15 January 2025
Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
| Crocker: “I believe I’m the naturally heavy-handed guy. I believe I put you out of there.” Donovan: “I’m going to beat you Lewis. I’m going to beat you down in front of your own town.” |
| Lewis Crocker – Belfast, Northern Ireland – 20-0, 11 KO’s – fighting Paddy Donovan in a Final Eliminator for the IBF Welterweight World Title: You’re both one fight away from challenging for the IBF World Title, how are you both feeling? “This fight has been talked about for probably just over a year now. It was always going to happen. For the IBF eliminator to be on the line as well, it has worked out for us. May the best man win.” When did you both become on each other’s radars, how did that come about? “Paddy was shooting on way above me because I was out for a bit. Paddy was getting in there with Matchroom and having spectacular knockouts and stuff. My name wasn’t really about until I thought McKenna (Tyrone) and that sort of put me on the map. We’re in the same weight and it made sense. Two exciting styles. Two young and hungry guys. Everything has worked out well.” You said he was almost forced into taking this fight as opposed to wanting this fight, what do you mean by that? (question to Donovan) “After the Walker fight I was highly rated. Number three with the WBA. There was World Title opportunities there. I was reaching for the big thing. No matter that I say, I’ve never turned down any fight. You’re a harder fight than Walker, stylistically. We’re here now, anyway, and it couldn’t be a bigger stage.” Who do you believe should go into this fight as the favourite? “We’re saying about being an underdog, when I was watching Paddy rise up and stuff, this was a couple of years back, nothing was going right in my life. Talking about the underdog story, I went from main eventing in Belfast and then my next fight was a year-and-a-half later in Scotland in a hotel. I was slowly but surely getting back to this stage. Talking about being an underdog, I know all about that myself.” One would assume that Lewis, you’re the bigger puncher. But when you do take a glance at the records Paddy has the higher knockout percentage. Who is the bigger puncher here? “I believe I’m the naturally heavy-handed guy. I think Paddy possesses great accuracy with his shots. Some of the guys I’ve fought have not been stopped before and stuff. When I was 10-0 or something, I had seven knockouts, but once you start progressing and fighting the tougher guys and the harder guys… See the best thing that ever happened to me was going the distance a few times because it stands by you in these fights. I’ve accepted Paddy is good from the get go. There’s no surprise of me going in, like I’m not too sure of he’s good or not. No, I’ve accepted that you’e good. So I’ll be ready.” I think most would assume this is boxer versus fighter. If Paddy decides to hold the centre of the ring with you and have a war, what happens? “I want you to have a war. I believe I put you out of there.” Do you think they’re looking at the Conah Walker fight a little bit too much? “I think that’s where their confidence has come from.” He said he got hurt by a journeyman. Do you believe that? “I do believe that. If he can catch you, there’s no reason why I couldn’t as well.” Do you believe that Paddy can become a World Champion? “I always said that. I did. I always said that. But I just don’t think it’s his time right now.” Do you think he’s had his Tyrone McKenna night yet? “No. Definitely not. This is his first time headlining. This will be my sixth.” Paddy Donovan – Limerick, Ireland – 14-0, 11 KO’s – fighting Lewis Crocker in a Final Eliminator for the IBF Welterweight World Title: When did you both become on each other’s radars, how did that come about? “I saw Lewis maybe five or six fights ago and I looked at him and I said it’s a potential fight that could happen. We had some very good wins, both of us, on our CVs in the last couple of fights. It started to make sense and it was a fight that I really wanted. I knew the Irish crowd would react amazingly to it happening. I’m delighted to be here.” You said he was almost forced into taking this fight as opposed to wanting this fight, what do you mean by that? “Well I believe he didn’t want to fight Walker (Conah) again. I believe that the only other option outside of fighting Walker was to fight me. I think it was a fight that he didn’t want. His manager or his coach, that Billy (Nelson) guy, took to Twitter to say that I don’t deserve to fight Lewis and that I hadn’t fought anyone in the top ten to deserve to fight Lewis. I’ve been on the scene with Matchroom and have been more highly ranked than Lewis. I was in the top ten with just ten fights. I don’t know why his coach didn’t want that fight to happen. I just feel like he was forced into fighting me really.” Who do you believe should go into this fight as the favourite? “I preferably like being the underdog. I come from an underdog area. Privileged family that were always classed as the underdogs. It’s nice to have that little feeling inside to get back that feeling of being an underdog. If Lewis is favourite here in Belfast then well on him, but I like the feeling of being an underdog.” One would assume that Lewis, you’re