HARLEM Eubank outboxed and outpunched Tyrone McKenna in Brighton, stopping the Belfast boxer at 2-09 of round 10. The loser was dropped three times and may now follow through on the lingering retirement decision surrounding him for the past year.
After a tentative first few sessions, Eubank turned up the heat in round four, landing a thumping overhand right that buzzed the southpaw veteran leaving him with a slight nick around the right eye.
McKenna shook it off but a screw shot right hand in round five had him down for a count from referee John Latham. Tyrone kept on grinning but had overeached into danger and paid the price.
Boxing in front of his home crowd, Eubank showed good composure and variety, stepping off, using his jab to find the openings. McKenna went down again at the close of round seven as a right hand caught the taller man flat-footed.
McKenna shook his head in defiance during the eighth as the body shots rained in. McKenna had been scythed down to the body by Mohamed Mimoune last year, and Harlem saw similar openings when his opponent backed off.
McKenna suffered a suspected low blow in the 10th that didn’t appear low on replays but ‘The Mighty Celt’ accepted the rest anyway. Those precious seconds weren’t enough as the Irishman fell for count number three. Harlem Eubank piled on the pressure and the referee had no choice but to jump in and call it off.
Picking up the IBF Intercontinental welterweight title, 31-year-old Eubank is now 21-0 (9 KOs), while 35-year-old McKenna slips to 24-6-1 (7 KOs).
“I said to everyone I mean business this year, this is a warm up fight, I want Conor Benn next,” said Eubank.
“This year I’m marching towards world titles, I want all the world champions. Shout out to Tyrone McKenna, he’s a real Irish warrior. I can do Benn some damage.”
Chris Eubank Sr also called out for the Conor Benn fight, claiming that the pay-per-view clash between his son and Benn will fall through. Harlem will then step in to box Benn as a replacement on a different date.
