• Paddy Donovan was controversially disqualified against Lewis Crocker in Belfast
• The Limerick fighter landed a right hook against his opponent after the bell
• Donovan insisted referee Marcus McDonnell 'took his dreams away' with the call

By YASEEN ZAMAN

Published: 00:21 GMT, 2 March 2025 | Updated: 00:42 GMT, 2 March 2025

Lewis Crocker was controversially handed victory after Paddy Donovan was disqualified at the end of the eighth round in their IBF welterweight world title eliminator fight in Belfast.

Both fighters had their unbeaten professional records on the line going into the all-Irish showdown, but it was Crocker who kept his after referee Marcus McDonnell disqualified Donovan following a knockout blow after the bell.

The Real Deal loaded up a right hook just a second after the end of the round, which landed flush to Crocker's temple and dropped him to the canvas.

Donovan wheeled back to his corner, as he and his coach celebrated what they thought was a knockout victory, only to be shocked by McDonnell's decision to disqualify him.

Earlier, Donovan had also seen points deducted in rounds six and eight for persistent use of the head.

Dejected by the disqualification, the Limerick fighter dropped to his knees after the fight's conclusion, and was fighting back tears as he insisted that the referee 'took his dreams away' during his post-fight interview.

Lewis Crocker earned a controversial win after Paddy Donovan's disqualification on Saturday

Donovan landed a knockout blow against his opponent after the conclusion of the eighth round

The Limerick fighter felt wronged by the call and believed he landed the shot right on the bell

'Listen to the crowd, the crowd can tell you,' he told DAZN. 'I won the fight, I was winning every single round.

'I dropped Lewis [Crocker], I beat up him and I was getting the knockout. He [the referee] said I hit him after the bell but I thought I hit him on the bell.'

Donovan was leading Crocker on all three judges' scorecards at the time of the stoppage, which read 69-63, 69-63 and 67-65 in his favour after seven completed rounds of action.

'You can see Lewis was a beaten man and I won the fight fair and square. The ref took my dreams away tonight,' Donovan added as his voice trembled.

Donovan now moves to a 14-1 professional record, while his opponent improved to 21-0.

Crocker is now next in line to fight Jaron Ennis for the IBF welterweight title, but many will undoubtedly feel that Donovan deserves that opportunity.

A rematch between the two Irishmen could be on the cards after tonight's contentious conclusion.

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