Headline News

Punch of the Month isn’t pick of the bunch for Lewis Crocker


You know you have a big punch – and a big fanbase – when even your ‘average’ knockouts are winning awards.

Lewis Crocker [3(3)-0] took home the BoxNation Punch of the Month for June for his flattening of Radoslav Mitev at the Waterfront Hall, however it wasn’t a one-in-a-million shot for the Belfast welter.

‘The Croc’ has been scoring walk-off, one-punch knockouts since his early teens, and the second round stoppage of Mitev was just another day at the office for the Sandy Row youngster.

“I’m surprised I got it, it’s great. I’ve definitely had a lot of better ones!” laughed the 20 year old when talking to Irish-Boxing.com.

“Even my last one [v Sylwester Walczak], but there’s no video.”

Crocker is back in action this Saturday in his fourth professional contest, another four rounder, on the ‘Frampton Reborn’ undercard at the SSE Odyssey Arena in Belfast. He faces Hungarian Gyula Rozsas on the big BT Sport bill which also features an IBF super flyweight world title challenge for Jamie Conlan versus Jerwin Ancajas.

While his profile in Ireland has been high since turning over last year, the last few months has seen an upsurge in interest in Crocker from Britain.

Between making his (pre-recorded) TV debut and his subsequent Punch of the Month win, more general boxing fans are starting to take notice of the Frank Warren-promoted prospect.

“Yeah, after that, I got a good bit of publicity,” recalls Crocker who revealed that he’s in line for a live TV debut this Saturday.

“I think it actually is [live], I was talking to BoxNation. I’m hoping so, I’m not too sure, but it’s the same job whether I’m on TV or not.”

Crocker spent his teenage years as a massive fan of headliner Carl Frampton – and ‘The Jackal’ is quite the supporter of the former Holy Trinity man too, once labelling him ‘the most talented kid in the country.’ Crocker would spend time training with the two-weight champ last year, and had actually been set to feature on his first Frampton bill during the Summer.

Alas, he would miss this date – although still get a win after a hastily arranged swap of his fight over to Birmingham – following the cancellation of the card after Frampton’s proposed opponent Andres Gutierrez slipped and fell in the shower, injuring himself.

The Ray Ginley-trained Crocker though feels things have worked out for the better, and admitted that “I’m actually looking more forward to this one than I was the last one. I think, after the last one went down, that this show is going to prove something.”

“It’s a better bill, there’s two world title fights, it’s a far better bill, far better undercard, so it’s good to be on.”

“I had a good wee break and a great camp, I’ve brought a lot of new stuff into camp. So I’m just looking to go in there and perform and see what this camp’s produced.”

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)

dpg

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

x