PADDY DONOVAN HAD questioned his opponent’s energy levels in the lead-up but hometown hero Lewis Crocker came alive at the weigh-in for Saturday night’s first ever world-title boxing match between two Irish fighters.
Following the contentious finish to their original bout at the SSE Arena in March, Belfast’s Crocker and Limerick native Donovan will meet again at Windsor Park for the vacant IBF welterweight title (live on DAZN, circa 10pm).
The Andy Lee-trained Donovan [14-1, 11KOs], who suffered the first defeat of his professional career when he violently knocked Crocker down after the bell had already sounded to end the eighth round, was greeted with a chorus of ‘Who Are Ya’ by the Crocker faithful, with several of them labelling him a “cheat”.
The 26-year-old away fighter, who dominated the original contest only to foul out in the eighth having already had two points harshly deducted for head clashes, was revealed to have weighed a surprisingly light 145.7lbs for the sequel when he took to the stage at the ICC. (The boxers’ official weights were actually taken privately on Friday morning; Friday evening’s public weigh-in event was just ceremonial).
Crocker [21-0, 11KOs] is effectively seeking to avenge his own victory on Saturday night. The 28-year-old, who has supported local club Linfield at Windsor Park since he was a boy, was given a hero’s reception and tipped the pretend scales at 146.6lbs, almost a pound heavier than Donovan but still comfortably beneath the welterweight limit of 147.
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Crocker has cut a reserved figure throughout this fight promotion, contributing little to the pre-fight talk and, for the most part, treating Donovan with something resembling reverence.
Donovan has insisted repeatedly that his opponent is “not the same Lewis Crocker” as the one whom he broadly outclassed in March.
But the old Lewis Crocker appeared on stage at the ICC, suggesting ‘The Croc’ had rope-a-doped his way through the build-up to conserve energy for the real business.
As the boxers were brought together to stare each other down for the final time, Crocker held aloft his right index finger near Donovan’s face and shouted repeatedly, “One more sleep!”
There was chest-thumping pageantry by Crocker throughout, as he whipped up the Belfast massive and essentially ignored whatever Donovan was trying to hiss in his ear.
THE FINAL FACE-OFF 🍿@lewiscrocker1 vs @PaddyDonovan23 rematch in front of a monster crowd at the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park on Saturday in the first ever all-Irish World Title fight 🔥#CrockerDonovan2 for the IBF World Welterweight Title live on… pic.twitter.com/h6NHtjlfBN
Crocker sprung away from the stare-down and into his final pre-fight interview, in which the amped-up Belfast man finally engaged in some trash talk.
“Do I look nervous?!” Crocker screamed to the crowd from onstage. “Do I look nervous?!
“Excited — absolutely excited,” Crocker said. “Buzzing for tomorrow. One more sleep.
One more sleep and I can do everyone a favour and put that arrogant, cocky c*** to sleep.
“I’ve gotta give it everything tomorrow. I’ve gotta fight my heart out. Everything I’ve learned since I was a kid, I have to show tomorrow. And that’s what I will do.”
Crocker gets the crowd going at the ICC. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
Donovan, meanwhile, shrugged off his opponent’s sudden jolt of excitement, hinting that he believed it to be performative.
“You know me,” Donovan said. “Everything is cool, calm and collected. We’re going to get the job done in tremendous fashion tomorrow.
I know the true Lewis Crocker, and he isn’t going to beat me.
“I’m going to show you why I’m boss tomorrow. You’re gonna see the best me ever. Just tune in and watch me shine.”
For the chief-support bout, meanwhile, Belfast’s ‘Black Thunder’, Caoimhín Agyarko [17-0, 7KOs], and Leeds ‘Black Panther’, Ishmael Davis [13-2, 6KOs], each weighed in at 153.3lbs.
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The former sparring partners, who have been engaged in a war of words for weeks, will meet in a light-middleweight rankings match a bout prior to Crocker and Donovan’s headline slot.
There were no fireworks during their staredown, however, with David receptive to Agyarko’s friendly decree that they put on “a good fight”.
Meanwhile, Belfast’s Tyrone McKenna [24-6-1, 7KOs] was 149.5 pounds for his rematch with Waterford’s Dylan Moran [19-3, 9KOs], who came in slightly heavier at 149.9.
