BoxRec

According to Auntie Beeb the rematch could take place on the same day as Canelo v Crawford, September 13th.

Great day of boxing, if true. Can't wait. Also Mexican Independence Day weekend so will be rocking here in Southern California.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/articles/clym6q31m80o

I think the rematch will be a lot more competitive
.

Donovan has decent power and speed.

Crocker fancies himself as a bit of a banger but there are levels to that.

I'd take Donovan to win.

Noxy wrote: ↑26 Jun 2025, 11:10 I think the rematch will be a lot more competitive
.

You'd hope so for the fight fans because the first fight was very, very one sided.

See similar next time myself, massive difference in their skillset.

Crocker needs a far better approach this time around. I was surprised at how badly he struggled to to unload his punches. His confidence just seemed to evaporate into thin air !

Lewis Crocker-Paddy Donovan rematch confirmed for IBF title, eyed for September

Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan previously met for the right to fight for a major title.

That very belt will be on the line for their anticipated rematch.

Matchroom Boxing confirmed that terms were reached for a repeat battle between the abovementioned welterweight contenders. The IBF 147lbs title recently vacated by Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 34-0 (30 KOs), will be at stake for their return meeting, as Crocker, 21-0 (11 KOs) and Donovan, 14-1 (11 KOs) are the two highest rated contenders.

“Following Jaron Ennis vacating the IBF World Welterweight title and moving up, the rematch just got bigger,” Matchroom revealed through its verified social media accounts. “Date and venue coming soon.”

Boxing Scene has learned that the working date for Crocker-Donovan II is September 13 in Crocker’s hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Crocker won their first bout via disqualification at the end of the eighth round of their March 1 IBF title eliminator at The SSE Arena in Belfast.

Donovan was ahead on all three scorecards (69-63, 69-63, 67-65) and legitimately floored Crocker in the eighth. However, the 26-year-old southpaw from Limerick also lost two points by that point – use of his elbow in the sixth and leading with his head in the wild eighth round.

Things went from bad to worse by round’s end – a fraction of a second after, in fact.

Donovan floored Crocker with a right hook, marginally after the bell sounded. Referee Marcus McDonnell was horribly out of position and not even in the frame (for those who streamed the fight on DAZN) when the bell sounded or when Donovan landed the punch.

It was a crushing end to an otherwise brilliant performance by Donovan, who then dropped into the arms of head trainer and former WBO middleweight titlist Andy Lee.

A motion was filed by Donovan’s legal team for an immediate rematch, which was granted by the IBF. Ennis was still the titleholder at the time, which left in question what the stakes would be for the rematch, whether a second eliminator or an interim title fight.

Ennis has since opted to campaign at 154lbs and declared that he was relinquishing his belts. He still holds the WBA title but has already formally vacated the IBF crown.

No offence but these two are European level at best, so it’s pretty nice they can fight for a world title.

lol, so paddy gets dq'd, and out of that he gets a mandatory rematch and for a world title

a bit of a pitty party from some corners for him, but he was dirty all fight and then clearly a late shot at the end. but it sure turned out all right for him now though

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑11 Jul 2025, 12:21 No offence but these two are European level at best, so it’s pretty nice they can fight for a world title.

Shows you were welterweight is at the moment. A snapshot of boxrecs top ten, has to be the worst its ever been in the history of the division. Sounds dramatic, but its fcking dire.

Will be for the IBF world title at Windsor Park on 13 September

Crocker-Donovan rematch confirmed for Windsor Park

The rematch between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan, which has been upgraded to a world title fight for the vacant IBF welterweight belt, is to take place at Belfast's Windsor Park stadium on Saturday, 13 September.

Promoters Matchroom Boxing confirmed on Thursday that the venue, which hosts the Northern Ireland international football team's home matches, would stage the first-ever world title fight between two boxers from the island of Ireland.

The welterweight title was previously held by American Jaron 'Boots' Ennis.

