Jeovanny Estela believes opening bout with Aaron McKenna could determine Prizefighter winner

Jeovanny Estela is making a strategic transfer as much as middleweight to compete within the Prizefighter event, and he’s eyeing the million-dollar profitable prize. His first problem on Monday is towards Aaron McKenna, a bout that Estela believes might decide the event’s end result.

The fighters will compete within the quarterfinals on the Yamato Enviornment in Suita, Osaka. Like Estela, McKenna additionally began his profession at welterweight earlier than progressively shifting as much as middleweight.

Estela (14-0, 5 KOs), 23, from Orlando, turned skilled in 2020 at 147 kilos. As a result of his massive body, he rapidly transitioned to junior middleweight. In 2023, he fought 4 occasions, securing three wins in eight-round bouts. His battle towards McKenna (18-0, 9 KOs), 24, from Smithborough, Eire, will likely be his first 10-round match.

“I feel the one that wins this battle is the favourite within the event,” Estela stated.

McKenna turned skilled in December 2017 and moved as much as middleweight in 2020 after the pandemic. He has fought solely as soon as this yr, stopping Mickey Ellison in six rounds in January. Beforehand, he gained a unanimous choice over then-unbeaten Uisma Lima.

“Aaron controls his distance very effectively. He’s an excellent quantity puncher and applies a whole lot of stress,” Estela stated. “He’s round 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3. I’m about 6-foot, 6-foot-1, so I feel that is going to be a battle of the giants.”

Formally, McKenna is listed as 6-foot-1 on his BoxRec profile web page.

“I see him as a really related kind of fighter in that we’re each undefeated, we’re each very hungry, and we’re each taking this chance and going to be placing our all into it,” Estela stated. “We each need to win this entire event. We’re not simply desirous about this battle. We’ve got to get previous one another earlier than we get to the million {dollars}.”

For this battle, Estela has added Cuban boxing coach Jorge Rubio to his coaching workforce.

“Camp has been good. I began my camp down in Orlando, as I usually do with my father,” Estela stated. “Then we came to visit to Miami to get sparring. We went over to the U.Okay. I’m over right here coaching with Jorge Rubio in Miami, and we obtained some good sparring over right here with some professionals as effectively.”

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America and creator of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (accessible on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.