Ireland’s newest world boxing champion will be crowned in Windsor Park tonight — but will it be local boy Lewis Crocker, or Limerick’s Paddy Donovan, who walks out of Belfast with the IBF world welterweight title strapped around their waist.
Main event ringwalk for this historic, first-ever all-Ireland world title fight is about half an hour away.
Time to get comfortable. You won’t want to miss this one.
You likely won’t need any reminder of what happened when Crocker and Donovan last met back in April.
With both men putting their undefeated pro records on the line, and bidding to move into pole position for a world title shot, Donovan was dominant and seemingly on course for victory.
With Crocker backed up and shipping serious pressure as the bell went to end the eighth round, Donovan landed one last punch — late enough for referee Marcus McDonnell to deem it a disqualification.
It handed Crocker an unlikely victory, cost Donovan his perfect record, and set the two on a collision course, which brings us to tonight…
How did we end up with the IBF world title on the line? Well, Crocker and Donovan — and promoter Eddie Hearn, to be honest — have Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to thank for that.
The American champion vacated his belt to step up to super-welterweight, and having already mandated a rematch between Crocker and Donovan, the powers that be at the IBF decided that tonight’s winner would take all the marbles.
Crocker will be hoping to make it a perfect 22 wins from 22 as a pro tonight. Matthew Pover / Matchroom Boxing
Matthew Pover / Matchroom Boxing / Matchroom Boxing
13 Sep 2025
9:45PM
We’re currently in round nine in our chief support bout between Caoimhin Agyarko and Ishmael Davis, so there’s not long to go now.
Crocker needs to conjure something if he is to essentially avenge his own victory in Belfast tonight. And having given it the big’ne in advance of the first fight and come up short with his performance, he has changed course this week, instead doing everything he can to conserve energy for when it actually matters.
His lethargy during media obligations was a source of curiosity to Donovan, who has been like a puppy pawing a dead bird wondering why it won’t play with him.
Donovan has wondered aloud if he will even face the same Lewis Crocker tonight or some pale imitation who had the dog beaten out of him in March.
At yesterday evening’s ceremonial weigh-in, however, Crocker burst at the seams and exploded to life.
His chest-thumping pageantry — and his labelling of Donovan a “cocky, arrogant c***” — sent the hometown massive into raptures. It was a tonic for the promotion.
One wonders, though, if one more day of zen might have been more advisable for the boxer himself.
Close to 20,000 fans will be in Windsor Park tonight to see Ireland's newest world champion crowned. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
13 Sep 2025
9:54PM
One last look at the pre-fight odds, and Donovan is the red-hot favourite to take home the world title tonight.
He’s the 1/8 favourite — which translates to a little less than a 90% chance of victory in the oddsmakers’ eyes.
If you fancy Crocker to do it in front of a Belfast crowd which will be clearly — but not entirely — in his favour, he’s a 5/1 shot for an upset.
13 Sep 2025
9:57PM
If you’re only just tuning in now, earlier tonight on the TV card, we’ve already had wins for Molly McCann on her pro boxing debut, as well as a quick stoppage for Pat Brown, while Tyrone McKenna once again stopped Waterford’s Dylan Moran in their rematch.
Davis-Agyarko is into the final round here and about to go to the judges’ cards…
13 Sep 2025
10:05PM
Caoimhin Agyarko wins a razor-thin decision!
What a tune-up for the main event!
Agyarko — who was deemed to be knocked down when he hit in the canvas in the last — survives to wins a split decision 114-113, 114-113, 112-115 and extend his unbeaten pro record.
13 Sep 2025
10:07PM
Here’s that controversial late knockdown — Agyarko was insistent that it was a slip, but referee Michael Alexander saw it otherwise.
Crocker walks to Sweet Caroline. Sometimes, you’ve just gotta play the hits.
