‘He’s Not The Same Fighter’ – Paddy Donovan Believes Lewis Crocker’s Confidence is ‘Shattered’
Paddy Donovan believes he’s already inside Lewis Crocker’s head.
While the Belfast man claimed victory in their first encounter back in March, Donovan insists his rival doesn’t carry the same self-belief into their world title rematch.
‘The Real Deal’ says he saw a difference in the big punching Belfast favourite when they shared the same space at the press conference to officially confirm their September 13 Windsor Park IBF world title fight.
The Limerick side of the historic bout, who was disqualified for hitting after the bell in their first meeting, suggests their March clash has had a lasting impact on ‘The Croc’.
“His confidence is a bit shattered,” Donovan told Irish-boxing.com. “He’s not the same fighter he used to be.”
“The vibes I’m getting is that I look like the champion. He didn’t bring that same energy this time. I think he knows.”
“People know what happened,” he said. “Now we go again—and this time, I finish the job.”
The Andy Lee-trained fighter was on the end of some booing by the Crocker fans in Belfast at the press launch, but took it on the chin and welcomed the fan interaction.
“It’s great to see the fans electric,” Donovan said. “Keep them nice and loud—but I hope they all conduct themselves when they get in the stadium and enjoy the event. These nights don’t come around often.”
The last fight between the pair created one of the most intense atmospheres in recent Irish boxing history. While the noise levels were through the roof, there was some tension between the rival groups of fans—something Donovan says didn’t affect him then, and won’t this time either.
“It didn’t cause any problems the last time out,” he assured. “I still did what I had to do, no matter if they were supporting Crocker or supporting me.”
Now, as the two prepare to run it back on a truly global stage, Donovan is calling on Irish fight fans to rise to the occasion.
“This is history. This is Ireland’s fight of the decade. Let’s enjoy it and make it a night to remember.”
