Paddy Donovan and Andy Lee on journey to world title fight with Lewis Crocker

Former world champion Andy Lee will be in Paddy Donovan’s corner when he faces Lewis Crocker in a world title rematch

Andy Lee was left ‘blown away’ after seeing Paddy Donovan in action for the first time.

So much so, that the former middleweight world champion decided to become a coach, advisor, and close friend to the then 20-year-old Donovan.

Despite suffering defeat in the 2019 National Elite final at Dublin’s National Stadium, Lee, who trained under the legendary Emanuel Steward and later Adam Booth, recognised Donovan’s potential.

Donovan turned professional shortly after, and they’ve been on an incredible journey together ever since.

Lee holds the honour of being the first traveller to win a world title.

Now, nearly 11 years after that memorable night in Las Vegas, he’ll be in the corner hoping to see another man from a community so often subjected to racial discrimination achieve the same feat.

However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.

“It’s been a great journey, but it’s not been easy,” admitted Lee.

“There’s been a lot of tough times as well. He’s earned the right (to fight for a world title). He’s earned it.

“It’s not been easy for him, professionally and personally there’s been a few things, but we got there in the end.”

Interestingly, Donovan’s defeat six years ago came at the hands of Kieran Molloy, a close friend of Lewis Crocker.

The Galway man sparred with Crocker ahead of his first fight with Donovan and is expected to play a crucial role in his preparations for the Windsor Park rematch.

The dynamics of the bout have significantly shifted since the pair’s initial fight in March, with the vacant IBF world welterweight title now up for grabs.

Previously, Crocker was the favourite and despite the record showing his victory, Donovan outperformed and outshone him.

However, the southpaw was disqualified for hitting Crocker after the bell at the end of the eighth round.

Referee Marcus McDonnell also penalised him in the sixth and eighth rounds for use of the head and elbow.

The Limerick man is confident he has the advantage going into the rematch, even though the majority of the crowd will likely be rooting for his opponent on September 13.

“I prepare for the best Lewis Crocker, but I still think the best Lewis Crocker is not good enough to beat me if I’m being totally honest,” Donovan stated.

“I think at the end of the day it comes down to the skills and ability of a fighter and I think I’ve got a lot more than Crocker.

“This time last year people would have Crocker 70-30, then at the fight it was classed as 50/50, and now I’m like an 80/20.

“I’m not taking anything away from Lewis, he’s coming in as the underdog in this fight. He’s going to have a go, but I think the skill and the talent will push through.”

Next month’s bout marks an incredibly historic event.

It’s unprecedented for two Irishmen to compete for a world title and realistically, it’s unlikely to happen again.

Donovan is set to soak up every moment as he pursues his lifelong ambition of becoming a world champion.

“It doesn’t come any bigger. We’ve seen Katie giving us some amazing nights here in the country, but to have two Irish fighters on home soil fighting for the championship of the world, the welterweight world title, one of the best divisions on the planet is, it’s just, it’s just amazing for the country,” Donovan expressed.

“Let’s just absorb it all and enjoy it all. Moments like this don’t come around often.”

The 26-year-old acknowledges that winning a world title for a fellow Irishman would be particularly meaningful.

“It would be an absolutely amazing achievement to give an Irishman to train an Irishman to become a world champion. I think that would just cap it off for Andy,” he said.

“I owe Andy everything. He always believed in me.

“From the days I turned pro with him, he was taking me to the biggest events possible, having me hanging around with the best of fighters, Tyson Furys, Joseph Parkers.

“Turned up to all the world title fights in America and the UK. He was grounding me and getting me ready for the big time so I owe a lot to Andy and as I said for an Irishman to become a world champion trained by an Irishman, I think that’d be an amazing achievement for this island.”

What truly excites both Donovan and Lee is their shared belief that there is still much more to come from the welterweight.

“He didn’t even open up in that fight. I said to him this time, if you get the chance, be ruthless now,” Lee explained.

“A couple of times when he hurt Crocker, he just enjoyed it too much and played a bit more.

“Whereas now he can actually go for the kill and grab this title. He’s improving.

“It’s so exciting to watch him. It’s just a beautiful thing to watch in the gym. For me, as a coach and a boxing fan, you watch him and he’s getting better and better every day.”

Donovan added: “I’ve actually improved so much from the last fight and that’s only a couple of weeks back working with Andy.

“And I can see it myself and Andy even said it to me a few days ago.

“He said, ‘Paddy, just from this stage of the camp to the last one, the improvement already and the maturity has grown so much’ and I know from the performances that I’ve had as a professional, I’m still a lot better.”