13 Sep 2025
10:22PM
The mind games have already started. As Crocker comes through the ropes, Donovan makes sure he’s standing there waiting for him. Impossible to tell from this remove, but Donovan may well have had one or two final words for his opponent.
13 Sep 2025
10:26PM
Seconds out – we’re underway in Windsor Park!
13 Sep 2025
10:29PM
Round 1: Cagey opening start, with Crocker showing Donovan a different picture early on and keeping him at arm’s length. Both fighters size each other, with Donovan making a few very tentative attempts to close the distance, but nothing meaningful. Donovan gets through with a couple of body shots towards the end of the round, and that could be enough to nick a very tight round in which very little of note happened.
13 Sep 2025
10:34PM
Round 2: Crocker seems to be trying to wait Donovan out here, holding his distance and trying to pick off Donovan when he steps within range. It makes for an insanely tense, cagey start to this fight — but with about 30 seconds left in the round, it pays off as Crocker lands a clean hook.
“Don’t fall in,” Andy Lee tells Donovan in the corner.
“Feint him, feint him, and then go.”
13 Sep 2025
10:35PM
Donovan’s down in the third!
Another Crocker left hook and while Donovan is back on his feet quickly, it’s the first knockdown of his pro career.
Round 3: That’s a huge round for Crocker early doors, and it’ll be 10-8 on the judges’ cards. Similar to trap Crocker set in the second, Donovan stepped in, and Crocker landed a left hook. Donovan recovers well to his credit, and finishes the round on the front foot and landing some nice shots, but it’s advantage Crocker through three.
Mark Robinson
Mark Robinson
13 Sep 2025
10:43PM
Round 4: By far the busiest round of the fight so far, and it’s a good one for Donovan. Both fighters land big shots simultaneously early on — but Donovan’s shot appears to rock Crocker more than vice versa.
13 Sep 2025
10:44PM
Carl Frampton at ringside has the fight 38-38 through four rounds, having scored the first round 10-10. DAZN’s other ringside analysts have Donovan a round up through four, despite that 10-8.
Oh my days — what an explosive end to Round 5. Donovan is completely in control, but with seconds left, drops his hands and allows Crocker through with another booming left hook. Donovan’s visibly shaken by it, but as the bell goes, survives the standing count and gets back to his stool.
“You dominated the round, don’t worry about it,” Andy Lee tells him in the corner — but it’s another 10-8 for Crocker. What kind of condition will Donovan be in when he re-emerges?
Round 6: Donovan finds his feet again in the sixth, and tries to come forward and take the fight to Crocker, but there’s very little to choose between them in the round.
“Let’s change this fight around now,” Crocker’s trainer Billy Nelson tells his fighter, encouraging him on to the front foot for the second half of the fight.
13 Sep 2025
10:56PM
Round 7: Whatever way the judges are seeing it, the margins in this one are surely razor thin as we head towards the championship rounds. Crocker gets through with a right to the body but it’s Donovan who finishes strongest again behind his jab — and possibly does enough to knick it?
13 Sep 2025
10:57PM
Joe Cordina, who is scoring at ringside for DAZN, has it bang level — 66-66 — through seven rounds.
13 Sep 2025
10:59PM
Round 8: There’s no doubt that Crocker’s early tactics blew this fight wide open — and set the traps which allowed him to land the two bombs which have shaped the fight through eight — but is he doing enough in these tight rounds to catch the judges’ eye? Or will they see Donovan on the front foot, landing the cleaner shots, and score it accordingly?
13 Sep 2025
11:02PM
Round 9: Just as the momentum of this fight seems to be shifting in Donovan’s direction, Crocker gets through with that left hook again; Donovan stands his ground and snaps back with one to the body.
Outside of the two 10-8 rounds, it’s arguable that that’s the first round that Crocker has won. If that’s the case, chalk it up at 85-84 Donovan with three rounds to go.
