PADDY DONOVAN DOMINATED hometown hero Lewis Crocker in Belfast but suffered a disqualification defeat in a compelling, highly controversial world-title eliminator at the SSE Arena.
Limerick’s Donovan, who had two points deducted for head clashes with his opponent, dropped Crocker twice at the end of the eighth round but the finishing shot — a vicious right hand against the ropes — was delivered shortly after the bell had already sounded.
Donovan initially celebrated what he believed to be a knockout victory but was soon reduced to tears as he was informed by referee Marcus McDonnell that he had been DQed.
The previously unbeaten Crocker (21-0, 11KOs), who received oxygen on his stool at the end of a blood-curdling bout, was officially declared the winner. He is now technically the mandatory challenger for the IBF welterweight world title, which may well sit vacant in a few months’ time.
Donovan, who controlled the bout and delivered the more hurtful blows throughout, officially endured a first career defeat, his record dropping to 14-1 (11KOs).
After what was almost a career-defining performance, the 26-year-old Limerick man sobbed into the shoulder of his trainer, Andy Lee, before accusing referee McDonnell of taking away his dream. Donovan led 69-63 x2 and 67-65 on the three judges’ scorecards at the time of his disqualification.
The 28-year-old Crocker, his left eye effectively shut, saluted the baying home crowd but scarcely celebrated his success, acknowledging that it was not the way anyone would wish to win a fight.
A rematch between the pair feels inevitable. That Crocker was in no rush to commit to one probably tells its own story.
While the Belfast man certainly had his moments and demonstrated tremendous courage as blood poured from near each of his eyes (both cuts were adjudged to have been caused by Donovan punches), he was broadly outclassed by Donovan who simply pressed too hard on the accelerator at the end of the eighth.
“Look, that’s not the way I want to win a fight with anybody,” Crocker said. “But I heard the bell, and I can’t see because I was getting hit with the head all night and that, I dropped my hands, and that’s what caused the knockdown.
“It was turning into a great fight. I always say Paddy is a great fighter. Obviously, I didn’t want the fight to end like that and certainly Paddy didn’t either.
“We (Crocker’s team) were hoping to work in the second part of the fight and come into it, and it’s just a shame the way it happened.”
Crocker rises after being knocked out after the bell. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
A still-tearful Donovan then gave his version of events, stressing that he believed he had landed the final, disqualifying punch on the bell.
“I won the fight, I was winning every single round. I dropped Lewis, I beat him up, I was getting the knockout. They said I hit him after the bell but I thought I hit him on the bell.
“You can see Lewis was a beaten man and I won the fight fair and square. And the ref took my dreams away tonight.
“We’re going to appeal the decision and I want an automatic rematch, right on the spot.”
Donovan’s trainer Lee parked his annoyance with referee McDonnell in the aftermath and gave a diplomatic assessment of the finish.
But the former middleweight world champion insisted that Donovan had proven himself a level above Crocker until his disqualification, and insisted that his fighter is destined for stardom regardless of this technical defeat.
“I thought it was fantastic fight,” said Lee. “Both boys did really well but Paddy was just a class above as we said in the build-up.
“It’s drama, isn’t it?” smiled Lee, before invoking his fellow former middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin. “Big drama show!”
“Listen, they were both going in with their heads,” Lee added, protesting McDonnell’s decision to penalise only his boxer for the routine head-clashes between the protagonists.
“It’s disappointing but it’s not even a bump on the road. People saw what happened. He (Donovan) boxed unbelievably, I’m so proud of him. There’s bigger things for him. He’s going to be a world champion.”
Crocker and Donovan's heads came together on several occasions. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
Almost forgotten in the post-fight bedlam was that those in attendance at the SSE Arena or watching on DAZN had been treated to eight high-quality rounds of boxing by two potentially elite Irish welterweights.
While the action took a while to heat up, the main event as an overall package was a hair-raising affair from the off.
Limerick native Donovan emerged to a caustic hostility, some of which was initially drowned out by The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ before the pro-Crocker home crowd eventually gave in to the temptation to sing along with Dolores instead of booing their man’s adversary as he paced the stage.
The vibe shifted again as Zombie transitioned into ‘Can’t Stop’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Donovan began his swagger to the ring. The louder they jeered, the more ‘The Real Deal’ beamed.
