Irish boxing has dreamed of blockbuster domestic showdowns like Crocker v Donovan

Boxers Lewis Crocker, left, and Paddy Donovan, right, with promoter Eddie Hearn, centre, during the press conference launch at The Europa Hotel in Belfast, ahead of their welterweight bout on March 1st at the SSE Arena in Belfast. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

It was well past midnight on a bitter September night when the typical debrief took place outside the 3Arena. After almost every Irish fight night, a gaggle of journalists, pundits and Irish boxing diehards gather to assess the mood. Here, the vibes were good.

Callum Walsh had just successfully headlined a card, joining a select group of boxers who have done so in the last 15 years. Matthew Macklin, Bernard Dunne and Katie Taylor are the only others. The card was full of thrills, theatre and the required dose of scorecard controversy. 

As the attending journalists met to dice up press conference quotes and locate a late-night revival, the numbers began to swell. Jason Quigley, Andy Lee, the odd former Dublin footballer, all joined in to bask in the glow of what had just occurred. And speculate on what might occur next. Everyone united by a rare, shared sentiment: How good is this?

For a long time, the capital had little cause for such a feeling. Irish professional boxing has picked itself up off the floor in recent years. Katie Taylor, as is her wont, led the charge. Now there is a host of viable challengers following her, all capable of making waves and selling shows. It is set to be an awesome 2025.

Lewis Crocker (20-0, 11KOs) and Paddy Donovan (14-0, 11KOs) will meet in a rare all-Irish IBF world welterweight eliminator at Belfast’s SSE Arena. The Andy Lee-trained Donovan has already stated that should he prevail, a title fight in Limerick or Dublin is his preference. It is remarkable for two undefeated elite talents in their prime to come together like this.

Belfast is a fitting venue too. For various reasons, predominately financial, it was the go-to location for fight cards while the Republic of Ireland struggled pre-Covid. MHD Promotions hosted James Tennyson. Top Rank brought Michael Conlan to Falls Road. Crocker featured on the undercard of a Paddy Barnes main event under the lamentable MTK banner.

Some of the buildup has been heated. When it comes to the fight, the discussion has focused on the punching power of both competitors. Crocker is adamant he can catch Donovan. His trainer promised a knockout in the pre-fight press conference. Andy Lee matched that by claiming Donovan is pound-for-pound the hardest puncher he has taken on the pads.

Lee is an enormous asset in the southpaw’s corner. He saw it all during his own career. There was even a heated All-Irish clash with Jason McKay that can provide some invaluable lessons ahead of this weekend. McKay demanded to see if Lee had heart before that brutal beating. He duly saw it.

That does not mean Donovan is likely to trade toe-to-toe. The best path forward is to show his class and find his range from the outside. A win would be the latest step forward in rising pro career.

His camp continually points out that the Limerick boxer has never been as well-prepped as he is now. The 26-year-old is Lee’s star pupil. He was embedded in the team for Joseph Parker’s recent triumph over Martin Bakole in Riyadh. The way the heavyweight resurrected his career under Lee’s tutelage has been extraordinary and Donovan has benefited from a front-row seat to all of that.

New Zealander Parker was due to challenge Daniel Dubois for his IBF heavyweight title, but the champion pulled out due to illness. He documented his prep on his YouTube channel and throughout it all, the simple benefits bestowed on Donovan were obvious. It was his first time using a heart-rate monitor in training. The boy who once snacked on chicken fillet rolls and taco fries was now consulting his nutritionist to check if it was okay to add sauce to his scrambled eggs. He has witnessed the sacrifice necessary to attain a golden strap.

DAZN will stream the card on Saturday. A month later Walsh and a host of Irish talent will fight at Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick’s Day. In April, Monaghan’s Aaron McKenna faces former world champion Liam Smith at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The National Stadium hosts a card full of domestic boxing on April 12. A trilogy between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano is inching closer to reality this summer.

One long-awaited showdown takes place on Saturday. It will be a special night for Irish boxing and for a community that can finally be confident there are more great nights to come.