13 Sep 2025
11:07PM
Round 10: Strong opening again from Donovan, who gets through with his jab on a few occasions, but Crocker responds in kind with a good straight right, and that momentarily gives him the encouragement to be a bit more adventurous.
“You need to win these last two rounds but not be desperate,” Andy Lee tells Donovan.
“It’s a very close fight but we need to win these rounds.”
Billy Nelson tells Crocker, “Don’t let him steal rounds”.
13 Sep 2025
11:11PM
Round 11: Donovan gets in with a left to Crocker’s body, and then is light on his feet to duck and weave his way around the response. Crocker still looks to be fighting within himself, and you’d have to wonder if he’s going to walk out of Windsor Park tonight rueing what might have been.
“You need to show everyone how much you want this,” Billy Nelson tells Crocker. “You’ve got to let the hands go.”
13 Sep 2025
11:12PM
All down to the last three minutes…
13 Sep 2025
11:14PM
Round 12: The Belfast crowd are really behind Crocker. He responds with a big right straight down the middle, but Donovan is too quick to allow Crocker really pile on the pressure. Both fighters play to the crowd in the final seconds, but the bell goes, and we’re off to the judges’ card.
How have you got it?
13 Sep 2025
11:16PM
A lovely moment as the judges tally up their cards as Crocker and Donovan embrace in the ring, and salute the Windsor Park crowd together.
13 Sep 2025
11:18PM
Lewis Crocker is the IBF welterweight world champion!
Carl Frampton on DAZN says he scored it for Donovan, despite wanting Crocker to win.
Former middleweight world champion Darren Barker says he had it for Donovan by a couple of rounds.
And Barry Jones also says that he had it for Donovan.
Tony Bellew scored it a draw — maybe Donovan by one — but with the exception of judges Pawel Kardyni and Matteo Montella, did anyone have this for Crocker?
That’s all from me for tonight — but before I go, might I point you in the direction of Gavan Casey’s on-the-bell report from ringside in Windsor Park.
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As it happened: Lewis Crocker v Paddy Donovan, IBF welterweight world title fight
Ireland’s newest world boxing champion will be crowned in Windsor Park tonight — but will it be local boy Lewis Crocker, or Limerick’s Paddy Donovan, who walks out of Belfast with the IBF world welterweight title strapped around their waist.
Main event ringwalk for this historic, first-ever all-Ireland world title fight is about half an hour away.
Time to get comfortable. You won’t want to miss this one.
You likely won’t need any reminder of what happened when Crocker and Donovan last met back in April.
With both men putting their undefeated pro records on the line, and bidding to move into pole position for a world title shot, Donovan was dominant and seemingly on course for victory.
With Crocker backed up and shipping serious pressure as the bell went to end the eighth round, Donovan landed one last punch — late enough for referee Marcus McDonnell to deem it a disqualification.
It handed Crocker an unlikely victory, cost Donovan his perfect record, and set the two on a collision course, which brings us to tonight…
How did we end up with the IBF world title on the line? Well, Crocker and Donovan — and promoter Eddie Hearn, to be honest — have Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to thank for that.
The American champion vacated his belt to step up to super-welterweight, and having already mandated a rematch between Crocker and Donovan, the powers that be at the IBF decided that tonight’s winner would take all the marbles.
We’re currently in round nine in our chief support bout between Caoimhin Agyarko and Ishmael Davis, so there’s not long to go now.
Gavan Casey is reporting from ringside in Windsor Park this evening, and while you’re waiting for the main event ringwalks, here’s a snippet from his final big fight preview:
Crocker needs to conjure something if he is to essentially avenge his own victory in Belfast tonight. And having given it the big’ne in advance of the first fight and come up short with his performance, he has changed course this week, instead doing everything he can to conserve energy for when it actually matters.
His lethargy during media obligations was a source of curiosity to Donovan, who has been like a puppy pawing a dead bird wondering why it won’t play with him.