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Out, then, came hometown hero Crocker to a cacophony of noise as well as Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’.
‘Croc’ soaked in the adulation onstage before making a beeline for the ring to the same tune.
Donovan making his way to the ring. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
The purple-clad Crocker, with his 20 fights, 20 victories, and 11 knockouts, was introduced first from centre-ring by MC David Diamante. Donovan (14-0, 11KOs), wearing the famous gold and red of the Kronk gym that shaped his trainer Andy Lee many moons ago, was again treated to condemnation as his name reverberated around the arena one more time.
When the first bell sounded, Crocker immediately pushed forward behind a tight guard, offering Donovan little surface area to target but equally throwing little of note himself.
Donovan pawed at Crocker’s defence, pivoting with his feet in an effort to prise open Crocker’s shell. He managed to do so on a couple of occasions, but to limited success.
Both boxers loosened up in a more enjoyable second round. Crocker landed a couple of tidy right uppercuts as Donovan pulled away from exchanges with his chin in the air. Donovan tip-tapped away in response, landing some neat combinations.
Neither man was yet willing to load up and risk being caught on the counter.
There was far more spite to the third, though. Crocker and Donovan took turns in unleashing considered fury upon each other, each fighter equaling the other man’s previous best shot.
Crucially, Donovan drew first blood: referee Marcus McDonnell adjudged a cut above Crocker’s right eye to have been caused by a Donovan left hand as opposed to an accidental clash of heads, which were happening semi-frequently.
McDonnell determined early on that these were exclusively Donovan’s fault. It seemed a harsh judgement.
As blood continued to stream from Crocker’s right eye in the fourth, McDonnell gave Donovan a final warning: one more bump of heads, and he would have a point deducted.
Donovan responded with a peach of a right hook upstairs — the best punch of the fight so far — and gained an ascendancy that he never really relinquished from that point.
Crocker and Donovan at centre-ring. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
By the fifth round, a second cut had opened under Crocker’s left eye. It was again deemed to have been caused by a Donovan punch.
With Crocker’s vision at the very least being interfered with by a combination of swelling and blood, Donovan found a home for his left uppercut and began delivering straight lefts through the home fighter’s guard.
While Donovan was decidedly on top, Crocker remained dangerous. He answered with plenty, including a couple of tidy right hooks to Donovan’s head which breathed life into a home crowd which had grown tense.
The sixth, though, was becoming Donovan’s best round until it eventually cost him a point.
The technical boxer began to march down the supposedly more beastly Belfast man — until McDonnell pulled the trigger and deducted a point from Donovan following another head clash.
Andy Lee and Donovan’s corner were incensed but their boxer kept his composure upon the resumption, finishing the round in total control.
By the seventh, Donovan was beginning to really enjoy himself, smiling as he detonated on Crocker’s increasingly puffy face while continuing to chip away at his body.
While Crocker was still game, Donovan appeared for all intents and purposes to have the fight in the bag despite his loss of a point.
When he was deducted once more in Round 8 and found himself on the brink of disqualification, Donovan immediately attacked with urgency. His plan was demonstrably clear: get the job done before he could get jobbed himself.
With 20 seconds remaining in the round, he dropped Crocker with a crisp right hook around the guard. Crocker, who could barely see out of his left eye if at all, beat the count but the writing was on the wall.
Donovan moved in for the kill, pinning Crocker against the ropes. There was a recklessness to Donovan’s initial attempt at the finish which saw him swallow some thudding shots from Crocker which brought the Belfast massive to their feet once more.
Donovan, though, walked them off and dished it back. He was mid-attack as the bell sounded to end the eighth round. Donovan couldn’t resist one last swing, a right hand which felled Crocker about a half a second too late.
Referee McDonnell should have been closer to the two boxers when the clapper signalled the final 10 seconds but it’s impossible to determine whether he would have been able to prevent the you-know-what from hitting the fan the way it did.
Donovan initially celebrated as though he had won the fight by stoppage. He was soon disabused of this notion and had to be restrained by Andy Lee in his corner before he burst into tears, his hard work in vain and his world-title dream postponed.
