The Golden Ticket: Lewis Crocker And Paddy Donovan Fight To Change Their Lives Forever In IBF Title Rematch

Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan are fighting for the vacant IBF welterweight title and a chance to financially set themselves up for life when they meet in their rematch this Saturday at Windsor Park in Belfast, Ireland.

(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom)

The Path to Riches

As promoter Eddie Hearn points out, the winner of Crocker-Donovan 2 will have these options to make “loads of money” for their first defense of the IBF 147-lb title:

Ryan Garcia
Devin Haney
Conor Benn
Teofimo Lopez

The IBF welterweight title is the golden ticket for the winner of Saturday’s rematch to make millions, changing their lifestyle with the money. Holding the IBF title will be a lure for whoever captures it in the rematch between Crocker (21-0, 11 KOs) and Donovan (14-1, 11 KOs).

Benn, Haney, or Garcia are the ones who will likely target the winner of Saturday’s fight, knowing how valuable the IBF title would be if they can get their hands on it.

“This is to become the [IBF] world welterweight championship. It’s to become a stakeholder in the big-money fights,” said Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn to the Stomping Ground about what the future entails for the winner of this Saturday’s rematch between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan.

Hearn’s Vision for the Winner

“Conor Benn is an option, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia. There are so many big fights for the winner of this fight. Whoever wins on Saturday is going to change their life forever,” said Hearn on the Crocker vs. Donovan 2 contest. “You’re fighting for a load of money.”

Earlier this year, Crocker defeated Donovan by an eighth-round disqualification after being dropped after the bell. Paddy, 26, had dominated the entire fight, beating up Crocker, cutting him over both eyes, and knocking him down in the eighth round.

As the eighth round was ending, Donovan was teeing off on a hurt Crocker, trying to finish him off. He either didn’t hear the bell sounding or got carried away, trying to go for the knockout. Either way, Donovan landed a scorching right hook that flattened Crocker after the round had ended, resulting in the disqualification.