World Title Shot Awaits – Paddy Donovan earns Mandatory Status with victory in Germany
Paddy Donovan is back to within one victory of becoming a world champion courtesy of a calm and classy display on Friday night.
The Limerick native had his hand raised in Germany, a country notorious for being an away-fighter graveyard, outpointing Karen Chukhadzhian across 12 rounds.
‘Real Deal’ passed a real test, defeating a world-level Ukrainian on a tighter-than-expected 115-111, 113-113 and 114-112 scorecard.
The Limerick native appeared comfortable across the opening 10 stanzas and scored two knockdowns, but the bout was marked a draw by one judge, and neither of the other two had it particularly wide.
Still, a showing as stylish as it was disciplined secured him victory and mandatory status for the IBF world title that currently decorates the waist of Lewis Crocker.
Friday’s win means the southpaw will be next in line for the winner of the Belfast fighter’s first defence against Liam Paro, which is set to take place in Australia this summer.
The Irish side of the eliminator was patient and sharp across the opening three minutes. Working off the back foot, he walked the Ukrainian onto a number of left hands, both upstairs and down.
Donovan continued to look comfortable across the second, following a similar pattern of picking shots off the back foot. The home fighter was busy looking for work, and as if to counteract that, the Andy Lee-trained fighter finished the stanza throwing combinations.
The Limerick native picked clever shots throughout the third, saving the best for last. A brilliantly timed pull-back left hand wobbled his fellow world title challengers’ legs right on the bell.
That shot seemed to make the world level Chukhadzhian that bit more tentative, which in turn enabled the focused 27-year-old to take the fourth without too much strain. Similarly, the Munster man took the fifth without having to do much. Boxing off the back foot, he looked comfortable and controlled.
Donovan had his opponent on the seat of his pants in the next. Playing madator to the bull, he brilliantly maneuvered his way out of danger before a letting loose a left hand that dropped his foe. The knockdown was born more out of panache and precision, and as such the southpaw didn’t go for the kill when the former world title challenger returned to his feet.
However, it did enable the world title hopeful to move through the gears. He held his feet through the seventh and brought the right hand into play. It was a tactic the Ukrainian seemed to prefer, but still he couldn’t ruffle Donovan’s feathers.
Chukhadzhian visited the canvas again in the eighth. Again, he wasn’t hurt, more helped to the floor by a short right hook than sent crashing down, but it did mean he was left with no option but to throw caution to the wind.
It led to him producing his best round in the ninth stanza, and even at that, he may not have won the innings. Donovan still enjoyed success, and boxing with a fiery focus, never looked like he was going to let the fight slip through his gloves.
The home fighter improved again in the tenth, and by the penultimate three-minute segment, the Irish boxer looked happy to step into the phonebox much to Chukhadzhian’s relief.
Although he was back on his toes using all four corners of the German ring and landed another counter lead right hook as he finished the round in style.
All the OLOL graduate had to win the fight was stay out of trouble in the last, but enjoying himself, he was happy to stand and trade. As a result, he took some shots, but he fired some back of his own and never looked like slipping up.
