16 July 2024
Picture By Rodrigo Reyes Marin Matchroom Boxing
| Four men remain in the competition in Japan with the eventual winner set to land $1million |
| Aaron McKenna admits his 18-hour journey home from Japan was made all the sweeter after punching his ticket in the Prizefighter Semi-Finals by stopping Jeovanny Estela with just 58 seconds to go. The Northern Irish Middleweight will face Northampton’s Kieron Conway in the final four of the rebooted series in Japan, shown live on DAZN. And the winner of the eight-man competition stands to celebrate a cool $1million champion’s jackpot. Both were already on the receiving end of a bumper pay day when they pocketed a three-way share of a $100,000 knockout bonus for sealing Quarter-Final wins within the distance. McKenna dominated his American opponent Estela but was made to wait until the 10th and final round of the contest before he could dispatch his rival with less than a minute left on the clock. ’The Silencer’ could not have been any happier though after he extended his undefeated record and booked his place in the last four of the tournament. “When there is big money on the line like there is for the knockout, it always makes the fight more exciting,” said McKenna, speaking at post-fight press conference on Monday at the Yamato Arena in Osaka. “I always intend to keep my composure, but I always intend to go for the knockout. “You can’t get carried away but every round I was in there, I knew I nearly had him [Jeovanny Estela]. “So, I was very happy in the 10th round when I finally got him out of there.” Japanese duo Kazuto Takesako and Riku Kunimoto confirmed their places in the Semis with a home fighter guaranteed to be fighting for the new Prizefighter title in the eventual Final. And McKenna knows a difficult test would await him should he manage to see off a tough challenge from a determined Conway first. “I managed to see parts of both Japanese fighters [Kazuto Takesako and Riku Kunimoto],” he added. “I can see that they both have a highly aggressive style, and they throw a lot of punches. “They have entertaining fights, and it is great to see fights like this, especially in a big tournament like Prizefighter that is seen worldwide. “These are the type of fights that people want to see. Fans want to be entertained and I definitely respect them.” Conway, meanwhile, echoed McKenna’s sentiments of respect for the two Japanese fighters on the other half of the draw. But the Briton has emphatically stated his intentions of going all the way and winning. “I’ve seen bits of both of them [Kazuto Takesako and Riku Kunimoto],” said Conway. “But they’re not my focus at the moment. Aaron [McKenna] is “I’ll watch whoever wins that fight when the time comes. “To win [this series] is obviously a big incentive for me. It is for big money.” Conway was too good for Chinese rival Ainiwaer Yilixiati and picked up his share of a handsome knockout bonus when he stopped his Quarter-Final opponent in the seventh. And he admits another stoppage, when he collides with McKenna, will play a huge motivating factor him. “To go in there and to try and get those knockouts [with the bonus] is a big motivation for me,” he said. “But you have to be careful because if you go in there and look for it too much, it might just get you back. “So, whilst it is definitely a motivation, you have got to be smart with it too.” Details of when the Prizefighter Semi Finals, in association with Rakuten Ticket Inc. and NSN (Never Say Never), will take place are set to be announced in due course. |
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