The brave Crocker, who had taken a serious wallop — illegally, it’s worth stressing — was looked after by Billy Nelson and crew before eventually removing the oxygen mask and rising from his stool.
The boxers did shake hands and exchange words afterwards, albeit whatever the tearful Donovan said seemed to annoy Crocker who shook his head as he turned away.
Crocker is declared the official winner. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
“You never want a fight to finish like that,” said Eddie Hearn, who promotes both boxers. “It was a good fight. Paddy was controlling the fight. The points [deductions] were making it interesting.
“You feel like Crocker had to force the fight in the last few rounds and Paddy was sensational.
“The shot was after the bell. Did it warrant an instant disqualification? Are you tallying up the headbutts as well during the fight?
“I’ve got to be honest: I want to see it again. Lewis Crocker is in a position where he’s mandatory for the world title. I’m sure those guys (Donovan’s team) will appeal to the IBF.
“But the reality is there’s going to be a lot of people wanting to see this fight again. We know what controversy does: it builds into massive fights, massive rematches. The rematch of this fight is huge.
“But will Crocker want it? What will the IBF say? We’ll have to see what happens over the next couple of weeks.
“Honestly, as the promoter for both, I want to see the fight again. I want to see it play out.”
Earlier on the same bill, London light-heavyweight Craig Richards (now 19-4-1, 12KOs) dominated popular Belfast veteran Padraig McCrory (19-2, 9KOs) on his way to a ninth-round stoppage victory.
Richards, 34, a former world-title challenger, proved too much for the 36-year-old McCrory, who was stepping up from super-middleweight.
Richards controlled the contest from pillar to post, eventually folding McCrory with a left hook to the body in the ninth.
It was a significant win for Richards, who gave current undisputed light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol a tough night of it four years ago, while defeat will likely signal the end of the road for McCrory after an enjoyable seven-year pro career.
Kurt Walker (12-0, 2KOs), meanwhile, is tracking in the opposite direction following a fine points win over rugged Leicester native Leon Woodstock (16-4, 7KOs).
Tokyo Olympian Walker, 29, won a deserved majority decision over the Englishman, whom he mostly outboxed in an enjoyable contest.
Lisburn man Walker, who was unfortunate not to take home an Olympic medal four summers ago, was adjudged the winner on two of the three judges’ scorecards, while the other had the bout a draw.
In a cruiserweight battle of long-time friends and local rivals, Steven Ward (now 15-3, 5KOs) turned the tables on Tommy McCarthy (21-7, 10KOs) with a sixth-round stoppage of the former European champion.
Ward, who lost out to his fellow Belfast man McCarthy on several occasions during their respective amateur journeys, resurrected his professional career with his upset victory while McCarthy must now surely contemplate retirement.
Ward and McCarthy, both 34, first shared the ring as 13-year-olds but it was Ward who had the final say in their amicable rivalry. ‘The Quiet Man’ dropped ‘The Mac Attack’ with a left hook at the end of the second round, and again with an overhand right in the sixth, before finishing the job against the ropes.
Irish super-bantamweight champion Ruadhan Farrell of Belfast (now 7-1-1, 2KOs) outgunned Gerard Hughes (5-1-1) in an eight-round rematch of their controversial 2023 draw.
Farrell, who was the more aggrieved about the original bout, was justifiably adjudged the winner the second time around with referee Eamonn Magill scoring the bout 79-73 — or nine rounds to one — in favour of ‘Rudy’.
There was a shock earlier in the card, however, when Tipperary lightweight Shauna Browne (now 5-1, 3KOs) was stopped spectacularly by Turkish opponent Elif Nur Turhan (10-0, 6KOs).
With the winner of their bout set to enter the world-title frame at 135 pounds, Nur Turhan lowered the curtain after just 47 seconds, almost flattening Browne with a booming left hand.
Browne (née O’Keeffe), who previously competed with Ireland’s amateur world champions Katie Taylor, Kellie Harrington and Amy Broadhurst in the unpaid ranks, was unsteady on her feet after beating the count, forcing referee Hugh Russell Jr to wave off the contest.
The 30-year-old Browne will contend with her first professional defeat while Nur Turhan will hope to contend for a title in her next outing, with promoter Eddie Hearn suggesting afterwards that the Turkish breakthrough talent is in line to face WBC lightweight champion Caroline Dubois.