Donovan has wondered aloud if he will even face the same Lewis Crocker tonight or some pale imitation who had the dog beaten out of him in March.
At yesterday evening’s ceremonial weigh-in, however, Crocker burst at the seams and exploded to life.
His chest-thumping pageantry — and his labelling of Donovan a “cocky, arrogant c***” — sent the hometown massive into raptures. It was a tonic for the promotion.
One wonders, though, if one more day of zen might have been more advisable for the boxer himself.
One last look at the pre-fight odds, and Donovan is the red-hot favourite to take home the world title tonight.
He’s the 1/8 favourite — which translates to a little less than a 90% chance of victory in the oddsmakers’ eyes.
If you fancy Crocker to do it in front of a Belfast crowd which will be clearly — but not entirely — in his favour, he’s a 5/1 shot for an upset.
If you’re only just tuning in now, earlier tonight on the TV card, we’ve already had wins for Molly McCann on her pro boxing debut, as well as a quick stoppage for Pat Brown, while Tyrone McKenna once again stopped Waterford’s Dylan Moran in their rematch.
Davis-Agyarko is into the final round here and about to go to the judges’ cards…
Caoimhin Agyarko wins a razor-thin decision!
What a tune-up for the main event!
Agyarko — who was deemed to be knocked down when he hit in the canvas in the last — survives to wins a split decision 114-113, 114-113, 112-115 and extend his unbeaten pro record.
Here’s that controversial late knockdown — Agyarko was insistent that it was a slip, but referee Michael Alexander saw it otherwise.
And just look at what it means to him!
Alright! Here. We. Go.
DAZN are billing this as “the biggest fight night in Irish boxing history”… and for once, it’s hard to disagree with the pre-fight hype.
Here comes Donovan, who walks to the iconic sound of Dolores O’Riordan, The Cranberries, and Zombie.
It’s LOUD in Windsor Park — and while there were cheers for Donovan, the Limerick contingent certainly find themselves outnumbered tonight.
Crocker walks to Sweet Caroline. Sometimes, you’ve just gotta play the hits.
The mind games have already started. As Crocker comes through the ropes, Donovan makes sure he’s standing there waiting for him. Impossible to tell from this remove, but Donovan may well have had one or two final words for his opponent.
Seconds out – we’re underway in Windsor Park!
Round 1: Cagey opening start, with Crocker showing Donovan a different picture early on and keeping him at arm’s length. Both fighters size each other, with Donovan making a few very tentative attempts to close the distance, but nothing meaningful. Donovan gets through with a couple of body shots towards the end of the round, and that could be enough to nick a very tight round in which very little of note happened.
Round 2: Crocker seems to be trying to wait Donovan out here, holding his distance and trying to pick off Donovan when he steps within range. It makes for an insanely tense, cagey start to this fight — but with about 30 seconds left in the round, it pays off as Crocker lands a clean hook.
“Don’t fall in,” Andy Lee tells Donovan in the corner.
“Feint him, feint him, and then go.”
Donovan’s down in the third!
Another Crocker left hook and while Donovan is back on his feet quickly, it’s the first knockdown of his pro career.
Round 3: That’s a huge round for Crocker early doors, and it’ll be 10-8 on the judges’ cards. Similar to trap Crocker set in the second, Donovan stepped in, and Crocker landed a left hook. Donovan recovers well to his credit, and finishes the round on the front foot and landing some nice shots, but it’s advantage Crocker through three.
Round 4: By far the busiest round of the fight so far, and it’s a good one for Donovan. Both fighters land big shots simultaneously early on — but Donovan’s shot appears to rock Crocker more than vice versa.
Carl Frampton at ringside has the fight 38-38 through four rounds, having scored the first round 10-10. DAZN’s other ringside analysts have Donovan a round up through four, despite that 10-8.
Donovan’s down again! Saved by the bell!
