Limerick's impressive Paddy Donovan rises to the occasion at Croke Park

Donovan accounted for Tyrone McKenna with little fuss on Saturday night.

GOLDEN BOY: Paddy Donovan celebrates winning with his teaM. Pic: INPHO/Gary Carr

Limerick’s Paddy Donovan has served an impressive reminder of his class with a clinical fourth round stoppage win over Tyrone McKenna at Croke Park on Saturday night.

Donovan didn’t have to take this fight given his status as next man up to challenge in the IBF welter class but the opportunity to appear at the top of the undercard for Katie Taylor’s farewell gig was too good to turn down.

McKenna was a former sparring partner and roommate who was back in the ring after a couple of retirements, and he had promised to make his old friend suffer. That didn’t happen as Donovan took control from the start.

The 27-year assumed the centre of the ring in a cagey enough first round but he dominated what little happened before flooring McKenna early in the second with a brutal punch to the solar plexus.

McKenna took more punishment on getting back to his feet but made it to the bell.

The Belfast man tried to take the front foot at the start of the third but Donovan was never not in control, and the favourite was soon back landing the heavier and better combinations as the third fed into the fourth.

The gap only widened at that stage, Donovan landing even heavier shots on the 36-year old who by now was sporting a cut over his left eye and a serious gash above his right. A trip to his corner followed because of it and the doc called it: fight over.

It’s a second win on the trot for Donovan following his reversals to Lewis Crocker in Windsor Park last year. The ‘Real Deal’, he calls himself. He looked every inch of it on the night.