Boxing

Lewis Crocker Scores Two Knockdowns To Defeat Paddy Donovan And Win World Title

Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan settled their rivalry at an electric night in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Donal Long|
IMAGO / Inpho Photography

Controversy surrounded the first meeting between the two Irishmen, as Paddy Donovan of Limerick, Ireland lost his unbeaten record.

It was a punch after the bell in Belfast earlier in the year, which ended the first meeting between Lewis Crocker and Donovan in March. The blow came shortly after the bell sounded to end the round, but Crocker was unable to continue after the shot.

The Northern Irish fighter Crocker had been knocked down shortly before the late blow and was wearing significant damage on his face. Although the result officially would see Crocker crowned as the winner due to a disqualification, Donovan boasted more success in the fight.

Despite the result, it was Donovan who was up on the scorecards after seven completed rounds. In their world title rematch, the score was settled in the all-Irish affair.

Lewis Crocker Wins IBF World Welterweight Title Via Split Decision

It was the fighter from Northern Ireland who reigned victorious in Belfast, as he was able to earn back-to-back wins over Donovan.

The stakes were upped for the rematch between the pair, as both fighters got their first world title opportunity. The crowd was electric for the event, as the undercard would see former UFC star Molly McCann win her boxing debut.

Crocker and Donovan competed for the vacant IBF World Welterweight title in front of 20,000 fans at Windsor Park football stadium. The title became vacant as Jaron Ennis announced his move to super welterweight earlier in the year.

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Now, the 147 pound belt belongs to Crocker, who improved his record to 22-0.

It was a tense opening to the fight, as Crocker and Donovan became the first two Irishmen to compete for a world title. Tactical adjustments from the hometown fighter led to some issues for Donovan, who was dropped in the third round.

Recovering well, Donovan began to grow into the fight, seemingly hurting his opponent in round four as he grew in confidence. However, a huge counter punch from Crocker would put Donovan down for a second time at the end of round five.

Despite the threat of the knockdowns being evident in the fight, Donovan continued to be the fighter on the front foot, with Crocker continuing to catch him with counter shots.

Crocker's significant punches were enough to win him the IBF World Welterweight title via split decision, as he edged out Donovan according to the judges. The defeat means that Donovan's professional record fell to 14-2.

Should Crocker seek title unification, there are three men that the Irish fighter can look towards. Brian Norman Jr. will aim to defend his WBO title against Devin Haney in November, meaning the winner would be a desirable fight for Donovan.

Rolando Romero currently holds the WBA 'regular' title at welterweight, who may be another unification option for 'The Real Deal'. The WBC title is currently held by Mario Barrios, who may be facing Manny Pacquiao in a rematch following their draw earlier this year.

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Donal Long
DONAL LONG

Donal Long is a boxing journalist for KO On SI, hailing from Dublin, Ireland. Prior to joining SI in 2025, Donal graduated from Dublin City University with a bachelor's degree in media production management. He has also worked on sites such as SportsJOE, GiveMeSport, The Sportster, and Bloody Knockout. Donal has been a huge sports fan for all of his life, which has seen him travel throughout Europe to attend live events.

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