LEWIS CROCKER AVENGED his own controversial victory over Paddy Donovan and earned another one, this time via a split decision, to win the IBF welterweight world title in his local stadium of Windsor Park.
Crocker, who grew up a Linfield fan only a stone’s throw away from the Northern Ireland’s national football stadium, twice dropped Donovan en route to a judges’ verdict of 114-113, 114-112, and 111-115.
His first knockdown of Donovan — the first suffered by the Limerick man in his professional career — was aided by slip on the wet canvas in the third round. The second, a couple of rounds later, was a ballistic missile of a left hand from which Donovan did exceptionally well to recover.
Those knockdowns won Crocker the fight, and Donovan will feel aggrieved having otherwise shaded what was a cagey bout for the most part.
Crocker, who beat Donovan via a controversial disqualification at the SSE Arena back in March, improves to 22-0 (11KOS), and will move onto contests with the likes of Conor Benn or other such recognisable names from America.
For Donovan, now 14-2(11KOs), it’s back to the drawing board with trainer Andy Lee.
He’ll certainly feel aggrieved at the decision but this was a 12-round fight in which neither man truly seized control, and Crocker produced the swing moments that ultimately dictated that the belt will stay in Belfast.
Donovan was summoned to the ring first, his sizeable contingent immediately drowned out by angry boos. Those softened during the opening chords to ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries from Donovan’s native Limerick, and turned to passive cheers as the needle was moved to 1999 dance banger ‘Better Off Alone’ by Alice Deejay.
Intriguingly, the announcement of Crocker’s introduction was also predominantly booed, indicating something of a split crowd, but Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ wasn’t long bringing all parties back onside.
When the music finally ended, the 20,000 or so supporters let out a collective bellow amid the drizzling rain.
Donovan, whose corner included his trainer, Limerick’s former middleweight world champion, Andy Lee, as well as top heavyweight contender Joseph Parker, was a bundle of energy, bounding from his corner to centre-ring and back again.
Crocker, flanked by his coach Billy Nelson, remained more reserved, whacking himself in the jaw a couple of times as Donovan smiled in his direction.
MC David Diamante’s introductions from beneath the spotlight proved Windsor Park a split house, or near enough.
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A cagey opening minute played out to ‘Ole Ole’ from the Donovan contingent, which eventually gave way to ‘Everywhere We Go’ from the Crocker faithful.
There was little else to say about the first round in all, in which both men sought to establish their rhythm and distance. Donovan nicked it in the final 10 seconds, walloping Crocker with a left hook to the body from his southpaw stance, which was the only shot landed in anger in the opening three minutes.
Round 2, then. ‘The Fields of Athenry’. Boos from those who didn’t enjoy it. And Donovan positioned himself on the front foot.
Again, there were very few punches exchanged but again, it was Donovan who produced the only noteworthy work as it drew to a close.
Crocker appeared defensively sharper than he had been in March, but he was unquestionably 2-0 down. And he was yet to ‘let his hands go more’ as he had insisted he must in the lead-up.
The hometown boxer caught an extremely fortunate break early in the third: he landed a clipping shot as Donovan slipped on the rainy canvas. Referee Howard Foster had no alternative but to score it as a knockdown, which effectively levelled the scores.
Donovan was conspicuously annoyed but after a brief protest, he shrugged it off — literally — and finished the third round the stronger. He still lost it 10-8.
Both men upped the ante in Round 4, which crackled with electricity. A thunderous exchange saw Crocker plant a right hand on Donovan’s chin just as the away boxer whipped a left hook to his temple. The simultaneous shots drew an ‘oofffff’ from the audience, but each man walked off the other’s best shot to that point.
Crocker, though, landed another hard left on Donovan’s jaw to just about take the round. Donovan’s probing efforts towards the bell were in vain.
Then, towards the end of Round 5, ‘bang’. From nowhere, Crocker detonated a left hook on Donovan’s chin, dropping him hard. It was the shot he had been unable to find back in March, and it was the first proper knockdown of Donovan’s career.
The Limerick man rose at the count of two — arguably too fast — but was saved by the bell to end the round. Crocker, as he retreated to his corner, pointed menacingly towards his opponent, who tried to look unworried but appeared rocked.
