Aaron McKenna set to get his big opportunity in next fight.
One man’s loss is another man’s gain.
This sentiment is especially true in boxing, a sport built on the foundations of a fighter directly succeeding from another fighter’s failure.
In fact, boxing works on a fighter being the architect of another fighter’s failure, his job to bring about his opponent’s defeat with his bare–or rather, gloved–hands.
It’s a machine that is powered by dreams being crushed down into shattered parts and those parts being pieced back together into entirely new dreams.
That’s the reality; the sweet science is a bittersweet business.
So, imagine being a boxer that has just been ordered to fight for the world championship. The only thing is, you already have a fight scheduled.
Not to worry, for you only have to win one more fight to get your big opportunity. You’ve won all your fights up to this point, so that shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Try telling that to Shakiel Thompson.
Sheffield’s 6’3″ middleweight southpaw was putting on the best performance of his career, giving former British champion Brad Pauls an absolute boxing lesson. He had lost one round at most, and he reached the 9th round of a scheduled 10-rounder with the win practically in the bag.
Thompson had been ordered to fight for the vacant IBF title prior to stepping in the ring against Pauls, and he was well on his way to heading straight into the fight for that piece of hardware next.
But on Saturday night, on the undercard of Moses Itauma’s terrific knockout over Jermaine Franklin, victory became a bar of soap in Thompson’s hands.
All of a sudden, Pauls landed a left-right combination that had Thompson staggered. Pauls followed up, and shortly after, Thompson hit the deck.
Thompson got up, but it was abundantly clear that “Dr. Steel”‘s legs had turned to jelly, and the man from Newquay detonated a salvo of nukes squarely on Thompson’s face that the Yorkshireman fell beneath once again.
This time, the referee wouldn’t give him a count. And suddenly, the 15-0 Shakiel Thompson was 15-1.
Due to the outcome of the fight, Thompson has lost his eligibility for a title shot, and his place for the vacant title has been taken up. However, he has not been replaced by the man who officially got the best of him on the night.
Rather, the IBF have now ordered Aaron McKenna to fight for their vacant 160-pound championship, and it will be him who fights Italy’s unbeaten Etinosa Oliha for the trinket.
McKenna is a 20-0 Irishman who is ranked #4 with the IBF. Since Thompson was ranked #3 (and the #1 spot is vacant), McKenna will face the #2-ranked Oliha for the belt.
McKenna holds a victory over recent Jaron Ennis opponent Uisma Lima, and he appeared in the Japan Prizefighter tournament in a stoppage over the unbeaten Jeovanny Estela.
However, the 26-year-old came to everyone’s attention last year when he scored a dominant victory over former super-welterweight world champion Liam Smith on the undercard of the first throwdown between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr.
McKenna has yet to appear in the ring since then, but a fight against the 22-0 Oliha would allow him the chance to fully realise the potential that so many have seen in him since his triumph over Smith.
The two fighters have until the 30th of April to reach a deal. Otherwise, purse bids will be called.
🚨 IBF ORDERS MCKENNA-OLIHA
✅ Have confirmed that the IBF has ordered Aaron McKenna to face Etinosa Oliha for the vacant IBF middleweight title. The pair have until April 30 to reach a deal.
📉 Shakiel Thompson was originally ordered to fight for the title but his loss to… pic.twitter.com/XFjLKoNVFl
— EverythingBoxing | Darshan Desai (@EverythingBoxi2) March 31, 2026
Want to get the latest boxing news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
