Tyrone McKenna vs. Tommy Coyle on October 21 in Belfast

By Terence Dooley

Matchroom have confirmed that undefeated Belfast-based prospect Tyrone McKenna (14-0-1, 6 KOs) will meet experienced campaigner Tommy Coyle (23-4, 11 early) at Belfast's SEE Arena on October 21, the city's IBF World bantamweight holder Ryan Burnett meets the WBA Super World holder Zhanat Zhakiyanov in the main event.

The fight was confirmed via social media earlier today, and it was met with immediate approval from both fans and the fighters themselves. 

'I don't plan on going around him, I plan on going through him,' Tweeted Coyle when asked how he will handle a big light-welterweight after spending so long at down at lightweight, where he won both the IBF and WBC International titles but lost out to Derry Mathews for the Commonwealth crown.

Coyle also fell short when challenging Tyrone Nurse for the British light-welterweight belt in July of last year, a decision defeat, but registered a third-round TKO win over Rahkeem Noble in February to get back on the winning trail.  Coyle scaled 139 3/4 lbs for that one, but his opponent has been as high as 147 in recent times (W4 over Sylwester Walczak in June 2015) so it expected to hold a sizeable size advantage on the night.

The 27-year-old lost his WBC International title to city rival Luke Campbell (L KO 10 in August 2015) in his biggest fight to date yet has always acquitted himself even in defeat.  McKenna has yet to contest a title and registered a Technical Draw against Lithuania's Arvydas Trizno in May of last year after an accidental first round clash of heads left him with a cut over his right eye.  He has reeled off five wins since that draw, his one was a fourth-round KO win over Hungary's Ferenc Katona in Belfast in June.

A 6' 1'' southpaw, the 27-year-old prospect will hope to use his range against Coyle, who tends to get dragged into a war and has vowed to take the fight to the hometown hope, which should guarantee fireworks for the fans for as long as it lasts.

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