Credit Donovan’s conditioning: he re-emerged for the sixth with his legs firmly back beneath him, and regained the front foot. Again, though, it was Crocker who landed the more eye-catching blows — one off either hand — in a close verse.
Crocker was likely up at the turn. The Belfast massive smelled blood. Cue ‘Stand Up for the Ulstermen.’
Donovan, though, broadly controlled the seventh. While he walked into one decent counter right hand, he pinged Crocker with a counter left of his own and pinned the hometown fighter back for nearly three minutes, enjoying the better of the limited action.
The eighth was quieter still, a coin-flip kind of round in which there were no real highlights. A close bout appeared destined from this point onwards to go to the wire.
For the ninth, see above — albeit both men at least landed a couple of shots of note, Crocker about halfway through it and Donovan seconds before the bell.
Donovan notably upped the ante slightly in the 10th: he won it clearly, landing sharp, tidy work through and around Crocker’s guard.
The Belfast man, whose eyes were puffy by this point, sent a ripple through the crowd with a left hand in return, but it was a round in which Donovan was firmly in his groove.
Donovan, having clearly shaken off the fog of his fifth-round trip to the canvas, appeared a boxer reborn approaching the championship rounds.
He bossed the 11th, finding his groove on solid footing and pot-shotting Crocker almost at will. Donovan banked the round. Three minutes to go.
The boxers touched gloves to start the final entry and Windsor Park, which hadn’t exactly been treated to a classic, erupted from all sides.
It was arguably the most enjoyable round of the fight, as both men loosened up and sought to stamp their authority.
Crocker landed a tidy overhand right but missed with a couple more, Donovan teasing him in response. Donovan found a home for his left but still looked fallible.
The boxers each celebrated at the finish and embraced only a couple of minutes later, neither of them appearing sure of the verdict.
With good reason: one judge had it for Donovan by a couple, and the other two had it for Crocker by a single round.
Crocker sunk to his knees in celebration. Donovan lowered his arm and slunk back to his corner.
Fine margins. A new beltholder
They’ll probably do it again at some stage, but this night in Belfast belonged to a neighbour of Windsor Park. Lewis Crocker: world champion.
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Lewis Crocker stuns Paddy Donovan to win welterweight world title
LEWIS CROCKER AVENGED his own controversial victory over Paddy Donovan and earned another one, this time via a split decision, to win the IBF welterweight world title in his local stadium of Windsor Park.
Crocker, who grew up a Linfield fan only a stone’s throw away from the Northern Ireland’s national football stadium, twice dropped Donovan en route to a judges’ verdict of 114-113, 114-112, and 111-115.
His first knockdown of Donovan — the first suffered by the Limerick man in his professional career — was aided by slip on the wet canvas in the third round. The second, a couple of rounds later, was a ballistic missile of a left hand from which Donovan did exceptionally well to recover.
Those knockdowns won Crocker the fight, and Donovan will feel aggrieved having otherwise shaded what was a cagey bout for the most part.
Crocker, who beat Donovan via a controversial disqualification at the SSE Arena back in March, improves to 22-0 (11KOS), and will move onto contests with the likes of Conor Benn or other such recognisable names from America.
For Donovan, now 14-2(11KOs), it’s back to the drawing board with trainer Andy Lee.
He’ll certainly feel aggrieved at the decision but this was a 12-round fight in which neither man truly seized control, and Crocker produced the swing moments that ultimately dictated that the belt will stay in Belfast.
Donovan was summoned to the ring first, his sizeable contingent immediately drowned out by angry boos. Those softened during the opening chords to ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries from Donovan’s native Limerick, and turned to passive cheers as the needle was moved to 1999 dance banger ‘Better Off Alone’ by Alice Deejay.
Intriguingly, the announcement of Crocker’s introduction was also predominantly booed, indicating something of a split crowd, but Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ wasn’t long bringing all parties back onside.
When the music finally ended, the 20,000 or so supporters let out a collective bellow amid the drizzling rain.
Donovan, whose corner included his trainer, Limerick’s former middleweight world champion, Andy Lee, as well as top heavyweight contender Joseph Parker, was a bundle of energy, bounding from his corner to centre-ring and back again.
Crocker, flanked by his coach Billy Nelson, remained more reserved, whacking himself in the jaw a couple of times as Donovan smiled in his direction.