Oh my days — what an explosive end to Round 5. Donovan is completely in control, but with seconds left, drops his hands and allows Crocker through with another booming left hook. Donovan’s visibly shaken by it, but as the bell goes, survives the standing count and gets back to his stool.
“You dominated the round, don’t worry about it,” Andy Lee tells him in the corner — but it’s another 10-8 for Crocker. What kind of condition will Donovan be in when he re-emerges?
Round 6: Donovan finds his feet again in the sixth, and tries to come forward and take the fight to Crocker, but there’s very little to choose between them in the round.
“Let’s change this fight around now,” Crocker’s trainer Billy Nelson tells his fighter, encouraging him on to the front foot for the second half of the fight.
Round 7: Whatever way the judges are seeing it, the margins in this one are surely razor thin as we head towards the championship rounds. Crocker gets through with a right to the body but it’s Donovan who finishes strongest again behind his jab — and possibly does enough to knick it?
Joe Cordina, who is scoring at ringside for DAZN, has it bang level — 66-66 — through seven rounds.
Round 8: There’s no doubt that Crocker’s early tactics blew this fight wide open — and set the traps which allowed him to land the two bombs which have shaped the fight through eight — but is he doing enough in these tight rounds to catch the judges’ eye? Or will they see Donovan on the front foot, landing the cleaner shots, and score it accordingly?
Round 9: Just as the momentum of this fight seems to be shifting in Donovan’s direction, Crocker gets through with that left hook again; Donovan stands his ground and snaps back with one to the body.
Outside of the two 10-8 rounds, it’s arguable that that’s the first round that Crocker has won. If that’s the case, chalk it up at 85-84 Donovan with three rounds to go.
Round 10: Strong opening again from Donovan, who gets through with his jab on a few occasions, but Crocker responds in kind with a good straight right, and that momentarily gives him the encouragement to be a bit more adventurous.
“You need to win these last two rounds but not be desperate,” Andy Lee tells Donovan.
“It’s a very close fight but we need to win these rounds.”
Billy Nelson tells Crocker, “Don’t let him steal rounds”.
Round 11: Donovan gets in with a left to Crocker’s body, and then is light on his feet to duck and weave his way around the response. Crocker still looks to be fighting within himself, and you’d have to wonder if he’s going to walk out of Windsor Park tonight rueing what might have been.
“You need to show everyone how much you want this,” Billy Nelson tells Crocker. “You’ve got to let the hands go.”
All down to the last three minutes…
Round 12: The Belfast crowd are really behind Crocker. He responds with a big right straight down the middle, but Donovan is too quick to allow Crocker really pile on the pressure. Both fighters play to the crowd in the final seconds, but the bell goes, and we’re off to the judges’ card.
How have you got it?
A lovely moment as the judges tally up their cards as Crocker and Donovan embrace in the ring, and salute the Windsor Park crowd together.
Lewis Crocker is the IBF welterweight world champion!
115-111 Donovan
114-112 Crocker
114-113 Crocker
Split decision victory for Crocker!
Crocker: “Nobody gave me a chance.
“All the people who gave me stick in the last fight, when you write your posts tomorrow, write ‘Lewis Crocker: World Fucking Champion.’”
As at the end of the first fight in March, Paddy Donovan was visibly — and understandably — in tears after the decision was read.
He’ll feel incredibly hard done by there tonight, without a doubt. It’ll be very interesting to hear from his camp later this evening.
Carl Frampton on DAZN says he scored it for Donovan, despite wanting Crocker to win.
Former middleweight world champion Darren Barker says he had it for Donovan by a couple of rounds.
And Barry Jones also says that he had it for Donovan.
Tony Bellew scored it a draw — maybe Donovan by one — but with the exception of judges Pawel Kardyni and Matteo Montella, did anyone have this for Crocker?
That’s all from me for tonight — but before I go, might I point you in the direction of Gavan Casey’s on-the-bell report from ringside in Windsor Park.
Thanks for reading!
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