In a controversial ending that stunned the Belfast crowd, Paddy Donovan saw victory slip through his fingers after being disqualified for landing a knockout blow just after the bell in his IBF welterweight world title eliminator against Lewis Crocker.
The all-Irish showdown, which had both fighters putting their unbeaten records on the line, came to an abrupt end in the eighth round when Donovan delivered a powerful right hook that connected with Crocker’s temple, sending him to the canvas. While Donovan and his corner initially celebrated what they believed was a knockout victory, referee Marcus McDonnell quickly dampened their jubilation by disqualifying the Limerick native.
“Listen to the crowd, the crowd can tell you,” Donovan told DAZN in an emotional post-match interview. “I won the fight, I was winning every single round. I dropped Lewis [Crocker], I beat up him and I was getting the knockout. He [the referee] said I hit him after the bell but I thought I hit him on the bell.”
The decision was particularly heartbreaking for Donovan, who had been leading on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage – 69-63, 69-63, and 67-65. Earlier in the bout, he had already faced adversity, having points deducted in rounds six and eight for persistent use of the head.
“You can see Lewis was a beaten man and I won the fight fair and square. The ref took my dreams away tonight,” added Donovan, his voice trembling with emotion.
The controversial ending means Crocker maintains his perfect record, improving to 21-0, while Donovan suffers his first professional loss, moving to 14-1. Crocker now stands as next in line to challenge Jaron Ennis for the IBF welterweight title, though many observers believe Donovan deserved that opportunity.
Given the contentious conclusion, talks of a rematch between the two Irish competitors may already be in the works.