The first meeting between the pair on 1 March was a final eliminator for the IBF title and ended in controversial fashion with Crocker taking the win by disqualification in front of a 8,500 crowd at the SSE Arena in his native Belfast.

Limerick fighter Donovan, who had twice previously been deducted points, was thrown out at the end of the eighth round for punching after the bell.

An appeal from Donovan's team resulted in the IBF granting a rematch which would again serve as a final eliminator for the world title but with champion Ennis moving up to the light-middleweight, the belt became vacant.

Windsor Park last hosted a boxing event in August 2018 when two-weight world champion Carl Frampton defeated Luke Jackson of Australia.

'It's going to be exceptional'

Speaking to BBC Sport NI, Crocker said: "Unbelievable. As a kid all I wanted to do was to fight for a world title. To fight at Windsor Park is a dream.

"I can't imagine what it's going to be like to fight for a world title there. The first all-Irish world title fight. It's history.

"The controversy from the last fight makes it even bigger. It's going to be exceptional. The rematch should happen 100%. I wanted the rematch to put things right."

Crocker's victory made it 21 wins from 21 fights for the Belfast boxer but the 28-year-old was not happy with his level of performance.

"I underperformed massively in the first fight so to go in as an underdog and prove everyone wrong, and win a world title at Windsor Park - I'll take that all day long.

"I'd be a happy man until I die if I win a world title, especially at Windsor Park.

"The atmosphere is going to be electric. Obviously he [Donovan] will have his support as well but my friends and family and the people of Belfast will back me."

Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan will settle the argument on September 13

Six months after their first fight ended in controversy, Irish welterweights Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan will get together again on September 13 at Windsor Park, Northern Ireland, this time to contest the vacant IBF welterweight title.

Back in March, at Belfast’s SSE Arena, Donovan dropped Crocker with a punch thrown after the bell to end round eight and was immediately disqualified from the final eliminator for the same title by the referee Marcus McDonnell. The call ended a fight he was until then winning and left Donovan crestfallen and Crocker, both victim and victor, far from satisfied.

“This is the fight I’ve wanted since the final bell of the first one,” said Crocker, 21-0 (11). “To run it back for the IBF title, and to do it in such an iconic stadium in Belfast, in front of my own people, is something I’ve dreamed of my whole life.

“This isn’t just a rematch. It’s my chance to silence the doubters and prove I’m the best welterweight in the world. I know exactly what I need to do, and on fight night, I’m leaving with that world title.”

“It’s going to be a great atmosphere in Belfast on fight night,” Donovan, 14-1 (11), said. “I’m looking to repeat another stellar boxing performance, set the record straight and come home with a world title. I can’t wait.”

As is often the case when controversy clouds a result, the rematch between Crocker, 28, and Donovan is expected to be considerably bigger and attract more interest than fight one. In terms of stage, it will take place outdoors at Windsor Park, a football stadium much larger in size than the SSE Arena. Better yet, the rematch between Crocker and the 26-year-old Donovan has a title on the line following Jaron Ennis’ decision to relinquish it and move up to junior middleweight.

“World-title fight!” Crocker previously wrote on social media after learning a world title was at stake. “The biggest fight in Irish boxing history. Time to prove them all wrong.”

Donovan, meanwhile, wrote: “It’s my time to become IBF world champion. Thank you to my team. It’s going to be history on the Emerald Isles 26 years young. Let’s go!”

Here we go. Some undercard fights and fighters..

I'm going to this.

Can't wait for Tyrone McKenna vs. Dylan Moran 2, this time it's personal.

Paddy Donovan and Lewis Crocker pledge victory ahead of Belfast rematch

Irish welterweight stars Paddy Donovan and Lewis Crocker came head-to-head in Belfast today to formally announce their September 13 rematch.

The two meet for the vacant IBF title at Windsor Park Stadium.

