There is an ancient Gaelic saying that goes
On March 1, Lewis Crocker’s careers from Belfast and Limerick Paddy Donovan Donovan turned the dramatic when the couple met in a completely Irish clash in Belfast.
The atmosphere was pulsating. Having more than bragging about the laws between the North and the South on the line and two families fighting to head to head, the winner was to go to the competition for the title of world champion, and left the loser in the desert in the welterweight.
Donovan controlled the fight, but he was managed by two points for using the head and elbow. The left eye of the Crocker was swollen and his vision was restricted at best.
In round 8, Donovan received the knocking he felt. Although he is barely able to see, Crocker got up. He will not allow this proud fighting family – or his hometown – down.
Donovan came out swaying and caught his opponent on his right hand. This time Crocker was not created, and Donovan left, waiting for the count and certainly believed that it was over.
A man from the republic apparently wins in the north. The crowd exploded.
At that moment, many had the feeling that the last blow was tardy. The bell called. It was certainly marginal. Donovan says he didn’t hear it, but judge Marcus McDonnell did and said that it was an illegal hit. Donovan disqualified.
The confusion prevailed, but as the realization was aware, Donovan was uncomfortable. He walked around the ring, protesting furiously when his team tried to placid him down.
Crocker was on the stool, his eyes were forced closed, the oxygen mask pressed his face. Slaughter.
The controversy has filled the series of messages for many days. Drama, disbelief. The opinion has been divided. But there was one thing that everyone agreed to: the rematch was necessary.
“Have you heard the bell?”
Donovan’s team spoke to IBF, which awarded the rematch. This time when Jaron Ennis leaves the full champion, it will be for the world title IBF. When discussing the first fight, Crocker claims that it took him only a few days to go from a difficult test.
It was a different story for Donovan.
“It is not uncomplicated to get a fight. It is not really a fight, these are the consequences … coming out of the ring, emotions and seeing different reactions of the crowd,” Donovan told reporters.
“This part of my journey does not really happen to many warriors. You either win the fair or lose the fair. Either you win, you are eliminated, or you knock someone, and just go.
The fight caused a huge noise throughout Ireland. Donovan could barely leave his house without asking him. Constant reminders that he could do without:
“Be sincere, have you heard the bell?”
“When is the rematch?”
It’s time to go back to work.
“For me it is in the past. I spent some time with my family and turned off. I stayed at home most of the time. When I prepared for regrouping, I returned to the gym,” he says.
From the return, all his focus was directed on September 13. So much, Donovan left the birth of his son William – named after the deceased uncle – during the camp. He saw him only once.
Helping him through all this is coach Andy Lee; The last world champion in the Republic. Lee is currently one of the best trainers in the industry and someone who Donovan knew since he was a juvenile boy.
“Irish man training an Irish man to become a world champion, you don’t see him every day,” says Donovan.
“He always told me that I would become a world champion. Be his first [world champion] A fighter … I think it would be a great thing to give Andy. “
“I feel neglected, but it’s fine.”
On the other side of the Crocker coin he won the fight, but felt that he had never received recognition for it. People put a star on his CV. Does he feel neglected?
“Yes, definitely yes, but that’s good. I’ve never been in this position before, so I feel that I will surprise many people at night,” says Crocker.
He knows that he would not be able to go further until he settled once and for all. There were so many unanswered questions. The 28-year-old insists that he had a free night in the first fight and will have to be significantly improved to go through Donovan for the second time.
“To defeat Paddy, I have to be better under every aspect. Paddy would be the best warrior I fought. I need a performance of my life 13” – admits Crocker.
Crocker lives a five -minute walk from Windsor Park, the scenery of the rematch, and a huge group from the south is to cross the border to support Donovan.
However, this develops, expect more twists and turns when their paths pass again.
