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7th April 2021
02:38pm BST

“That means for 11 weeks you’re paying for hotel costs, your nutritionist, travel up and down from Dublin, your meal-prep food and sparring partners. Even your fight shorts are around £600.”[caption id="attachment_226546" align="aligncenter" width="2048"]
Tyrone McKenna missed out on his fight purse after his opponent pulled out of his most recent bout. (Credit: Getty Images)[/caption]
It’s hard to not be envious of pampered footballers who get their kits washed, folded and handed to them before games free of charge - and they don’t even get punched in the face for it.
“There are no insurances put in place for boxers. There used to be the chance for a late replacement fight, but with COVID and everyone having to be in a bubble, you can’t do that anymore”, added McKenna.
“It’s always a gamble paying for camp, especially with COVID about, but you don’t want to underpay for training and not be as prepared as you should be for fight night.”
The bout is due to be rescheduled, but this will take at least two or three months meaning that both fighters will have to pay and endure the taxing brutality of yet another camp. The perplexed pugilist stated:
“I hate training. Fighting is the fun part and I didn’t even get to do that! I don’t mind sparring but the bagwork is hectic, I hate sprints and dieting is awful. I lost 13kg in 11 weeks and basically lived in a hotel away from my family the whole time.
“The money isn’t even the worst bit, it’s missing the chance to actually have a fight and get that belt."
Disappointment aside, McKenna will do what all fighters do and bite down on his gum shield, plant his feet and keep on swinging.
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