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Paddy Donovan suffers disqualification defeat in controversial thriller with Lewis Crocker
PADDY DONOVAN DOMINATED hometown hero Lewis Crocker in Belfast but suffered a disqualification defeat in a compelling, highly controversial world-title eliminator at the SSE Arena.
Limerick’s Donovan, who had two points deducted for head clashes with his opponent, dropped Crocker twice at the end of the eighth round but the finishing shot — a vicious right hand against the ropes — was delivered shortly after the bell had already sounded.
Donovan initially celebrated what he believed to be a knockout victory but was soon reduced to tears as he was informed by referee Marcus McDonnell that he had been DQed.
The previously unbeaten Crocker (21-0, 11KOs), who received oxygen on his stool at the end of a blood-curdling bout, was officially declared the winner. He is now technically the mandatory challenger for the IBF welterweight world title, which may well sit vacant in a few months’ time.
Donovan, who controlled the bout and delivered the more hurtful blows throughout, officially endured a first career defeat, his record dropping to 14-1 (11KOs).
After what was almost a career-defining performance, the 26-year-old Limerick man sobbed into the shoulder of his trainer, Andy Lee, before accusing referee McDonnell of taking away his dream. Donovan led 69-63 x2 and 67-65 on the three judges’ scorecards at the time of his disqualification.
The 28-year-old Crocker, his left eye effectively shut, saluted the baying home crowd but scarcely celebrated his success, acknowledging that it was not the way anyone would wish to win a fight.
A rematch between the pair feels inevitable. That Crocker was in no rush to commit to one probably tells its own story.
While the Belfast man certainly had his moments and demonstrated tremendous courage as blood poured from near each of his eyes (both cuts were adjudged to have been caused by Donovan punches), he was broadly outclassed by Donovan who simply pressed too hard on the accelerator at the end of the eighth.
“Look, that’s not the way I want to win a fight with anybody,” Crocker said. “But I heard the bell, and I can’t see because I was getting hit with the head all night and that, I dropped my hands, and that’s what caused the knockdown.
“It was turning into a great fight. I always say Paddy is a great fighter. Obviously, I didn’t want the fight to end like that and certainly Paddy didn’t either.
“We (Crocker’s team) were hoping to work in the second part of the fight and come into it, and it’s just a shame the way it happened.”
A still-tearful Donovan then gave his version of events, stressing that he believed he had landed the final, disqualifying punch on the bell.
“I won the fight, I was winning every single round. I dropped Lewis, I beat him up, I was getting the knockout. They said I hit him after the bell but I thought I hit him on the bell.
“You can see Lewis was a beaten man and I won the fight fair and square. And the ref took my dreams away tonight.
“We’re going to appeal the decision and I want an automatic rematch, right on the spot.”
Donovan’s trainer Lee parked his annoyance with referee McDonnell in the aftermath and gave a diplomatic assessment of the finish.
But the former middleweight world champion insisted that Donovan had proven himself a level above Crocker until his disqualification, and insisted that his fighter is destined for stardom regardless of this technical defeat.
“I thought it was fantastic fight,” said Lee. “Both boys did really well but Paddy was just a class above as we said in the build-up.
“It’s drama, isn’t it?” smiled Lee, before invoking his fellow former middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin. “Big drama show!”
“Listen, they were both going in with their heads,” Lee added, protesting McDonnell’s decision to penalise only his boxer for the routine head-clashes between the protagonists.
“It’s disappointing but it’s not even a bump on the road. People saw what happened. He (Donovan) boxed unbelievably, I’m so proud of him. There’s bigger things for him. He’s going to be a world champion.”
Almost forgotten in the post-fight bedlam was that those in attendance at the SSE Arena or watching on DAZN had been treated to eight high-quality rounds of boxing by two potentially elite Irish welterweights.
While the action took a while to heat up, the main event as an overall package was a hair-raising affair from the off.
Limerick native Donovan emerged to a caustic hostility, some of which was initially drowned out by The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ before the pro-Crocker home crowd eventually gave in to the temptation to sing along with Dolores instead of booing their man’s adversary as he paced the stage.
