LAST UPDATE | 11 Oct 2019
FORMER JUNIOR WORLD silver medalist and 13-time Irish underage champion Paddy Donovan made an explosive start to his professional career at Belfast’s Ulster Hall on Friday night.
The 20-year-old Limerick-based southpaw, promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank and trained by Treaty County boxing legend Andy Lee, wasted no time on his punch-for-pay bow, scoring a one-punch knockout inside 80 seconds of his contest with Arturo Lopez (previously 5-13-3).
There were frightening scenes in the storied arena as Lopez, a late replacement opponent, remained down for the count for several minutes after being felled by a venomous left hand.
The Mexican native received oxygen and eventually left the ring on a stretcher.
Paddy Donovan yarı orta sıklette mücadele ettiği ilk profesyonel maçında Meksikalı Arturo Lopez'i ilk rauntta nakavt ederek kariyerine iyi bir başlangıç yaptı. Takipteyiz. @Irishboxingcom @IrishBoxinNews @AndyLeeBoxing @MTKGlobal pic.twitter.com/Gg5JIaDUJa
— Cihat Gemici (@Cihat_Gemici) October 11, 2019
Donovan barely took a scratch in just over a minute’s worth of action, picking Lopez apart with his silky shot selection before lowering the boom in chilling fashion.
The former underage standout, making his debut on the MTK Fight Night undercard of Paddy Barnes’ crossroads clash with European champion Jay Harris, moves to 1-0(1KO).
Earlier on the bill, welterweight Lewis Crocker (Antrim) and lightweight Gary Cully (Kildare) won six-rounders against unheralded opposition on points, while Tyrone middleweight Conrad Cummings bounced back from his defeats to Luke Keeler over the same distance.
Dublin debutant Pierce O’Leary was taken the distance but impressed in front of a huge travelling support, ‘Big Bang’ getting off the mark with a shutout win over tough Nicaraguan journeyman Oscar Amador after four entertaining if one-sided rounds.