but was buzzed by a flurry from the visitor.
Mimoune got the better of the second round, the Tolouse lefty upping the work-rate and peppering McKenna who was looking to fight long in the early stages.
The Frenchman’s left eye gruesomely flared up early in the third following a clash of heads. With the complexion of the fight, completely changed, Mimoune began to roll forward aggressively, earmuffs on. Given the opportunity to tee-off, McKenna obliged.
The war began in the fourth as Mimoune poured on the pressure and getting on top of McKenna. A low blow momentarily stopped the assault but a legitimate bodyshot put the Lenadoon maniac down seconds later. Hurt badly, McKenna rose slowly and somehow withstood the barrage from Mimoune before offering some gamesmanship, roaring and calling on his old rival before landing shots from his boots. Mimoune did wrestle his way back on top, however, and the end came early in the fifth.
A short, sharp shot to the solar-plexus from Mimoune put McKenna down and the count, in the fight and perhaps his career, struck ten.
Mimoune did not endear himself to the home fans by mimicing kicking dirt on McKenna, a-la a Mexican luchador, as he struggled to beat the count but the pair embraced soon after and came together to share a message of support for Palestine.
There was also huge disappointment in the chief support as Armagh favourite Fearghus Quinn [9(3)-1(1)] was knocked out violently in the second round by Scot Aston Brown [7(2)-0]. Following a solid first round, a huge right hand put Quinn down heavily and that, unfortunately, was all she wrote.
Facing late replacement Bahadur Karami [4(1)-15(1)-3], Caoimhin Agyarko was brought the full eight. The Belfast light middleweight was always in control against the admirably game Iranian and took a 80-72 win to move to 15(7)-0
The all-Irish showdown between Dylan Moran [20(9)-2(2)] and Owen O’Neill [13(1)-0] ended in sensational fashion. Scheduled for eight rounds, it was all over after 19 seconds. A succession of left hands from Waterford’s Moran discombobulated O’Neill and, slumped against the ropes, referee Eamonn Magill made the right call to jump in and intervene.
Baby-faced Belfast featherweight Jack O’Neill generated a lot of noise in the arena and successfully negotiated Bradford’s Jake Pollard [1(0)-75(4)] to get his pro innings underway with a 40-36 win.
Cookstown’s Teo Alin got the televised-portion of the card started, brawling through Engel Gomez [8(4)-34(6)-3] while rangy Belfast middleweight Gary Arthurs also got off the mark, pecking past Edgar Romero [13[10)-27(9)-3], both taking 40-36 decisions.
Finally, Strabane middleweight Cathal McLaughlin [1(0)-0] was impressive in his pro bow, stunning Martin Shaw [4(1)-26(11)-3] with a number of heavy shots as he took a 40-36 debut win.
Valencia-based Wexford welterweight Dean Gonzalez-Furlong [2(1)-0] fought on Irish soil for the first time and pounded the tight guard of Paul Scaife [1(0)-45(5)-1] for the full 12 minute en-route to a 40-36 win.
Also making his home debut, Matty Boreland [2(1)-0] landed plenty on game Mexican Erick Omar Lopez [16(10)-13(1)-2] but the Coleraine super-bantam went the four round distance, also winning 40-36.
Opening the show, local light-middleweight John Boyd [3(0)-0] scored his second win in eight days, controlling his six rounds with Jordan Grannum [11(0)-141(3)-5].
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