The vibe shifted again as Zombie transitioned into ‘Can’t Stop’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Donovan began his swagger to the ring. The louder they jeered, the more ‘The Real Deal’ beamed.
Out, then, came hometown hero Crocker to a cacophony of noise as well as Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’.
‘Croc’ soaked in the adulation onstage before making a beeline for the ring to the same tune.
The purple-clad Crocker, with his 20 fights, 20 victories, and 11 knockouts, was introduced first from centre-ring by MC David Diamante. Donovan (14-0, 11KOs), wearing the famous gold and red of the Kronk gym that shaped his trainer Andy Lee many moons ago, was again treated to condemnation as his name reverberated around the arena one more time.
When the first bell sounded, Crocker immediately pushed forward behind a tight guard, offering Donovan little surface area to target but equally throwing little of note himself.
Donovan pawed at Crocker’s defence, pivoting with his feet in an effort to prise open Crocker’s shell. He managed to do so on a couple of occasions, but to limited success.
Both boxers loosened up in a more enjoyable second round. Crocker landed a couple of tidy right uppercuts as Donovan pulled away from exchanges with his chin in the air. Donovan tip-tapped away in response, landing some neat combinations.
Neither man was yet willing to load up and risk being caught on the counter.
There was far more spite to the third, though. Crocker and Donovan took turns in unleashing considered fury upon each other, each fighter equaling the other man’s previous best shot.
Crucially, Donovan drew first blood: referee Marcus McDonnell adjudged a cut above Crocker’s right eye to have been caused by a Donovan left hand as opposed to an accidental clash of heads, which were happening semi-frequently.
McDonnell determined early on that these were exclusively Donovan’s fault. It seemed a harsh judgement.
As blood continued to stream from Crocker’s right eye in the fourth, McDonnell gave Donovan a final warning: one more bump of heads, and he would have a point deducted.
Donovan responded with a peach of a right hook upstairs — the best punch of the fight so far — and gained an ascendancy that he never really relinquished from that point.
By the fifth round, a second cut had opened under Crocker’s left eye. It was again deemed to have been caused by a Donovan punch.
With Crocker’s vision at the very least being interfered with by a combination of swelling and blood, Donovan found a home for his left uppercut and began delivering straight lefts through the home fighter’s guard.
While Donovan was decidedly on top, Crocker remained dangerous. He answered with plenty, including a couple of tidy right hooks to Donovan’s head which breathed life into a home crowd which had grown tense.
The sixth, though, was becoming Donovan’s best round until it eventually cost him a point.
The technical boxer began to march down the supposedly more beastly Belfast man — until McDonnell pulled the trigger and deducted a point from Donovan following another head clash.
Andy Lee and Donovan’s corner were incensed but their boxer kept his composure upon the resumption, finishing the round in total control.
By the seventh, Donovan was beginning to really enjoy himself, smiling as he detonated on Crocker’s increasingly puffy face while continuing to chip away at his body.
While Crocker was still game, Donovan appeared for all intents and purposes to have the fight in the bag despite his loss of a point.
When he was deducted once more in Round 8 and found himself on the brink of disqualification, Donovan immediately attacked with urgency. His plan was demonstrably clear: get the job done before he could get jobbed himself.
With 20 seconds remaining in the round, he dropped Crocker with a crisp right hook around the guard. Crocker, who could barely see out of his left eye if at all, beat the count but the writing was on the wall.
Donovan moved in for the kill, pinning Crocker against the ropes. There was a recklessness to Donovan’s initial attempt at the finish which saw him swallow some thudding shots from Crocker which brought the Belfast massive to their feet once more.
Donovan, though, walked them off and dished it back. He was mid-attack as the bell sounded to end the eighth round. Donovan couldn’t resist one last swing, a right hand which felled Crocker about a half a second too late.
Referee McDonnell should have been closer to the two boxers when the clapper signalled the final 10 seconds but it’s impossible to determine whether he would have been able to prevent the you-know-what from hitting the fan the way it did.
Donovan initially celebrated as though he had won the fight by stoppage. He was soon disabused of this notion and had to be restrained by Andy Lee in his corner before he burst into tears, his hard work in vain and his world-title dream postponed.
The brave Crocker, who had taken a serious wallop — illegally, it’s worth stressing — was looked after by Billy Nelson and crew before eventually removing the oxygen mask and rising from his stool.
