Andy Lee Makes Bold Paddy Donovan Power Claim Ahead of Lewis Crocker Clash
The narrative is wrong, suggests Andy Lee.
The former middleweight champion of the world says Paddy Donovan versus Lewis Crocker is not strictly a panache versus power fight.
Lee, who coaches fellow Limerick man, Donovan, says his charge is in fact the bigger puncher of the two and thus goes into their March 1 IBF welterweight world title eliminator with more chance of doing damage.
Both Belfast’s Crocker and Limerick’s Donovan have been under the spotlight since their teens. ‘The Real Deal’ was heralded as a superbly skilled natural talent by the likes of Michael Conlan, while Carl Frampton was keen to tell anyone that would listen of ‘The Croc’s’ lights-out power.
And while Crocker’s ability to box has never been questioned nor has Donovan’s punching power one of the biggest all Irish fights of all time has been packaged as a boxer versus puncher affair.
Coach Lee warns that isn’t the case and says 26-year-old ‘generational talent’, Donovan brings more by way of power to the table.
“I know what Paddy can do, and he hasn’t even shown any of it yet. The heavy hands of Crocker, we know he’s a big puncher, but people do know about Paddy’s punching too,” Lee said.

“If you ask anyone that spars him or shared the ring with him, you’ll see how powerful he is. I would argue that he’s the bigger puncher out of the two of them. I hold the pads for everybody that I work with – this man pound-for-pound is the biggest puncher out of the lot. I think Lewis has skill as well, but I think Paddy has a lot of power too”
Photo Credit Mark Robinson Matchroom