Paddy Donovan vs Lewis Crocker Ends in Controversy, One Corner Furious

Lewis Crocker vs. Paddy Donovan was the main event of the Matchroom Boxing “Point of Pride” card at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, live on DAZN. It was a dramatic main event with point deductions for head clashes and some excellent boxing from both. Donovan (14-1, 11 KOs) was on top in the fight but was ultimately disqualified dramatically, awarding Crocker (21-0, 11 KOs) the victory in this IBF final eliminator. We will surely see a rematch. What will the IBF say?

Paddy Donovan vs Lewis Crocker Ends in Dramatic DQ Verdict

Paddy Donovan vs Lewis Crocker Fight Recap

The boisterous crowd was in full force as the opening bell sounded. Crocker immediately pressed forward while Donovan stayed composed, working intelligently off the back foot. Crocker found success with his uppercuts in the second round, working well on the inside against Donovan, who continued to leave his chin a bit too high.

The referee ruled that a cut on Crocker’s eye came from a Donovan punch, which could prove problematic for the Belfast fighter. Donovan picked his punches brilliantly in the fourth and pivoted well to avoid danger.

Round five saw both fighters have success, but Donovan’s accuracy earned him most of the early rounds. Crocker found success with the left hook, but the more telling work came from “The Real Deal.”

In round six, Donovan was deducted a point after repeated warnings for the use of his head. Despite the deduction, the Limerick fighter appeared to be taking control. Round seven saw Donovan warned once again for the use of his head, but following that warning, he used his lead hand to maintain the distance, working extremely well off that, putting eye-catching combinations together.

In round eight, Donovan continued to land the cleaner shots before another point deduction left him and his corner frustrated. ‘The Real Deal’ then stepped up the pace, scoring a knockdown. Both men then traded on the ropes, but Donovan landed a huge shot after the bell. Referee Marcus McDonnell deemed it one infraction too many and disqualified the Limerick fighter, leaving him and his corner in despair.

Post Fight Quotes

Undercard

Craig Richards (19-4-1, 12 KOs) dominated and defeated Padraig McCrory (19-2, 19 KOs) by an eighth-round KO in the light heavyweight division. The knockout came from a vicious short left to the body.

Kurt Walker (12-0, 2 KOs) ground out a hard-fought win over Leon Woodstock (16-4, 7 KOs) in the featherweight division to maintain his unbeaten record. The judges scorecards read 95-95, with the last two scorecards favouring Walker (96-94 and 97-93).

Steven Ward (15-3, 5 KOs) dominated and stopped Tommy McCarthy (21-7, 10 KOs), winning their cruiserweight bout by sixth-round TKO.

Before the Bell

In a rematch of their 2023 draw in the super bantamweight division, Ruhadan Farrell (7-1-1, 2 KOs) and Gerard Hughes (5-1-1, 0 KOs) met once again, with Farrell securing a well-earned victory. He boxed effectively at both distance and in close quarters. The referee scored the bout 79-73 in favour of “El Nino.”

Elif Nur Turhan (10-0, 6 KOs) showed her power in the lightweight division as she stunned the home crowd, defeating Shauna Browne (5-1, 3 KOs) by KO, with the fight waved off after 47 seconds of the very first round.

In the super bantamweight division, Jack O’Neill (4-0, 1 KO) boxed well and deserved his 39-36 win against Mohammed Wako (1-3, 0 KOs).

Aaron Bowen (5-0, 4 KOs) picked his punches well and deserved his 60-54 middleweight victory against Juan Cruz Cacheiro (7-4, 3 KOs).