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Paddy Donovan to secure Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury undercard slot?

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Paddy Donovan [3(2)-0] is on course to be handed some dream undercard slots in what looks likely to be a busy 2020.

The Limerick fighter progressed from hyped underage amateur to lauded pro prospect in the tail end of 2019.

A link-up with manager and coach Andy Lee and a Top Rank promotional deal caught the attention of the wider public before the powerful and slick 20-year-old turned that attention into genuine excitement via three impressive performances.

Three wins in as many months, two by way of stoppage, one of which was an inside the distance victory over the notoriously tough Nicaraguan fighter, Oscar Amador, meant ‘The Real Deal’ built a winning record and a wider than average early days fanbase in impressively quick fashion.

It seems that ‘active’ trend will continue in 2020 and it’s increasingly likely the OLOL graduate will get the chance to learn and impress on massive cards.

Speaking of Donovan’s most recent win, which played out in Bolton just before Christmas, former world WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee said: “He was in total control and his natural talent and ability shone through. He is young and we have plenty of time to further develop and hone his skills.’

“We will take time off for Christmas and like everyone else we will be back to work in the New Year and eager to get down to business. We are looking forward to 2020 and keeping Paddy active.”

St Patrick’s Day, 17th March 2020 at Madison Square Garden’s Theater, New York on the undercard of Mick Conlan has already been penciled in as a fight date for Donovan and there is rumour of an appearance on another massive card.

With coach Lee now part of the Tyson Fury training team, a spot on Tyson Fury versus Deontay Wilder heavyweight rematch undercard on February 22 may also be an option for one Ireland’s rising boxing stars. 

Speaking of his third pro win the fighter himself added: “I am delight to get 3 fights in the first 3 months of my pro career. A special thanks to MTK and my promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank for organising these fights.”

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Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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