Controversial Finish as Lewis Crocker Wins After Paddy Donovan's Disqualification
A dramatic and chaotic night in Belfast ended with Lewis Crocker securing victory in his IBF world title eliminator after opponent Paddy Donovan was disqualified at the end of the eighth round.
Crocker remained unbeaten as referee Marcus McDonnell stopped the fight following a late punch from Donovan after the bell. The sudden conclusion came moments after Donovan had dropped Crocker with a powerful shot, seemingly on the verge of a stoppage win.
Adding to the controversy, Donovan had already been deducted points in rounds six and eight for using his elbow and head.
The Limerick fighter initially believed he had won by knockout before realizing he had been disqualified.
Donovan Reacts: "The Ref Took My Dreams Away"
Addressing the decision, Donovan voiced his frustration to DAZN.
"The crowd is ferocious in here. They say I hit him after the bell, but I thought I hit him on the bell," he said.
"You can see Lewis was a beaten man, and I won the fight fair and square. The ref took my dreams away tonight."
Donovan confirmed plans to appeal the decision and called for an immediate rematch.
Intense Battle at the SSE Arena
From the opening bell, Crocker pressed forward with a tight guard, while Donovan worked to create distance and unleash his fast hands. The early rounds saw the Irish southpaw dictating the pace with his activity, though Crocker remained calculated with his shots.
By the third round, a cut appeared over Crocker’s right eye, confirmed by the referee to be from a punch. As the fight progressed, it became a brutal contest, with both men trading at close range.
Donovan targeted the body while Crocker responded with uppercuts, but by the fourth, swelling under Donovan’s left eye indicated the punishment was adding up.
In the sixth, Donovan was deducted a point for repeated use of the elbow, though he still appeared to be ahead on the scorecards. Crocker’s home crowd came alive in the seventh as he landed clean shots, while Donovan received another warning for leading with his head.
Donovan continued to push the pace in the eighth and had Crocker down with a body shot. As Crocker rose and attempted to fight back, the bell rang—yet Donovan landed a heavy punch after the round had ended. With Crocker vulnerable, the referee had no choice but to call the fight off.
What’s Next?
Crocker moves to 21-0 and is now in line for a welterweight title shot, while Donovan faces the first loss of his career. A rematch could be on the cards, but for now, the Belfast fighter is the one advancing.
Undercard Results
- Padraig McCrory suffered an eighth-round stoppage loss to Craig Richards, who landed a devastating body shot to end the fight.
- Kurt Walker improved to 12-0 with a hard-fought majority decision win over Leon Woodstock (97-93, 96-94, 95-95).
- Steven Ward defeated fellow Belfast fighter Tommy McCarthy via sixth-round stoppage, scoring knockdowns in the second and sixth rounds before the referee stepped in.
- Ruadhan Farrell claimed victory in a super-bantamweight local derby, defeating Gerard Hughes by a score of 79-73 after their 2023 bout ended in a draw.
- Jack O’Neill and Aaron Bowen secured points wins earlier in the night.
- In a shocking upset, Elif Nur Turhan knocked out Shauna Browne in just 43 seconds of their WBC lightweight eliminator.
