Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan could soon share a ring on the heels of their sharing the stage.
An expressed promotional interest in a head-on collision surfaced after the pair of unbeaten welterweights posted separate knockout victories this past Saturday in Belfast. Limerick’s Donovan endured a stiff test from Williams Andres Herrera to score two knockdowns en route to a seventh-round stoppage. The show’s headliner saw Crocker knock out Mexico’s Jose Felix in the fifth round in front of his hometown fans at Ulster Hall.
Common industry practice would have both continue separate paths and save the matchup for when both are at the contender or title level. The staff at Matchroom Boxing would like to alter that trend.
“Love to do that fight,” Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith told Boxing Social after Saturday’s DAZN show. “I think now’s a great time to do that fight. It sells a lot of tickets. It’s a massive fight and I think both guys will be up for it.”
An early concern would be whether the fight could take place at welterweight or if it would have to happen one division north.
Crocker (19-0, 12KOs) weighed 150 pounds, three more than the divisional limit, during Friday’s official pre-fight weigh-in. In fairness, the 27-year-old prospect was instructed to weigh no less than that amount after a mandatory fight week weight check conducted by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) revealed he was too heavy to cut all the way down to the welterweight mark.
Much of his career has been spent at or just above welterweight. However, he has also frequently fought at junior middleweight.
Donovan has been at welterweight since his October 2019 pro debut. The 25-year-old southpaw—a former amateur standout in Ireland—has steadily elevated his competition level, to where there exists a level of confidence that he would be ready for another step up in class versus Crocker. More so, that the fight should happen while it’s there to be made.
“A lot of people are saying it’s too early or we should build it up but so many of these fights don’t happen,” noted Smith. “You talk about so many fights over the years—build them up, keep having a few more and then we do it. And then you miss it, it doesn’t happen.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox