Lewis Crocker sends warning after world title win over Paddy Donovan

The Belfast man defeated Donovan via split-decision after a cagey contest at Windsor Park

Lewis Crocker insists he is ‘only going to get better’ after beating Paddy Donovan to be crowned the IBF world welterweight champion.

The Belfast man defeated Donovan via split-decision after a cagey contest at Windsor Park after two judges scored the 114-112 and 114-113 in his favour, while the other had it 115-111 to the Limerick southpaw.

Crocker had Donovan on the canvas twice during the 12-round contest on Saturday night – in the third and much heavier at the end of the fifth from left hooks on both occasions – which ultimately won him the fight.

And ‘The Croc’ says there is ‘so much more improvement’ to come from him after winning the first ever all-Irish world title fight.

“I know I’m a much better fighter than what I even showed tonight,” stated Croker. “I’m only getting started. I’m 28, 22 fights now, but I’ve so much more improvement and I showed the difference between that fight and this fight tonight. I’m only going to get better.”

The decision caused controversy online, with former boxer Anthony Fowler among those to slam it, stating that the much busier Donovan should have had his hand raised.

But Crocker, fighting on the counter for pretty much all of the fight, felt he did enough to get the decision.

“I knew with the two knockdowns and I thought I’d guaranteed three rounds anyway, so, in my head I thought it would but you don’t know in fights so to hear the split decision, to hear the result and the crowd and declared the winner, it was class to hear.”

The Sandy Row native was noticeably quiet in the build-up to the rematch, which had many thinking he didn’t believe he could beat Donovan.

Crocker won the first bout between the pair after Donovan, who dominated the contest, was disqualified for striking him after the bell at the end of the eighth round back in March.

As a result, the Billy Nelson-trained fighter came into Saturday’s bout as a massive underdog and he was as big as 5/1 with the bookies to win, but Crocker says he relished the role.

“I knew I was a much better fighter than what I showed and I knew that he was gonna think that I’m gonna be the same fighter as last time,” said Crocker.

“I knew from the get-go there, like instantly once he missed that first shot, I was, like, I’ve got my distance here, you know, I’m not giving him an easy target.

“It was made a big deal in the build-up to this fight like ‘ah he doesn’t look confident’ and whatever and I played the role perfectly and the last time he seen me before we fought I made sure that I let him know I’m not nervous at all here, so I slept like a baby last night, woke up feeling good today and I’ll sleep even better tonight.”

Crocker stated in the ring immediately after being called the winner that he would like to fight Conor Benn next.

The Englishman faces Chris Eubank Jr in a rematch in November, but Crocker would like to be next in line for a shot at the son of former two-weight world champion Nigel Benn.

“I seen there was articles saying about Benn getting the winner of me and Paddy, but I seen 99% of them were talking about Paddy and Benn.

“Nobody was expecting me to get to say about Benn. I just think domestically it’s a huge fight with great styles and it’s one of them that’s gonna be entertaining from the get-go.

“Benn’s a quality fighter. People always mention his name, and I was like there’s no point in me even saying anything because I have no bargaining chip so why would he fight me? He’d have nothing to gain as such but I’m world champion now.”