The boxers did shake hands and exchange words afterwards, albeit whatever the tearful Donovan said seemed to annoy Crocker who shook his head as he turned away.
“You never want a fight to finish like that,” said Eddie Hearn, who promotes both boxers. “It was a good fight. Paddy was controlling the fight. The points [deductions] were making it interesting.
“You feel like Crocker had to force the fight in the last few rounds and Paddy was sensational.
“The shot was after the bell. Did it warrant an instant disqualification? Are you tallying up the headbutts as well during the fight?
“I’ve got to be honest: I want to see it again. Lewis Crocker is in a position where he’s mandatory for the world title. I’m sure those guys (Donovan’s team) will appeal to the IBF.
“But the reality is there’s going to be a lot of people wanting to see this fight again. We know what controversy does: it builds into massive fights, massive rematches. The rematch of this fight is huge.
“But will Crocker want it? What will the IBF say? We’ll have to see what happens over the next couple of weeks.
“Honestly, as the promoter for both, I want to see the fight again. I want to see it play out.”
Earlier on the same bill, London light-heavyweight Craig Richards (now 19-4-1, 12KOs) dominated popular Belfast veteran Padraig McCrory (19-2, 9KOs) on his way to a ninth-round stoppage victory.
Richards, 34, a former world-title challenger, proved too much for the 36-year-old McCrory, who was stepping up from super-middleweight.
Richards controlled the contest from pillar to post, eventually folding McCrory with a left hook to the body in the ninth.
It was a significant win for Richards, who gave current undisputed light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol a tough night of it four years ago, while defeat will likely signal the end of the road for McCrory after an enjoyable seven-year pro career.
Kurt Walker (12-0, 2KOs), meanwhile, is tracking in the opposite direction following a fine points win over rugged Leicester native Leon Woodstock (16-4, 7KOs).
Tokyo Olympian Walker, 29, won a deserved majority decision over the Englishman, whom he mostly outboxed in an enjoyable contest.
Lisburn man Walker, who was unfortunate not to take home an Olympic medal four summers ago, was adjudged the winner on two of the three judges’ scorecards, while the other had the bout a draw.
In a cruiserweight battle of long-time friends and local rivals, Steven Ward (now 15-3, 5KOs) turned the tables on Tommy McCarthy (21-7, 10KOs) with a sixth-round stoppage of the former European champion.
Ward, who lost out to his fellow Belfast man McCarthy on several occasions during their respective amateur journeys, resurrected his professional career with his upset victory while McCarthy must now surely contemplate retirement.
Ward and McCarthy, both 34, first shared the ring as 13-year-olds but it was Ward who had the final say in their amicable rivalry. ‘The Quiet Man’ dropped ‘The Mac Attack’ with a left hook at the end of the second round, and again with an overhand right in the sixth, before finishing the job against the ropes.
Irish super-bantamweight champion Ruadhan Farrell of Belfast (now 7-1-1, 2KOs) outgunned Gerard Hughes (5-1-1) in an eight-round rematch of their controversial 2023 draw.
Farrell, who was the more aggrieved about the original bout, was justifiably adjudged the winner the second time around with referee Eamonn Magill scoring the bout 79-73 — or nine rounds to one — in favour of ‘Rudy’.
There was a shock earlier in the card, however, when Tipperary lightweight Shauna Browne (now 5-1, 3KOs) was stopped spectacularly by Turkish opponent Elif Nur Turhan (10-0, 6KOs).
With the winner of their bout set to enter the world-title frame at 135 pounds, Nur Turhan lowered the curtain after just 47 seconds, almost flattening Browne with a booming left hand.
Browne (née O’Keeffe), who previously competed with Ireland’s amateur world champions Katie Taylor, Kellie Harrington and Amy Broadhurst in the unpaid ranks, was unsteady on her feet after beating the count, forcing referee Hugh Russell Jr to wave off the contest.
The 30-year-old Browne will contend with her first professional defeat while Nur Turhan will hope to contend for a title in her next outing, with promoter Eddie Hearn suggesting afterwards that the Turkish breakthrough talent is in line to face WBC lightweight champion Caroline Dubois.
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