Donovan was well ahead in March when they met in the SSE Arena, but – having already been deducted two points – he was disqualified for flattening Crocker, who had been down earlier in the eighth, with a shot after the bell to end the round.

In front of a lively, pro-Crocker crowd at Monday’s press conference ahead of the first all-Ireland world title fight, Donovan said: “I’m looking forward to this fight. It couldn’t have panned out any better for me after the controversy in the last fight.”

Donovan had been distraught after the ruling to end fight one, which marked the first loss of his 15-fight career, and he now has it all to do again.

“I can’t wait to get in there and put on a show once again,” said Donovan, 26.

During the press conference, chants of “cheat, cheat, cheat” were hurled at the Limerick man, but he brushed them off.

“It’s in the past, we move forward,” he added. “I’m ready to seize this opportunity and do a number on Lewis.”

There was a moment, as Eddie Hearn questioned the fighters, when Donovan was asked whether he felt the 28-year-old Crocker was knocked out or took a dive to finish the first fight. Donovan alleged Crocker dived.

“I’m ready to put on a demolition after the last fight,” he continued. “I think I can get the knockout this time in better fashion... I’m going to become the IBF world champion in Belfast. I’ve beat him once; I can do it again. I’m going to take that belt back to Limerick, we’re going to defend it against the best fighters in the world. Irish boxing has a new superstar, Paddy 'Real Deal' Donovan.”

Crocker, who is 21-0 (11 KOs), talked about how much the occasion, of boxing in front of tens of thousands of his Belfast fans, means to him.

“It doesn’t get any bigger,” he said. “Considering the last fight, I agreed with the decision but I also agreed there should be a rematch. Nobody wanted the fight to end like that, including myself. And I know I’m a lot better fighter and the next day I rung and said ‘Let’s get that rematch sorted'.”

Now it is bigger. It has moved from the Odyssey Arena to the stadium.

“I’ve dreamed about it as a kid – it’s everything I ever wanted,” said Crocker, who added: “I have to be better. Paddy’s a great fighter, he showed it in the last fight and I have to put on the performance of my life to win… I’m a massive underdog in this fight, no one’s expecting me to win. The first fight was 50-50… I’d be no type of man if I didn’t fight you again. There was no other fight to make, it had to be you.”

With victory, Crocker will be able to deliver the kind of nights Carl Frampton brought to Belfast.

“It’s life-changing,” he added. “I would love to be the man in Belfast and keep bringing big nights back to Belfast.”

Both coaches were confident. Andy Lee, with Donovan, said: “If [Crocker] wants to be more ambitious and aggressive, he will leave holes defensively. I believe Paddy is the better fighter and he has the answer [to whatever Crocker does].”

Billy Nelson, Crocker’s trainer, said “there was an issue, but that will remain personal” of the first fight, and maintained that Donovan was “rightly disqualified".

“We’re both really looking forward to redeeming ourselves,” said Nelson. “I think Andy and Paddy both know that wasn’t Lewis Crocker in the ring last night.”

Nelson said Donovan’s use of the head and elbow more than merited the disqualification as well as “two punches after the bell".

“On September 13, [you’ve got] two Irish guys fighting for a world title," he added. "Unbelievable occasion it’s going to be. We know what we’ve got to do. We just never performed the first time.”

Conor Benn wants winner of Lewis Crocker-Paddy Donovan II

Conor Benn is hoping for a welterweight title shot against the winner of the rematch between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan at Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, according to Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, who promotes all three men.

Crocker and Donovan will face each other again, this time for the vacant IBF welterweight title, after a highly controversial ending to their first contest back in March.

Donovan was disqualified after outclassing Crocker for the majority of the contest. He dropped Crocker with a shot after the bell ending the eighth round, with referee Marcus McDonnell ruling the blow a foul and awarding the victory to Crocker. Donovan blamed the crowd noise caused by Crocker’s huge home support for not being able to hear the bell.

