Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan: Two tips ahead of Belfast showdown

Belfast's SSE Arena hosts an all-Irish affair when Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan meet at welterweight on Saturday evening.

Resident boxing expert Brad Walker (@brad_TWalker) has taken a close look at the match-up and picked out two fancies ahead of the opening bell.

Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan analysis - Whose '0' will go in Belfast? 

With Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season taking over the sport at the highest level, sweeping up the majority of world calibre fighters in the process, questions remained over the quality of UK shows on offer moving forward.

Yet, Matchroom and DAZN have delivered a barnburner between two top upcoming prospects in a fight which is rightly heralding praise across the trade.

Both men head into Saturday's contest with undefeated records intact. Lewis Crocker (20-0, 11KOs) heads into the night the 'home fighter' given his Belfast origins, though Limerick's Paddy Donovan (14-0, 11KOs) is expected to bring his fair share of support to the Northern Irish capital. 

Having both collected career-best wins last time out, opinion is split around whose hand will be raised at the SSE Arena on Saturday. Crocker earned a narrow unanimous decision win over Conah Walker back in June last year, a month after Donovan systematically broke down and stopped Lewis Ritson in nine at the Leeds' First Direct Arena. 

The latter displayed maturity beyond his years that night, forcing Ritson to come to him and picking off the former British champion with sharp counters during the early rounds before stepping up the pace in the second half of the bout. 

Welterweight War 🔥 @lewiscrocker1 @PaddyDonovan23 #CrockerDonovan | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/2HNY3Bp7qO

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) February 26, 2025

Donovan is more than comfortable fighting off the back foot, though he was occasionally caught by the Ritson jab across the nine rounds. A more cautious approach with better head movement may be required given the heavy hands of Crocker, though it's possible Donovan was willing to take chances due to a lack of respect for the power of his opponent on the night. 

He also showed he has heavy hands when taking the centre of the ring during the second half of the bout, showing an increased willingness to hold his feet in order to pummel Ritson into submission. The latter was bruised and breathing heavy by the end of the eighth round and referee Howard Faster rightfully stepped in to put him out of his misery in the ninth. 

Crocker's meeting with Walker was less dominant, even though all three judges scored the fight in his favour. The 28-year-old appears more comfortable fighting on the inside, despite his sizeable frame and showed incredible heart during the latter stages of the 10-round bout where he looked to be feeling the pace. 

His willingness to fight could prove costly though, particularly due to a reluctance to make better use of the jab. Even when Crocker does throw the lead hand, questions remain over whether it is sharp enough to meet its target without falling foul of one of Donovan's sharp countering shots. 

One thing that cannot be doubted is the quality of the match-up and the atmosphere both sets of fans will generate in Belfast. A cracker awaits. 

Best bets for Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan on Saturday, March 1, 2025

Selection #1 - Paddy Donovan to win - Evens

It's hard to split these two and that's reflected in the betting markets, with both hovering in-and-around even money at the time of writing. 

A case can be made for either man but, if forced to pick a winner, I'd edge in favour of the younger man in Donovan. 

The nature of his victory over Ritson last time out was mightily impressive, particularly how he sat on the back foot and picked off the former before breaking him down and getting him out of there down the stretch. 

Crocker is a different fighter stylistically and will likely look to force the pace, especially early on, but I'm going to back the slicker style of Donovan to prove too much. Trained by Andy Lee, Donovan has shown he can win going both ways and ultimately looks the more versatile fighter out of the pair. Still, what a fight!

Selection #2 - Paddy Donovan to win by KO/TKO/DQ - 4/1 

Getting a Donovan win at even money might be a juicy enough price as it is for some punters, but if you're the type to up the anti further, then backing the 26-year-old to win inside the distance might be the bet for you. 

Crocker looked to be faltering during the latter stages of his fight with Walker, not surprising given the pace set by the Wolverhampton man. Still, given that this fight is over 12 rounds (a distance neither man has fought as a pro, it should be said) I'm unsure whether Crocker will have enough to maintain his output for the full 36 minutes. 

His best chance is in the first half of the fight but the longer the fight lasts, the better Donovan's chances of winning. And given the variety of shots in his repertoire, backing Donovan to capitalise on any Crocker fatigue down the stretch at a price as wide as 4/1 might be worth a tipple. 

Brad Walker's best bets for Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan