Paddy Donovan and Lewis Crocker are on collision course after the big-punching welterweights from opposite sides of the border hammered out emphatic stoppage wins at Belfast's Ulster Hall last night.
Limerick native Donovan came through a mid-round barrage from Argentinian opponent Williams Andres Herrera to win by TKO in the seventh and then Belfast’s Crocker, in the headline act at the raucous Bedford Street venue, needed five rounds to dismantle Mexico’s Jose Felix.
Afterwards Matchroom CEO Frank Smith said the time was right for the Irish rivals to go head-to-head.
"I would love to see Paddy Donovan fight Lewis Crocker," he said.
"People say we should wait for it but how many of these fights don’t happen if you wait? Someone loses, something happens, someone moves up in weight… I think now’s the time and I would love to do it at the SSE Arena."
Smith added that Matchroom were in talks with the GAA and the Irish Government over staging a Katie Taylor versus Chantelle Cameron fight at Croke Park in May.
"These conversations don’t happen overnight, there’s a lot of procedure you have to get through but we’re getting to a point of crunch-time if we’re looking at May."
In last night’s action, Donovan returned to the venue he had debuted at in 2019 and just over four years and 12 fights later, he showcased the progress he has made.
Having strolled to three imperious victories last year, Donovan had to show a fighting heart to match his slick skills and weather a storm in the middle rounds to move to 13-0.
Argentine Herrera came out of his early shell and into all-out attack mode in the fifth and sixth but the Andy Lee-trained welterweight skilfully stayed out of harm’s way and had the South American down twice with bodyshots in the seventh before he finished him off with a right hook.
In the headline act, Crocker confirmed his status as an emerging star of Irish boxing with a brilliant performance that was underpinned by his craft and headlined by his power.
Tough Mexican Felix had stunned Gary Cully in Dublin last year, but he was in trouble in the third and down in the fourth and there was no coming back from Crocker’s perfectly-timed, devastating left hook that finished it in the fifth.
Crocker moved to 19-0 with his 11th stoppage win.
Earlier there was disappointment for Tommy McCarthy who was stopped by gunslinging Londoner Cheavon Clarke in their WBA Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title clash.
On home soil, McCarthy had hoped to beat the Tokyo Olympian and move on to a career swansong, but the 33-year-old faces an uncertain future now after Clarke overwhelmed him in the fourth.
Clarke came out to blow the Belfast man away, stepping in with hooks to the head and body. McCarthy kept him at distance with good movement and stiff counters at long range but the opening Clarke was looking for came when he pushed McCarthy onto the ropes and beat him to the punch.
As McCarthy shaped to throw a right hand, Clarke got there first with a chopping right of his own and he followed it up with a ferocious barrage.
The bell came not a moment too soon for McCarthy who held onto the ropes as he made his way back to his corner. The minute’s rest wasn’t enough however and Clarke went for the kill in the fourth.
A bodyshot sent McCarthy to the canvas and, although he got back on his feet at the count of 'nine’, he was soon in trouble again and referee Steve Gray jumped in to call a halt at 1.28 in the fourth.