Hearn has revealed Donovan wanted the rematch in his home city of Limerick, Ireland.

“I know Paddy Donovan was keen on that,” Hearn said. “Look, it’s a great story. I just think we don’t really know the market there. It’s very risky. We've got 20,000 to fill up at Windsor Park. We're very confident of doing that, down in Limerick we just don’t know. That's the reality.”

The winner of the contest, with the IBF strap around his waist, could land a huge fight with one of the big names in and around 147lbs.

“Certainly if Paddy Donovan wins and you start looking at the names in the welterweight division,” Hearn said. “Like Ryan Garcia, like Devin Haney, like Shakur Stevenson, Teofimo Lopez, Conor Benn. That's fights that you can go down to Limerick with. But we know we're going to do big numbers in Belfast, and that's where we chose to go.”

Hearn has two fighters in the welterweight division, Benn and Jack Catterall, who both are craving a shot at world honors.

“You would always lend yourself to making an in-house fight for a world championship,” he said. “So in this situation, I think firstly Conor Benn is definitely looking at the winner of this fight and of course Jack Catterall, if he's staying at 147, to look at the winner for a world title.”

The controversy in the first Crocker-Donovan encounter, an eliminator for the IBF title, meant that the sanctioning body quickly ordered an immediate rematch. Talks of the rematch seemed to go quiet, but after IBF/WBA titleholder Jaron “Boots” Ennis announced that he would be vacating his titles and moving up to the junior middleweight division, the fight seemed to quickly gain traction again.

“Obviously once the rematch got ordered, the fight was always going to happen,” said Hearn of the delay. “I think if you're Lewis Crocker, you come out of the first fight and you're thinking, ‘I was getting beat in that fight. I had a little bit of a gift, if you like, from Paddy Donovan's mistake. I’m not running it back. Why would I run it back? I’m fighting for the world title.’

“Obviously then it was ordered, the rematch, for a world title eliminator. So at that point it was a hundred percent happening. Obviously with Jaron Ennis moving up, that allowed us to make the first ever all-Irish world championship fight and to do it at Windsor Park. So a massive opportunity for both, a massive fight, and they’re all in it to win it.”

Why the same night as bud v canelo.

Only one semi decent card the whole of august, feast or famine boxing at the moment

Bigdogsnose wrote: ↑12 Jul 2025, 15:05

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑11 Jul 2025, 12:21 No offence but these two are European level at best, so it’s pretty nice they can fight for a world title.

Shows you were welterweight is at the moment. A snapshot of boxrecs top ten, has to be the worst its ever been in the history of the division. Sounds dramatic, but its fcking dire.

Both would give Benn a beating though and look where he is

smiling assassin wrote: ↑29 Jul 2025, 05:58

Bigdogsnose wrote: ↑12 Jul 2025, 15:05

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑11 Jul 2025, 12:21 No offence but these two are European level at best, so it’s pretty nice they can fight for a world title.

Shows you were welterweight is at the moment. A snapshot of boxrecs top ten, has to be the worst its ever been in the history of the division. Sounds dramatic, but its fcking dire.

Both would give Benn a beating though and look where he is

No idea how or on what benn gets rated so high and at at anyweight he or hearn fancies seemingly. Would love to see him actually test himself domestically.

Bigdogsnose wrote: ↑29 Jul 2025, 10:42

smiling assassin wrote: ↑29 Jul 2025, 05:58

Bigdogsnose wrote: ↑12 Jul 2025, 15:05

Shows you were welterweight is at the moment. A snapshot of boxrecs top ten, has to be the worst its ever been in the history of the division. Sounds dramatic, but its fcking dire.

Both would give Benn a beating though and look where he is

No idea how or on what benn gets rated so high and at at anyweight he or hearn fancies seemingly. Would love to see him actually test himself domestically.

Hearn doesn't, he just puts his name in there.

Crock a shit got no chance in this one