The pair engaged in all-out war for just under a round at the Setu Arena in Moran’s home city last December, with McKenna emerging from the smoke with a stoppage victory.
Who do you think will win Saturday night’s all-Irish welterweight world-title clash at Windsor Park?
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'One more sleep and I can do everyone a favour and put that arrogant **** to sleep'
PADDY DONOVAN HAD questioned his opponent’s energy levels in the lead-up but hometown hero Lewis Crocker came alive at the weigh-in for Saturday night’s first ever world-title boxing match between two Irish fighters.
Following the contentious finish to their original bout at the SSE Arena in March, Belfast’s Crocker and Limerick native Donovan will meet again at Windsor Park for the vacant IBF welterweight title (live on DAZN, circa 10pm).
The Andy Lee-trained Donovan [14-1, 11KOs], who suffered the first defeat of his professional career when he violently knocked Crocker down after the bell had already sounded to end the eighth round, was greeted with a chorus of ‘Who Are Ya’ by the Crocker faithful, with several of them labelling him a “cheat”.
The 26-year-old away fighter, who dominated the original contest only to foul out in the eighth having already had two points harshly deducted for head clashes, was revealed to have weighed a surprisingly light 145.7lbs for the sequel when he took to the stage at the ICC. (The boxers’ official weights were actually taken privately on Friday morning; Friday evening’s public weigh-in event was just ceremonial).
Crocker [21-0, 11KOs] is effectively seeking to avenge his own victory on Saturday night. The 28-year-old, who has supported local club Linfield at Windsor Park since he was a boy, was given a hero’s reception and tipped the pretend scales at 146.6lbs, almost a pound heavier than Donovan but still comfortably beneath the welterweight limit of 147.
Crocker has cut a reserved figure throughout this fight promotion, contributing little to the pre-fight talk and, for the most part, treating Donovan with something resembling reverence.
Donovan has insisted repeatedly that his opponent is “not the same Lewis Crocker” as the one whom he broadly outclassed in March.
But the old Lewis Crocker appeared on stage at the ICC, suggesting ‘The Croc’ had rope-a-doped his way through the build-up to conserve energy for the real business.
As the boxers were brought together to stare each other down for the final time, Crocker held aloft his right index finger near Donovan’s face and shouted repeatedly, “One more sleep!”
There was chest-thumping pageantry by Crocker throughout, as he whipped up the Belfast massive and essentially ignored whatever Donovan was trying to hiss in his ear.
Crocker sprung away from the stare-down and into his final pre-fight interview, in which the amped-up Belfast man finally engaged in some trash talk.
“Do I look nervous?!” Crocker screamed to the crowd from onstage. “Do I look nervous?!
“Excited — absolutely excited,” Crocker said. “Buzzing for tomorrow. One more sleep.
“I’ve gotta give it everything tomorrow. I’ve gotta fight my heart out. Everything I’ve learned since I was a kid, I have to show tomorrow. And that’s what I will do.”
Donovan, meanwhile, shrugged off his opponent’s sudden jolt of excitement, hinting that he believed it to be performative.
“You know me,” Donovan said. “Everything is cool, calm and collected. We’re going to get the job done in tremendous fashion tomorrow.
“I’m going to show you why I’m boss tomorrow. You’re gonna see the best me ever. Just tune in and watch me shine.”
For the chief-support bout, meanwhile, Belfast’s ‘Black Thunder’, Caoimhín Agyarko [17-0, 7KOs], and Leeds ‘Black Panther’, Ishmael Davis [13-2, 6KOs], each weighed in at 153.3lbs.
The former sparring partners, who have been engaged in a war of words for weeks, will meet in a light-middleweight rankings match a bout prior to Crocker and Donovan’s headline slot.
There were no fireworks during their staredown, however, with David receptive to Agyarko’s friendly decree that they put on “a good fight”.
Meanwhile, Belfast’s Tyrone McKenna [24-6-1, 7KOs] was 149.5 pounds for his rematch with Waterford’s Dylan Moran [19-3, 9KOs], who came in slightly heavier at 149.9.
The pair engaged in all-out war for just under a round at the Setu Arena in Moran’s home city last December, with McKenna emerging from the smoke with a stoppage victory.
Who do you think will win Saturday night’s all-Irish welterweight world-title clash at Windsor Park?
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