“Big Nights Ahead For Lewis Crocker” – Jamie Conlan Hints SSE Arena Headliner and Summer Unification

Jamie Conlan has promised “big nights ahead” for newly crowed IBF welterweight Lewis Crocker following his historic hometown victory over Paddy Donovan at Windsor Park.

Speaking in the aftermath of the all-Irish showdown, the Conlan Boxing boss revealed plans for Crocker to headline at the SSE Arena before Christmas or in January, along with talks for a potential outdoor unification bout in the spring/summer of next year.

“We’ve had brief conversations with Matchroom over the weekend… there could potentially be a voluntary, going back to the SSE before Christmas, or in January, and then a summer or spring showdown, or Conor Benn.”

Hinting at blockbuster opportunities on the horizon for ‘The Croc’, among the names in the frame is WBC Champion Mario Barrios, with Conlan saying he “would really like the Barrios fight” stating the fellow Belfast-man is “really in the mix to throw his name out there as a superstar.”

The Holy Trinity graduate’s championship success, Conlan believes, is the product of a different and more focused approach to fight week, stating Crocker “learned a big big lesson” from the first meeting with Donovan.

The Belfast fighter kept media duties to a minimum and focused solely on preparation the second time around.

“We didn’t engage in any media during the week, and that was all constructed beforehand…just keep quiet, just focus on the job, didn’t want to get involved in tit-for-tat, just focused on the fight and zoned in completely,” said Conlan.

While the focus remains on Crocker’s bright future, Conlan was quick to show respect to Donovan, insisting that the Limerick southpaw stating he’s “a world-class operator and think he will be a world champion one day… he’s got a great gym around him and a fantastic family.”

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The former world title challenger also reflected on what the bout, and the Belfast man’s victory mean for professional boxing in Ireland, describing the current landscape as a “golden age” with packed schedules and world champions, a far cry from past years.

“When I was boxing, shows were few and far between, the scene was bleak… you had to risk your career just to get the reward of a big fight, but now we’re getting all Irish fights on the cards… main TV slots… it’s growing at a rapid rate, we really need the big nights, because it gives the other’s an opportunity to showcase themselves to the world” said Conlan.