‘Out of My Hands’ – Paddy Donovan Explains Paro Pull Out
Paddy Donovan admits he was ‘extremely disappointed’ to withdraw from his proposed clash Liam Paro.
‘The Real Deal’ was just to fight the Australian former world champion Down Under on January 16.
The bout between the no. 2 and no. 3-ranked fighters was ordered by the IBF and the winner would have been granted mandatory status for the IBF welterweight title currently in the possession of Belfast’s Lewis Crocker.
However, due to a significant illness that sidelined the Limerick native from training and sparring for more than three weeks, he had to withdraw.
“I’m extremely disappointed to have to withdraw from the fight,” Donovan said. “I was confident of beating Paro. I missed three weeks of training due to illness and my coach, Andy (Lee), took the decision out of my hands. I want to apologize to all the fans in Australia who were looking forward to the fight. I will be back stronger in 2026. I wish Paro well and hope that we can fight in the future.”
