Paddy Donovan says it’s his time to become world champion, as he faces Belfast’s Lewis Crocker at Windsor Park in what is being billed as the first ever all-Irish world title fight.
Speaking at the pre-fight press conference, the “Real Deal” Donovan (14-1, 11 KOs) promised he would clinch the IBF welterweight belt with a knockout victory.
“It’s my time. I’m going to put an end to Crocker’s career Saturday night. I’m going to stop Lewis Crocker.”
“Look, Lewis is a good fighter. I just think I can capitalise on the mistakes he makes”, said Donovan. “I think I’m a better puncher. I’ve got more skill. I’ve got more heart. I’ve got a better engine. I’m better in every single part than Lewis.”
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The world title fight is a rematch of the pair’s first clash in March of this year, where Donovan was disqualified for knocking Crocker (21-0, 11 KOs) down after the bell had sounded to end round eight.
Despite also being docked two points for headbutting, the Limerick fighter had built up a lead on the scorecards and knocked “The Croc” down just moments before landing the illegal blow.
For his part, the Belfast boxer also promised an early finish to the action “I believe I knock Paddy Donovan out. Saturday can’t come quick enough,” said Crocker.
Despite not winning in the fashion he would have liked last time out, the 28-year-old said the controversial ending helped him achieve his dream of a massive homecoming fight.
“The way things worked out, the stars aligned for me this time around”, said Crocker. “You’re pushing on 20,000 people in Belfast for a world title [fight], who would have actually dreamt this to happen?”
Before the press conference, former world champion Andy Lee, who coaches Donovan out of Ballybrack Boxing Gym, spoke of his hope that the first fighter he coached could also become his first world champion.
“It’s nice to see that Paddy, the one I started with, will be the first one to do it. Paddy has served his apprenticeship, you know. He started [training with Lee] in 2019, and I could see the potential straight away, so it was always building to this point.”
Lee added that as two Travellers from Limerick, a Donovan win would be even sweeter for the pair. “To all young Travellers out there, and people from disadvantaged backgrounds, if you can come from where we came from and become world champion in a sport, you can do it anywhere, can’t you?”
Donovan enters the weekend as the hot favourite, having performed so well against Crocker in the first fight. Lee feels the 26-year-old’s confidence has grown despite being handed his first professional loss.
“He’s gone to a whole different level, in terms of what his ability is, how he’s fighting in the gym, and how he’s training. I just look at him now and I see a world champion.”
Lee, who won a middleweight title as a fighter and has trained alongside the likes of Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury, knows exactly what a champion looks like.
“When you see world champions, they’re great fighters, they have an aura about them, a way of carrying themselves. Straight away, yeah, he’s a world champion, it makes sense. I see that in Paddy.”
Crocker’s trainer Billy Nelson, meanwhile, was more tight-lipped. However, he did suggest his charge had not been operating at his best back in March. “We hope to God he’s 100 per cent on the night, unlike last time,” Nelson remarked.
Regardless of their history, Donovan and Crocker were both calm throughout the pre-fight event, and there were no fireworks as the pair faced off with the currently vacant IBF belt between them.
That left the undercard fighters to provide some entertainment, with Belfast’s Caoimhín Agyarko (17-0, 7 KOs) and Ishmael Davis (13-2, 6 KOs) of Sheffield escalating tensions with a heated row ahead of their co-main event slot on Saturday’s card.
The fight represents a step up in competition for Agyarko, as Davis has only lost to some of the best super welterweights in the world, with promoter Eddie Hearn claiming the winner will be on course for world title fights.
In what could be the fight of the night, another Belfast man, Tyrone McKenna (24-6-1, 7 KOs), faces Waterford’s Dylan Moran (19-3, 9 KOs) in a rematch of their two-round war last year, which McKenna won by knockout.
However, the main event is what most people will be tuning in to watch, even with Donovan heavily favoured to repeat his performance and this time follow through with a win.