the bigger puncher. But when you do take a glance at the records Paddy has the higher knockout percentage. Who is the bigger puncher here? “Lewis gives that vibe the way he fights. He punches quite low. He punches from the hip. He’s quite wild. He is a strong fighter. I know he is a strong fighter. I don’t underestimate his power. As Lewis just ticked, I have more accuracy and I’m disciplined more. I’m more educated in a lot more aspects than Lewis. I’ve a way of breaking down fighters to get the knockout. As you said, on paper I have an 80% knockout ratio. Lewis has 50%. We’ll see on the night – that’s where it matters. Come March 1st there will be parts where punching comes into it – there will be parts where boxing will come into it, there will be parts where heart will come into it, there will be parts where all different aspects of the game come into it. But I’m ready for everything Lewis possess. I know what kind of fighter he is and I’ll be ready for him.” Can Lewis outbox you? “We’re going to see. Maybe Lewis believes that he can. I think Lewis’ goal is a tight guard, walk down and try to bring a fight. I think that’s really his only game plan and his only option. I don’t think personally myself that Lewis can stand there and box with me. But then again I think that I can stand and fight with Lewis. There’s different ways of looking at this fight. To be a complete fighter and to be up there with the best fighters in the world, you need to be able to do it all. Inside, long, middle distance. Angles, you need it all. Full package. I believe I can do that. I don’t think Lewis can. Not yet. I think he’s a high level British fighter but I don’t think he’s world class.” Looking at each other’s current form and looking at the last fight against Walker, you wasn’t impressed, you don’t think he won that fight? “No honestly deep down I don’t think he did. Maybe I was being a bit biassed because I thought Lewis was going to beat Walker quite handy. Walker had a couple of losses on his record and I didn’t really rate him. On the night I though he (Walker) won the fight. It’s not just that fight though. I’ve watched all of his fights. I’ve seen all of this fights. We went back through a lot of your footage, the fights in Scotland, the fights here in Belfast. We’ve studied you. You had a couple of good performances, don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot of mediocore performances, medium level fighters where most of them was journeymen. The style of your fighting was, you could get in any gym in England or the UK or in Ireland, wherever. I think that the one or two fights that he looked good in, was against guys that was quite lighter and not really matching him. The ones that he thought that were at his weight, he just looked mediocore.” He said he got hurt by a journeyman. Do you believe that? (question to Crocker) “Let me tell you something. I wasn’t ever hurt in that fight. And that same guy had a 16-win streak with one loss. He’d fought Pat McCormack, the Olympic silver medalist, and given Pat a very hard night.” Who’s got the better record, who’s been in with the better fighters? “Me. Tell me who you’ve beat better than me. Is Walker your best? I’m high level. High level gets Lewis Ritson and these guys out of there. British level struggles and brawls with them fighters. That’s the difference. You and Walker are British level fighters.” Can Lewis win a World Title one day? “I think he can but not right now. I think he’s a high level British fighter. He’s not world level. He’s not there yet. I think he can be but just not right now. It’s my time. I am the man.” Who has the mental capacity here to pass this test? “I’ve never left the gym. Never in my life left the gym. Through debts, though losing family members to suicide, through very strong and difficult times, I’ve never left the gym. I’ve always worked and worked and worked and worked for these moments. You need cajones for this night, and I’ll have them on the night. I’m made for these big things. I’m made for these opportunities. I’ve worked so hard for this. In my head, I’ve always been the star, because deep down I know where I am supposed to be. That is right here at this table. This present moment. That’s where my life has taken me. I’m ready for it. I feel like I’m getting emotional I’m that ready for it.” Paddy, look at Lewis and tell him exactly what is going to happen on March 1st. “I’m going to beat you Lewis. I’m going to beat you down in front of your own town. You’ll be needing the luck. I’ll be ready.” General back and forth: “In your 16th fight you fought a guy with 40 losses. 40 losses. If I had 16 fights where would I be? You think about that Lewis. You’ve one or two fights and you’ve had your little breakthrough and you’ve had your limelight but I’m going to take that away on March 1st.” “Who cares where it is. We’re going to fight. There’s going to be amazing support for Lewis. There’s going to be amazing support for me here in Belfast. It doesn’t really matter where it is. The main thing is we’re going to fight each other and we’re going to put on a show. We’re the two best Welterweights probably in the last 20 or 30 years in Ireland. The two of us on the line for a World Title eliminator – it’s really big.” |
Please follow and like us:
