Donovan is ‘Special’ But Crocker Has More to Give, Says Frampton
Carl Frampton believes Lewis Crocker will have to be better if he is to beat ‘special’ Paddy Donovan this weekend.
Crocker beat the southpaw in March, but has admitted he underperformed on the night and has promised a better performance when they rematch for the IBF world welterweight title in Windsor Park this weekend.
Former two-weight world champion, Frampton says ‘that will have to be the case if ‘The Croc’ is to become Ireland’s latest world champion.
The Billy Nelson-trained fighter’s hero believes Crocker needs to tighten up defensively if he’s to upset the odds against a fighter capable of producing something ‘special’ on September 13.
Fortunately for Crocker followers, the Irish great believes the Sandyrow man is capable of doing just that.
‘The Jackal,’ who fought Luke Jackson in the same Stadium in 2018, feels the Limerick side of the now famous rivalry was the better of the two in the first clash, but warns the Belfast man, a fighter he has long since touted for success, is capable of so much more than he showed en route to winning in March.
“I just think Paddy was in control, wasn’t he? I think everyone knows that,” Frampton said when reflecting on the first meeting between the pair. “But what I will say is Lewis is a lot better than that performance – he’ll have to be. He needs to move his head more. Literally, without making it too simplistic.
“Lewis has a defence where his hands are high, but he opens his gloves, and when your gloves are open, all it is is rope and leather hitting you. You’re blocking a shot, but it’s still doing damage.
“So I would like to see more head movement. Hopefully that’s something they’re working on in the gym. But Paddy Donovan is a very special fighter, a very good fighter.”
Frampton has been a long-time supporter of Crocker, who boxed on his undercard back in 2018. That night, Crocker was only six fights into his pro career, while Frampton was already a two-time world champion. Seven years later, Crocker now gets his own chance to headline the famous Belfast venue in what will be the first ever all-Irish world title fight.
“It was amazing to fight here last time – I was just getting into my career, and to be on such a big stage, it was phenomenal. But to be headlining here now is the stuff of dreams,” Crocker said.
“Frampton was always the man, I was at a lot of his fights… I was maybe about 12 or so when I went to see him in the Ulster Hall.”
