HIS PROFICIENCY ON either side of the ropes has seen him become the flagship fighter of Irish boxing’s burgeoning domestic scene, but this weekend, Eric Donovan’s road towards a European title will see him leave the road altogether and board a short flight to fight abroad for the first time as professional.
‘Lilywhite Lightning’ is no stranger to purveying his prodigious skills on foreign soil, of course: his well-travelled amateur career peaked with a European Championships bronze medal in Moscow nine years ago, and a year prior he picked up the same colour at the separate EU Championships in Odense, Denmark.
His commute this weekend is far shorter, his surroundings more familiar: the BUI Irish featherweight champion [9-0, 5KOs] will take to the ring at London’s iconic York Hall, where he’ll face the relatively dangerous Nicaraguan nomad Moises Mojica [9-7-2, 6KOs] in the six-round headliner of Hellraiser Boxing’s Irish Invasion this Saturday.
The bill, co-promoted by Leonard Gunning’s Boxing Ireland, is so-called because Donovan will be joined in action in the English capital by three Irish compatriots: Waterford’s Irish title-chasing Rohan Date [8-0-1, 6KOs], Cavan’s Dominic Donegan [1-0], and Kerry’s Kevin Cronin [1-0, 1KO] — the latter pair who impressed on their recent debuts in the punch-for-pay ranks — will also feature in the famed Bethnall Green venue.
Donovan, also a respected pundit, is engaged to Laura Ní Chíosóg, a Uefa A Licence football coach who has been providing her expertise as a co-commentator for TG4 during the Women’s World Cup.
Donovan is intent only on conquering his continent for the moment — the world can wait. But the Athy man is keen to bank the experience of fighting overseas as a professional, all the while cognisant of the fact that his career-defining nights might well take place abroad.
“I’m just looking forward to it, to build my experience, because I think I’m going to have to travel for big fights in the very near future,” said the 33-year-old, who produced a career-best performance in dispatching Stephen McAfee to claim national honours live on TG4 in March.
It will be a good chance for me and my coaches to get that experience of travelling away as a team, doing the weight, staying away together as a team, and going through all the processes as a professional boxer and a professional team.
“Anybody I’ve ever spoken to about boxing over the years, they’ve always spoken about the York Hall and what kind of an atmosphere the York Hall is. The National Boxing Stadium in Ireland, when it’s full, it will take a fair venue to beat that, but I’ve heard so many people that I respect say that the York Hall, when it’s full, that the atmosphere is electric, that the tension is palpable.
I really want to get in there and fight in that hall for that reason, and also because it’s an iconic hall; a lot of my heroes, boxing greats, have all fought there: Henry Cooper, Frank Bruno, Ricky Hatton, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank — they’ve all boxed there. Katie Taylor as well. It will be great to follow in their footsteps.
“Preparation has gone great”, added Donovan, for whom victory will move him closer towards a dream European title shot. “I’m looking forward to it. I’ve a good crowd coming over and I’ve a lot of family and friends over there, too, that are going to be making the trip down.
There’s a lot of Irish in London. I think it’s going to be a special night, a special atmosphere, and I’m ready. All I wanted to do when I turned pro was to create memories — lasting memories — and hopefully June 22nd is going to be one.
A limited number of tickets for The Irish Invasion on 22 June remain. Tickets cost £40 (unreserved) and £70 (ringside) and can be booked on Universe.com or by calling Boxing Ireland on +44(79)85646187.
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