MC David Diamante’s introductions from beneath the spotlight proved Windsor Park a split house, or near enough.
A cagey opening minute played out to ‘Ole Ole’ from the Donovan contingent, which eventually gave way to ‘Everywhere We Go’ from the Crocker faithful.
There was little else to say about the first round in all, in which both men sought to establish their rhythm and distance. Donovan nicked it in the final 10 seconds, walloping Crocker with a left hook to the body from his southpaw stance, which was the only shot landed in anger in the opening three minutes.
Round 2, then. ‘The Fields of Athenry’. Boos from those who didn’t enjoy it. And Donovan positioned himself on the front foot.
Again, there were very few punches exchanged but again, it was Donovan who produced the only noteworthy work as it drew to a close.
Crocker appeared defensively sharper than he had been in March, but he was unquestionably 2-0 down. And he was yet to ‘let his hands go more’ as he had insisted he must in the lead-up.
The hometown boxer caught an extremely fortunate break early in the third: he landed a clipping shot as Donovan slipped on the rainy canvas. Referee Howard Foster had no alternative but to score it as a knockdown, which effectively levelled the scores.
Donovan was conspicuously annoyed but after a brief protest, he shrugged it off — literally — and finished the third round the stronger. He still lost it 10-8.
Both men upped the ante in Round 4, which crackled with electricity. A thunderous exchange saw Crocker plant a right hand on Donovan’s chin just as the away boxer whipped a left hook to his temple. The simultaneous shots drew an ‘oofffff’ from the audience, but each man walked off the other’s best shot to that point.
Crocker, though, landed another hard left on Donovan’s jaw to just about take the round. Donovan’s probing efforts towards the bell were in vain.
Then, towards the end of Round 5, ‘bang’. From nowhere, Crocker detonated a left hook on Donovan’s chin, dropping him hard. It was the shot he had been unable to find back in March, and it was the first proper knockdown of Donovan’s career.
The Limerick man rose at the count of two — arguably too fast — but was saved by the bell to end the round. Crocker, as he retreated to his corner, pointed menacingly towards his opponent, who tried to look unworried but appeared rocked.
Credit Donovan’s conditioning: he re-emerged for the sixth with his legs firmly back beneath him, and regained the front foot. Again, though, it was Crocker who landed the more eye-catching blows — one off either hand — in a close verse.
Crocker was likely up at the turn. The Belfast massive smelled blood. Cue ‘Stand Up for the Ulstermen.’
Donovan, though, broadly controlled the seventh. While he walked into one decent counter right hand, he pinged Crocker with a counter left of his own and pinned the hometown fighter back for nearly three minutes, enjoying the better of the limited action.
The eighth was quieter still, a coin-flip kind of round in which there were no real highlights. A close bout appeared destined from this point onwards to go to the wire.
For the ninth, see above — albeit both men at least landed a couple of shots of note, Crocker about halfway through it and Donovan seconds before the bell.
Donovan notably upped the ante slightly in the 10th: he won it clearly, landing sharp, tidy work through and around Crocker’s guard.
The Belfast man, whose eyes were puffy by this point, sent a ripple through the crowd with a left hand in return, but it was a round in which Donovan was firmly in his groove.
Donovan, having clearly shaken off the fog of his fifth-round trip to the canvas, appeared a boxer reborn approaching the championship rounds.
He bossed the 11th, finding his groove on solid footing and pot-shotting Crocker almost at will. Donovan banked the round. Three minutes to go.
The boxers touched gloves to start the final entry and Windsor Park, which hadn’t exactly been treated to a classic, erupted from all sides.
It was arguably the most enjoyable round of the fight, as both men loosened up and sought to stamp their authority.
Crocker landed a tidy overhand right but missed with a couple more, Donovan teasing him in response. Donovan found a home for his left but still looked fallible.
The boxers each celebrated at the finish and embraced only a couple of minutes later, neither of them appearing sure of the verdict.
With good reason: one judge had it for Donovan by a couple, and the other two had it for Crocker by a single round.
Crocker sunk to his knees in celebration. Donovan lowered his arm and slunk back to his corner.
Fine margins. A new beltholder
They’ll probably do it again at some stage, but this night in Belfast belonged to a neighbour of Windsor Park. Lewis Crocker: world champion.
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