Tyrone McKenna has labeled his next opponent Ohara Davies as the Kanye West of boxing ahead of the Golden Contract tournament's 140-pound final. McKenna (21-1, 6 KOs) and Davies (21-2, 16 KOs) are the two men remaining in the tournament, and are set for a long-awaited showdown in the near future. There has been plenty of bad blood between the two men, most notably when they had to be pulled apart during a scuffle at York Hall last October, but it was a much more respectable exchange between the duo as they went back and forth during a recent interview on IFL TV.

 

McKenna said: “Ohara Davies is the Kanye West of boxing. People love him, people hate him. He says whatever he wants. He does what he wants and that’s part of it. He won’t change (overnight) and you’ve just got to respect him. No matter how much abuse he gets, or no matter how he talks, he’s going to be the same man tomorrow and the next day. I’m thinking more of him as a skilful fighter.”

 

Davies replied: “I will take that (comparison). You know, Kanye West is a very successful guy in what he does. He’s very popular in the world for his music. Like I said before, I’m going to be the person that I want to be. I’m always going to be me... Tyrone is a very good boxer. He’s in the final for a reason. He won two hard fights. A lot of people say he won’t get knocked out because he’s got a lot of heart. Where he’s came from, those Irish people have got heart and they are all tough, fighting men. This is going to be a hard fight, probably the hardest fight of my boxing career. That’s why we’ve made some changes in the team. Kevin Mitchell is now on board and he’s been pushing me every day. That’s what I need to go and win this fight.”

 

McKenna added: “I have to step up my game since I’m going for a war. I’m sure that’s what he wants. I’m not going to be a crowd-pleaser; I’m just going to box, stay patient and wear him out.”