‘I think people will come out of this being a lot more courteous to one another’

WE are asking our sporting personalities how they are dealing with action coming to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic and how it has affected their daily lives. Today, we speak to WBC international light-welterweight champion Tyrone Mckenna (left) Q How are you keeping? A: Well I’ve been very, very bored. The lockdown has taken its toll because I lost a couple of bets with my mate Tyrone Mccullagh so I’ve had my eyebrows shaved off and some of my hair shaved off. We were playing poker online with a group of people and we had a couple of side bets with each other which he won and I paid the price. My wife got a shock when she came into my man cave and saw a pile of hair lying on the floor. Q How have you been affected? A: I haven’t been able to train properly at A: my camp in Dublin. I had a very big fight lined up against Ohara Davies in the Golden Contract light-welterweight final but that has been put on hold. So, I was annoyed at the start of this whole thing but now I have got more used to this whole situation and it’s not too bad overall. Q How are you keeping fit? A: I bought a full gym of equipment for the garage, everything from all the strength and conditioning gear to skipping ropes and a boxing bag so that has allowed me to work out and I also bought a road bike. I’ve been out doing some cycling and going for runs — sometimes with my mate Tommy Mccarthy. I’ve actually been quite surprised with how well I’ve stuck at the training — I get to work out about two hours a day. Usually when I come home after a fight I get a bit lazy. I’ve put on a few pounds but that’s to be expected because it’s hard to stick to the normal diet at this time but I’m quite happy with how I’ve been training. Q How have you been maintaining morale? A: I’ve been keeping up morale by entertaining those around me and teaching my kids what not to do as an adult — like shaving off your eyebrows and hair. Every Friday a group of us get together and have a bit of craic on Zoom — sometimes Paddy Barnes and Mick Conlan join us. That has been good for everybody because it is a weird time. Q Where are you drawing yourpersonal strength from now? A: My strength and motivation is mainly coming from the fact that I have signed a contract to face Ohara Davies in the final of the Golden Contract. It’s a massive fight, it’s one that fans and TV want to see and it’s great to know that when the time comes I will be able to train and look ahead to that. If I was in the position of most of the guys, not knowing when, where and against whom they were fighting I’ve no doubt that my motivation would be a lot worse… I don’t think I would have been training at all. I’ve also enjoyed spending more time with my kids. The Devenish Complex has set up a drive-in cinema and we’re going there at the weekend. Q Can you recommend a book, film or box set you think stay at home sports fans might like? I would recommend Charles Bukowski’s book Ham on Rye and my favourite film is Pans Labyrinth which is about the Spanish Civil War or you could watch The Mighty Celt. For a box-set I’d recommend The Wire, it’s brilliant. Q What life lessons have you learned from all this? A: I know that I appreciate my family even more, the time I can spend with them. We’ve been going for good long walks, I’m enjoying cooking with my kids — teaching them a few things which I love. I actually feel that this coronavirus has brought us together a lot more. Overall, I think people will come out of this being a lot more courteous towards one another. I’ve noticed that people are a lot more polite and I hope it stays that way when the lockdown ends. I’ve also bought a bass guitar and I’m flying at it though my missus gives off because you can hear it throughout the house. Fender have done a three-month course online and it has worked a treat. Tommy Mccarthy has bought a lead guitar so we’re thinking of forming a band — Whiskey and White! Q What is the first thing you will do when this is all over? A: The first thing I’m going to do is go sky diving with my mate Tyrone Mccullagh. There’s a place just outside Derry that we’re going to do it. I’ve always been squeamish when it comes to that type of thing but I’m going to go for it. Then I want to get down to Dublin to start training. Q And your message to boxing fans? A: I know you’ve been starved of entertainment but I’ll be back as soon as possible to bring them entertainment when I fight Ohara Davies. I would also hope that maybe people will appreciate sports men and women more than ever because life without sport does leave a big hole, as people have seen.